Project – Impact of Social Media Evangelism on Youth Participation in Church Activities: A Study of Selected Pentecostal Churches in Ibadan Metropolis, Oyo State

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the Study

The contemporary world is increasingly characterized by rapid technological development and profound changes in the ways people communicate, socialize, acquire information and participate in social institutions. One of the most influential developments has been the emergence of social media platforms, which have transformed communication from a predominantly one-way process into an interactive, participatory and networked activity. Platforms such as Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok and X enable individuals and organizations to create, share, discuss and respond to information almost instantaneously. Unlike traditional mass media, social media allows audiences not only to receive messages but also to comment, share, react to, reinterpret and redistribute content. This transformation has significant implications for institutions such as the church whose mission depends fundamentally on communication, fellowship, teaching, discipleship and evangelism.

Evangelism occupies a central position in Christian theology and practice. The Great Commission in Matthew 28:19–20 instructs Christians to make disciples of all nations, teach them the Christian faith and incorporate them into the community of believers. Traditionally, Christian evangelism has been undertaken through preaching, personal witnessing, missionary activities, crusades, printed materials, radio, television and other forms of mass communication. However, the expansion of digital communication has created another important arena for Christian evangelism. The church can now communicate biblical teachings, sermons, testimonies, worship materials, devotionals and evangelistic messages to people who may never enter a church building physically. Social media has therefore become an increasingly important instrument for extending Christian communication beyond geographical and institutional boundaries.

The emergence of digital religion has generated considerable scholarly attention because religious practices are no longer confined exclusively to physical religious spaces. Campbell (2013) argues that digital media has created new environments in which religious beliefs, identities, practices and communities can be expressed and negotiated. Digital religion does not necessarily replace conventional religious practice; rather, online and offline religious activities can overlap and influence one another. This perspective is particularly relevant to youth ministry because young people frequently move between physical and digital environments in their everyday lives. Their religious experiences may therefore be shaped by interactions with churches, pastors, Christian organizations and fellow believers both physically and through social media.

The increasing integration of digital technologies into religious life has also led scholars to conceptualize religious communities as networked communities. Campbell (2025) explains that digital religion involves characteristics such as networked community, convergent practice and multisite reality, whereby religious relationships and practices are increasingly distributed across online and offline spaces. In such an environment, a young person may listen to a sermon on YouTube, participate in a WhatsApp Bible-study group, watch a church’s Instagram livestream, share a Bible verse on Facebook, participate in an online prayer meeting and subsequently attend a physical worship service. Religious participation can consequently take place across interconnected spaces rather than within the traditional boundaries of the church building.

The rise of social media is especially significant for young people. Youths constitute a major segment of the population and are generally among the most active users of digital communication technologies. Social media provides young people with opportunities to form friendships, express opinions, construct identities, obtain information and participate in communities. Consequently, religious organizations seeking to reach younger generations increasingly recognize that evangelistic communication must engage with the platforms where young people spend significant portions of their social and informational lives.

This development has been particularly important for Pentecostal Christianity. Pentecostal churches have historically demonstrated considerable flexibility in adopting contemporary communication technologies. From radio and television ministries to websites, livestreaming and social media platforms, Pentecostal churches have consistently incorporated popular communication technologies into evangelistic and religious activities. The emphasis on evangelism, personal conversion, testimonies, spiritual experiences and contemporary communication styles makes Pentecostalism particularly receptive to media technologies that facilitate direct and emotionally engaging communication.

In Nigeria, Pentecostal churches have become prominent actors in the use of media for religious communication. Nigerian Pentecostalism has developed an extensive media presence through television, radio, websites, social media, livestreaming and mobile communication. Marshall (2009) describes the Pentecostal movement in Nigeria as a major social and religious force whose influence extends beyond conventional church structures. The media have contributed to this visibility by enabling Pentecostal churches and their leaders to communicate messages to large and geographically dispersed audiences.

The use of information and communication technologies by Pentecostal churches is not merely a recent phenomenon. Omotayo (2017), in an empirical study of Pentecostal churches in Ibadan, found that the majority of the churches studied had adopted and were using information and communication technologies, with propagation of the gospel identified as the major reason for their adoption. This finding is particularly relevant to the present study because it demonstrates that Pentecostal churches in Ibadan have a history of integrating communication technologies into their evangelistic activities.

The development of social media has expanded these possibilities considerably. Traditional church communication often followed a linear pattern in which pastors and church leaders communicated messages to congregations. Social media introduces a more interactive model. Young people can comment on sermons, share church posts, ask questions, participate in online discussions, invite friends to church programmes, react to Christian messages and create their own religious content. This participatory characteristic has the potential to transform young people from passive recipients of evangelistic messages into active participants in religious communication.

