CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Research Topic: The Influence of Social Media Evangelism on the Religious Commitment of Christian University Students: A Study of Selected Pentecostal Students in Nsukka, Enugu State.

This chapter presents the background to the study, statement of the problem, purpose of the study, research questions, research hypothesis, significance of the study, scope and delimitation of the study, and operational definition of terms. It examines the growing use of social media for Christian evangelism and considers how online religious messages, sermons, worship activities, testimonies and Christian discussions may influence the religious commitment of Pentecostal university students in Nsukka, Enugu State.

1.1 Background to the Study

Religion is an important aspect of human life because it influences people’s beliefs, values, moral choices, identity and relationships with others. Within Christianity, evangelism is a fundamental responsibility of the Church, involving the proclamation of the gospel, the invitation of individuals to faith in Jesus Christ and the encouragement of spiritual growth. The biblical foundation for this responsibility is found in Matthew 28:19–20, where Jesus commands His disciples to make disciples of all nations and teach them to observe His commandments. Similarly, Mark 16:15 records the instruction to preach the gospel to all creation. Christian evangelism, therefore, extends beyond communicating religious information to encouraging faith, discipleship and the practical application of Christian teachings. As religious communication responds to changing social conditions, churches have increasingly explored different means of reaching people with the Christian message. Campbell and Tsuria (2021), in their work on digital religion, explain that digital technologies have become important environments for religious communication, participation and the expression of faith. This development provides a foundation for examining how social media evangelism may influence the religious commitment of Christian university students.

Social media refers to internet-based platforms that enable users to create, share and interact with content and communicate with other individuals or groups. Platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok and WhatsApp have created opportunities for communication that extend beyond geographical boundaries and conventional face-to-face interactions. These platforms allow users to share videos, photographs, written messages, livestreams and other forms of digital content. Kaplan and Haenlein (2010) describe social media as a group of internet-based applications that build on the ideological and technological foundations of Web 2.0 and enable the creation and exchange of user-generated content. Kietzmann et al. (2011) also identify social media as a communication environment involving functions such as sharing, conversations, relationships, identity and group formation. In the religious context, these characteristics enable churches, ministers and individual Christians to distribute sermons, Bible teachings, testimonies, worship music and evangelistic messages to audiences who may not be physically present in a church. Social media consequently provides a communication environment through which Christian messages can reach university students in their everyday digital activities.

Social media evangelism refers to the use of social networking and digital communication platforms to communicate the Christian gospel, encourage faith in Jesus Christ and promote Christian discipleship. It may involve sharing Scripture passages, posting evangelistic videos, livestreaming church services, conducting online Bible studies, responding to questions about Christianity and inviting people to participate in Christian fellowships. Hutchings (2017), in Creating Church Online, examines how religious communities use digital environments to develop forms of worship, communication and community. Campbell and Tsuria (2021) similarly demonstrate that digital media have become significant for understanding contemporary religious practices and the ways believers engage with religious content. These developments suggest that social media evangelism can function as an extension of traditional evangelistic activities by making Christian messages accessible through digital platforms. Nevertheless, the accessibility of religious content should not automatically be interpreted as evidence of spiritual transformation; the relationship between exposure to online evangelism and actual religious commitment requires careful investigation.

Religious commitment refers to the degree to which an individual accepts, values and practises a religious faith. It may be reflected in religious beliefs, personal prayer, participation in worship, involvement in fellowship, observance of religious teachings and the importance attached to religion in everyday decisions. Worthington et al. (2003), in developing the Religious Commitment Inventory–10, conceptualise religious commitment in terms of the extent to which a person adheres to religious values, beliefs and practices and uses them in daily living. This understanding is relevant to Christian university students because their religious commitment may be expressed through personal devotion, participation in church activities, Christian fellowship, moral conduct and commitment to biblical teachings. Social media evangelism may expose students to religious instruction and encouragement that support these expressions of faith. However, the extent to which online religious communication contributes to sustained commitment, rather than temporary interest or passive content consumption, remains an important question for empirical research.

University students constitute a relevant population for studying digital religious communication because university life often involves new social relationships, intellectual experiences, personal responsibilities and changing patterns of religious participation. Students may encounter different worldviews, peer groups and lifestyles while negotiating their religious identities within the university environment. Research by McClure (2016), using panel data from the National Study of Youth and Religion in the United States, examined the relationship between social networking site use and emerging adults’ religious beliefs. The study found that social networking site users were more likely to accept religious pluralism and the selective combination of religious beliefs, although they were not more likely to believe that all religions are true. This finding illustrates that the relationship between social media and religion may be complex and may involve changes in how young adults understand and negotiate their beliefs. Since the study was conducted in the United States, its findings cannot automatically be generalised to Pentecostal university students in Nigeria. Nevertheless, it provides a useful basis for investigating how social media evangelism relates to students’ religious commitment within a specific Nigerian university context.