Social media evangelism can therefore be understood as the deliberate use of social networking and digital platforms to communicate the Christian gospel, promote Christian teachings, facilitate spiritual interaction and encourage individuals to develop or strengthen their relationship with Christ and the Christian community. It may involve posting biblical messages, sharing sermons, broadcasting worship services, producing evangelistic videos, uploading testimonies, organizing online prayer meetings, conducting digital Bible studies, responding to spiritual questions and encouraging users to participate in church activities.

One important characteristic of social media evangelism is its ability to extend the reach of the church beyond physical boundaries. A physical evangelistic meeting is constrained by location, time and seating capacity. Social media content, however, can potentially be accessed by thousands of people across different locations. A short Christian video posted by a church can be viewed, shared and discussed long after the original publication. A sermon uploaded to YouTube can reach individuals who were absent from the physical service. A WhatsApp devotional can circulate among members and non-members within seconds. Social media consequently provides churches with an opportunity to maintain continuous communication with existing members while simultaneously reaching potential new members.

This expanded reach is particularly relevant to Pentecostal churches whose evangelistic strategies often emphasize mass outreach and individual spiritual transformation. Afolabi and Oderinde (2024) observe that Pentecostal churches in Nigeria increasingly use online media to target young people, who are generally more comfortable with Internet-based communication. Their study identifies online evangelism as an important strategy through which Pentecostal churches seek to attract and communicate with youths. They further show that Pentecostal youth, online media and contemporary evangelistic practices have become closely interconnected.

Social media evangelism can also contribute to church communication outside formal worship periods. In conventional settings, communication between the church and its members may be concentrated around Sunday services, Bible studies, prayer meetings and other scheduled programmes. Social media allows communication to continue throughout the week. A church can send devotional materials in the morning, publish announcements during the day, livestream a programme in the evening and provide follow-up materials afterward. This continuous communication may strengthen the sense of connection between young people and the church.

The concept of participation is therefore central to understanding the possible effects of social media evangelism. Church participation refers to the extent to which individuals actively engage in the life and activities of a church. It may include attendance at worship services, participation in Bible studies, prayer meetings, youth programmes, evangelistic outreaches, choir or music ministries, departmental activities, leadership responsibilities, community service and other forms of congregational involvement. In the context of digital religion, participation can also involve online activities such as watching livestreamed services, commenting on church content, sharing sermons, joining online prayer groups and participating in virtual Bible studies.

The relationship between online and offline participation is not necessarily straightforward. Social media engagement may encourage physical church participation by creating awareness of programmes, strengthening relationships and motivating young people to attend church activities. A young person who encounters an evangelistic message online may become interested in attending a church service physically. Similarly, regular online interaction with a church community may create familiarity and belonging that encourage physical participation.

Conversely, extensive online religious engagement may sometimes reduce the perceived necessity of physical participation. A young person may watch sermons online without attending church, participate in virtual Bible studies without joining physical meetings or consume Christian content without becoming actively involved in a local congregation. Thus, social media evangelism may produce both complementary and substitutive effects on church participation. Understanding which of these patterns predominates among Pentecostal youths in Ibadan requires empirical investigation.

Campbell and Evolvi (2020) emphasize that digital religion research increasingly examines how online and offline religious spaces become interconnected, blended and sometimes blurred. Digital platforms do not simply provide alternative spaces for religion; they can transform how people understand religious community and practice. This is particularly important when examining youth participation because young people’s religious lives may no longer fit neatly into a distinction between “online” and “offline” religion.

Another potential benefit of social media evangelism is increased accessibility. Young people who may be reluctant to approach a pastor or attend a church programme physically can encounter Christian messages privately through their phones. Digital platforms can provide opportunities for questions, reflection and engagement without the immediate social pressure associated with physical religious environments. This may be particularly useful for youths who are uncertain about their faith, experiencing personal challenges or searching for religious information.

Social media also provides opportunities for peer-to-peer evangelism. Young Christians can share sermons, Bible verses, testimonies, worship songs and Christian videos with their friends. This transforms evangelism from an activity performed exclusively by ordained ministers into a broader participatory process. A youth member may invite friends to a church programme through WhatsApp, share a livestream on Facebook, repost a Christian video on Instagram or create a TikTok video explaining a biblical teaching. Such activities can extend the evangelistic capacity of the church.

However, social media evangelism is not without challenges. Social media platforms contain enormous quantities of secular, commercial, political and religious content. Christian messages compete for attention with entertainment, celebrity culture, advertisements, misinformation and other forms of digital communication. Young people may therefore encounter Christian content alongside messages that contradict Christian values. The attention-driven structure of social media can make sustained engagement with lengthy theological or devotional material difficult.

The interactive nature of social media also creates challenges concerning authority and doctrinal control. Unlike traditional church settings in which pastors and teachers have greater control over teaching environments, social media allows anyone to create and disseminate religious content. Young people can encounter different interpretations of Christianity, competing doctrines and conflicting theological opinions. Kolapo (2019) argues that social media has created a public environment in which Nigerian Pentecostal churches and their leaders are subjected to increased scrutiny and public discussion. At the same time, social media can challenge established forms of authority because religious information circulates among audiences beyond the direct control of church leadership.

This issue has important implications for youth participation. Young people may become more interested in church activities when social media content is relevant, engaging and authentic. However, they may also become distracted by controversies, doctrinal disputes or negative representations of churches. The quality and credibility of social media evangelism may therefore determine whether it encourages constructive participation or produces disengagement.

There are also concerns about the difference between social media engagement and meaningful religious participation. A young person may “like” a church post, watch a short sermon or share a Bible verse without experiencing substantial spiritual or communal involvement. Quantitative indicators such as views, likes, shares and followers may therefore not necessarily correspond to meaningful church participation. A church can have a large social media audience while its youth members remain minimally involved in physical church activities. This distinction makes it important to empirically investigate whether social media evangelism actually translates into participation in church activities.

Recent empirical evidence from Nigeria provides further support for this concern. Folarin, Otunla and Atowoju (2024), in their study of digital technology tools and worship engagement among youths of the Redeemed Christian Church of God Youth Province 12 in Osun State, found substantial church presence on WhatsApp, Facebook and YouTube. WhatsApp recorded particularly high levels of church presence and engagement, while YouVersion was also identified as an important religious digital application. The researchers concluded that churches should strengthen digital literacy and diversify their use of social media for worship engagement while paying attention to meaningful spiritual experiences.

The findings are particularly significant because Osun State shares geographical and sociocultural connections with Oyo State, while Ibadan itself is a major centre of religious activity and higher education. They suggest that social media is already embedded in the religious communication practices of Nigerian Pentecostal youth. However, the study focused on digital technology tools and worship engagement in a specific Pentecostal context in Osun State. The present study is concerned more specifically with the influence of social media evangelism on youth participation in church activities among selected Pentecostal churches in Ibadan Metropolis.

Ibadan provides an important context for such an investigation. As one of Nigeria’s major historical, educational, commercial and religious centres, Ibadan contains a diverse range of Christian denominations and Pentecostal churches. The city has also experienced extensive adoption of digital communication technologies. The earlier study by Omotayo (2017) specifically established that Pentecostal churches in Ibadan had adopted ICTs, principally for gospel propagation. The present research therefore builds upon an established local context while focusing on the newer and more interactive social-media environment.

The youth population of Pentecostal churches represents a particularly important constituency for evangelistic and discipleship efforts. Youths are not merely future members of churches; they are active participants in contemporary Christian communities. Their involvement in worship, evangelism, leadership, Bible study, prayer, music, media and community service contributes to the vitality and continuity of churches. If churches fail to engage youths effectively, they may experience declining participation among younger generations despite maintaining substantial adult membership.

Social media offers Pentecostal churches a mechanism for addressing this challenge. Because young people are accustomed to digital communication, churches can communicate with them through familiar platforms and formats. Short videos, livestreams, podcasts, interactive Bible studies, online prayer meetings, testimonies and question-and-answer sessions may provide more accessible forms of religious communication. Afolabi and Oderinde (2024) specifically note that online media is important in reaching Nigerian youth because younger people are active and comfortable on the Internet.

Nevertheless, churches must consider how digital evangelism can be connected to physical Christian community. Christianity involves more than receiving information; it also involves fellowship, worship, discipleship, service and communal relationships. Hebrews 10:24–25 emphasizes the importance of believers encouraging one another and maintaining communal gathering. Consequently, digital evangelism should ideally complement rather than completely replace the relational and communal dimensions of church life.

The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated the importance of digital religious communication. During periods when physical gatherings were restricted, churches across the world employed livestreaming, social media, video conferencing and messaging applications to maintain communication with members. Campbell (2025) notes that the pandemic made the intersection between online and offline religious practices especially visible, although these developments were part of broader digital-religion trends that predated the pandemic. The experience demonstrated that digital platforms could maintain elements of religious community during physical separation.

However, the post-pandemic environment has raised a new question: whether digital engagement encourages people to return to or remain connected with physical church communities. For Pentecostal churches, the issue is particularly relevant because physical worship, collective prayer, altar ministry, fellowship and participation in church departments remain central aspects of congregational life. Social media evangelism may increase awareness and engagement, but its ultimate value may depend on whether it contributes to deeper discipleship and active participation.