Social media may provide Christian students with opportunities to maintain religious connections, access sermons and Bible teachings, participate in online prayer meetings and interact with fellow believers. Such activities may complement physical church attendance and campus fellowship by making religious resources available outside scheduled meetings. Research by Mattes and Novak (2025) on young religious Instagram users examined how young people consume and express religion through social media. Their qualitative findings identified different patterns of engagement, including selective consumption and expression as well as more active communication of religious identity. The study demonstrates that young people’s online religious engagement varies and is shaped by their experiences and the characteristics of the platforms they use. Earlier research by Evolvi (2019) also examined the relationship between social media, religious expression and identity, contributing to an understanding of how digital environments can become spaces for religious communication. These perspectives suggest that social media evangelism may support religious commitment when students actively engage with content that reinforces their beliefs and practices. At the same time, the nature and depth of such engagement need to be examined rather than inferred simply from the frequency of social media use.

In Nigeria, Christian churches have increasingly incorporated digital communication into their religious activities, including evangelism, worship broadcasting, online prayer and the distribution of sermons and testimonies. This development is particularly relevant to Pentecostal Christianity, where preaching, personal conversion, spiritual experience, testimony and active participation in religious activities are important features of church life. A Nigerian study published in Nigerian Educational Digest examined social media as a tool for Christian evangelism in contemporary Nigeria and discussed the opportunities provided by digital platforms for communicating the gospel (2022). Odewale (2026) also examines digital evangelism and the mediatization of Nigerian Pentecostalism, focusing on the use of new media for evangelistic outreach, religious instruction and networking. These works provide a Nigerian context for considering how churches are adapting their communication practices to digital environments. However, the existence of online evangelistic activities does not by itself establish whether students who encounter them demonstrate stronger religious commitment. That relationship requires investigation among the particular population under study.

Nsukka, Enugu State, provides a relevant setting for examining the influence of social media evangelism on the religious commitment of Pentecostal university students. University students in the area may encounter Christian content through church pages, campus fellowships, ministers’ social media accounts, online prayer groups and personal networks. Their responses may differ according to the frequency of exposure, the nature and credibility of the messages, their existing religious beliefs and the extent to which online engagement is connected with participation in physical Christian communities. Research on religious youth and Instagram by Mattes and Novak (2022) found that online religious activities can affirm religious belonging, while also demonstrating that digital religious engagement takes different forms. McClure’s (2016) findings further show that social networking may relate to religious belief in ways that are not necessarily uniform or straightforward. Since these studies were conducted outside Nsukka, their findings do not establish the experiences of Pentecostal university students in the study area. The present study therefore seeks to examine how social media evangelism influences the religious commitment of selected Pentecostal students in Nsukka, Enugu State, with particular attention to their religious beliefs, practices, participation and commitment to Christian values.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Social media has created additional opportunities for Christian evangelism by enabling churches, ministers and individual believers to communicate religious messages beyond the physical church environment. Through sermons, Bible teachings, worship broadcasts, testimonies and online fellowship, students can encounter Christian messages at different times and in different settings. However, the availability of religious content does not necessarily establish that students develop stronger religious commitment or consistently apply Christian teachings in their daily lives. Campbell and Tsuria (2021) explain that digital media has become an important environment for religious communication and practice, while Hutchings (2017) examines how online religious activities relate to church life and community. The problem, therefore, is to determine whether and how social media evangelism contributes to the religious commitment of Pentecostal university students rather than assuming that exposure to online religious messages automatically produces spiritual growth.

Another concern is that social media may expose students to a wide range of religious viewpoints, interpretations and expressions that may influence how they understand and practise their faith. McClure (2016), in a study of emerging adults in the United States, found that social networking site use was associated with greater acceptance of selecting and combining religious beliefs, although it was not associated with a greater likelihood of believing that all religions are true. Similarly, Novak et al. (2022), in their qualitative study of young religious Instagram users in Vienna, found that online religious activities could affirm religious belonging, while the nature of engagement varied among users. These findings suggest that digital religious engagement may have different implications for religious identity and commitment. However, because the studies were conducted outside Nigeria, they cannot establish how Pentecostal university students in Nsukka respond to social media evangelism.

A further problem concerns the distinction between online religious participation and sustained commitment to Christian beliefs and practices. Students may watch sermons, share Bible verses, follow Christian ministers or participate in online prayer activities without necessarily increasing their personal devotion, church attendance, fellowship involvement or adherence to Christian teachings. Conversely, online evangelistic messages may encourage some students to become more involved in religious activities and strengthen their sense of belonging. The findings of Novak et al. (2022) indicate that online religious activities can affirm belonging, while Worthington et al. (2003) provide a framework for understanding religious commitment in terms of adherence to religious values, beliefs and practices. It is therefore necessary to investigate the relationship between students’ engagement with social media evangelism and different dimensions of their religious commitment instead of treating online activity alone as proof of spiritual commitment.

The central problem of this study is the lack of context-specific evidence concerning the influence of social media evangelism on the religious commitment of selected Pentecostal university students in Nsukka, Enugu State. Although existing studies have examined digital religion, social networking and religious engagement among young people, their findings do not automatically represent the experiences of Pentecostal students in this Nigerian university setting. The study will therefore investigate students’ exposure to social media evangelism, examine its relationship with their religious beliefs and practices, identify factors that may affect its influence, and explore how online evangelistic activities relate to their participation in Christian fellowship and church life. The findings are expected to provide a clearer understanding of the role social media evangelism plays in the religious lives of the students studied.

1.3 Purpose of the Study

The main purpose of this study is to examine the influence of social media evangelism on the religious commitment of Christian university students, with particular reference to selected Pentecostal students in Nsukka, Enugu State.

The specific objectives are to:

1. Examine the extent of exposure of selected Pentecostal university students in Nsukka to social media evangelism.
2. Determine the influence of social media evangelism on students’ religious beliefs, personal devotion and Christian practices.
3. Investigate the relationship between engagement with social media evangelism and students’ participation in church and fellowship activities.
4. Identify the challenges and factors that affect the influence of social media evangelism on students’ religious commitment.

1.4 Research Questions

The following research questions will guide the study:

1. To what extent are selected Pentecostal university students in Nsukka exposed to social media evangelism?
2. How does social media evangelism influence students’ religious beliefs, personal devotion and Christian practices?
3. What is the relationship between engagement with social media evangelism and students’ participation in church and fellowship activities?
4. What challenges and factors affect the influence of social media evangelism on students’ religious commitment?

1.5 Research Hypothesis

The following null hypothesis will be tested at the 0.05 level of significance:

H₀: There is no significant relationship between engagement with social media evangelism and the religious commitment of selected Pentecostal university students in Nsukka, Enugu State.

1.6 Significance of the Study

The findings of this study are expected to be beneficial to the following groups:

1. Pentecostal Church Leaders: The study may help pastors and other church leaders understand how social media evangelism relates to the religious commitment of university students. It may also provide insights into ways of using digital platforms to communicate Christian teachings and support students’ spiritual development.

2. University Students: The study may encourage students to reflect on how they engage with online religious content and how such engagement relates to their personal devotion, Christian beliefs, moral conduct and participation in fellowship activities.

3. Campus Fellowship Leaders: The findings may assist fellowship leaders in considering how online evangelistic activities can complement physical meetings, Bible studies, prayer sessions and discipleship programmes.

4. Christian Religious Organisations: The study may provide information that churches and Christian organisations can use when developing digital evangelism strategies and programmes for young people.

5. Religious Educators and Theologians: The study may contribute to discussions on contemporary evangelism, digital religion, Christian discipleship and the religious development of university students.

6. University Authorities and Student Support Organisations: The findings may provide information about the religious experiences and online engagement of Christian students, helping relevant stakeholders better understand the role of religious communities in students’ campus experiences.

7. Future Researchers: The study may contribute to the literature on social media evangelism and religious commitment and provide a basis for further research among Christian students in other universities, denominations and geographical locations.

1.7 Scope and Delimitation of the Study

The study focuses on the influence of social media evangelism on the religious commitment of Christian university students, with particular reference to selected Pentecostal students in Nsukka, Enugu State.

The content scope covers four major areas:

1. Students’ exposure to social media evangelism.
2. The influence of social media evangelism on religious beliefs, personal devotion and Christian practices.
3. The relationship between online evangelistic engagement and participation in church and fellowship activities.
4. Challenges and factors affecting the influence of social media evangelism on religious commitment.

The geographical scope is limited to selected Pentecostal students in Nsukka, Enugu State.

The study will involve Pentecostal university students who meet the eligibility criteria established for the research. Data will be collected from the selected respondents using the research instruments adopted for the study.

The study does not seek to investigate all Christian denominations or all university students in Nigeria. Its findings will be interpreted in relation to the selected respondents and the study area.

1.8 Operational Definition of Terms

The following terms are defined according to how they are used in this study.

Social Media: Internet-based platforms and applications that enable users to create, share and interact with content and communicate with individuals or groups. Examples include Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok and WhatsApp.

Evangelism: The communication and proclamation of the Christian gospel with the aim of introducing people to the Christian faith and encouraging them to respond to its message.

Social Media Evangelism: The use of social networking and digital communication platforms to share the Christian gospel through sermons, Bible teachings, testimonies, worship content, livestreams and other evangelistic activities.

Religious Commitment: The extent to which an individual adheres to religious beliefs, values and practices and incorporates them into everyday life.

Christian University Students: Students enrolled in a university who identify with the Christian faith and are relevant to the population of the study.

Pentecostal Students: Christian university students who belong to or identify with Pentecostal churches or fellowships characterised by Pentecostal beliefs and practices.

Personal Devotion: Individual religious activities such as prayer, Bible reading, meditation and other practices through which a Christian seeks personal spiritual growth.

Christian Fellowship: An organised gathering of Christians for worship, prayer, Bible study, spiritual encouragement and community participation.

Religious Beliefs: Convictions and understandings concerning God, Jesus Christ, the Bible and other teachings of the Christian faith.

Nsukka: The geographical study area in Enugu State, Nigeria, within which the selected Pentecostal university students will be investigated.