Another factor is the participatory nature of contemporary digital communication. Young people increasingly expect opportunities to interact rather than merely receive information. Social media evangelism that relies solely on one-way posting may have limited effectiveness compared with strategies that encourage questions, discussions, testimonies and user-generated Christian content. Youth participation in producing religious media may itself become a form of church participation. Afolabi and Oderinde (2024) highlight the interrelationship between Pentecostal youth, online media and church communication, while the findings from the RCCG Youth Province 12 study suggest the importance of considering how young people engage with digital worship tools rather than merely whether churches maintain online accounts.

The emergence of newer platforms such as TikTok and short-form video applications has further changed the nature of religious communication. Christian messages can now be presented through brief videos, testimonies, music, spoken-word presentations and visually engaging biblical explanations. These formats may be attractive to younger audiences, but they also create pressure to simplify complex theological issues into short, attention-grabbing content. Churches must therefore balance digital accessibility with theological depth and accuracy.

The credibility of social media evangelism is another important issue. Young people may be influenced by the perceived authenticity of pastors, youth leaders and fellow believers online. Personal testimonies, transparent communication and interactive engagement can create a sense of trust. On the other hand, exaggerated claims, manipulative religious marketing or controversial content may weaken confidence in church leadership. Kolapo (2019) demonstrates that social media has expanded the public space in which Nigerian Pentecostal churches are evaluated, criticized and discussed.

Social media can therefore simultaneously strengthen and challenge Pentecostal churches. It can extend evangelistic outreach, maintain relationships, provide spiritual resources and encourage youth involvement. At the same time, it can expose churches to criticism, doctrinal contestation, distractions and competing sources of religious authority. These contradictory possibilities make empirical investigation necessary rather than assuming that social media evangelism is inherently beneficial or harmful.

Recent scholarship further confirms the continuing transformation of Nigerian Pentecostalism through digital media. Odewale (2026) argues that Nigerian Pentecostal churches have become innovative adopters of new media for evangelism, religious instruction and global religious networking. The study describes digital media as reshaping religious communication, authority, worship practices and the wider reach of Pentecostal Christianity. This recent evidence demonstrates that digital evangelism is not a temporary phenomenon but an increasingly important dimension of contemporary Nigerian Pentecostalism.

The central concern of the present study is therefore the extent to which social media evangelism translates into actual youth participation in church activities. The study recognizes that participation may occur through both online and offline channels but gives particular attention to participation in church activities such as worship services, Bible studies, prayer meetings, youth programmes, evangelistic activities, church departments, leadership activities and community outreach. It seeks to determine whether exposure to and engagement with social media evangelism encourages young people to participate more actively in these activities.

The study is significant because a church may have a strong digital presence without necessarily having a correspondingly active youth congregation. Conversely, social media may serve as an effective bridge between young people and the physical church community. Determining which pattern exists among selected Pentecostal churches in Ibadan will provide useful evidence for church leaders, youth pastors, media ministries and Christian educators.

The research is also relevant because Ibadan already has a demonstrated history of Pentecostal ICT adoption. Omotayo’s (2017) study established that Pentecostal churches in Ibadan adopted ICT largely for gospel propagation, while more recent Nigerian research demonstrates that Pentecostal churches increasingly use online media to target youth audiences. What remains important is to determine whether this technological and evangelistic adoption is associated with actual participation in the wider life of the church.

Therefore, this study examines the impact of social media evangelism on youth participation in church activities among selected Pentecostal churches in Ibadan Metropolis, Oyo State. It focuses on the use of social media platforms for evangelistic communication and examines whether such use influences youth attendance, involvement in church programmes, participation in religious activities, engagement in evangelism and commitment to the church community. The study seeks to provide empirical evidence that can assist Pentecostal churches in designing digital evangelism strategies that do not merely increase online visibility but also encourage meaningful Christian participation.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

The rapid expansion of social media has fundamentally changed the environment within which Pentecostal churches communicate with young people. Platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and TikTok provide churches with unprecedented opportunities to disseminate sermons, Bible teachings, devotionals, testimonies, worship materials and evangelistic messages. Nigerian Pentecostal churches have responded enthusiastically to this transformation, and research has established that churches increasingly employ online media to reach young people and promote the gospel (Omotayo, 2017; Afolabi & Oderinde, 2024).

However, the increasing presence of churches on social media does not necessarily mean that young people are becoming more actively involved in church activities. A church may have thousands of social media followers, views and reactions while some of its young members attend physical programmes irregularly, participate minimally in church departments or remain disconnected from the wider congregational community. The central problem is therefore the uncertain relationship between online evangelistic engagement and actual church participation.

The problem is important because youth participation is critical to the continuity and vitality of Pentecostal churches. Young people contribute to worship, evangelism, music, media, leadership, discipleship, community service and other church activities. When youth participation is strong, churches benefit from a younger generation that can sustain ministry and assume future leadership responsibilities. Conversely, weak youth participation can create difficulties in maintaining congregational continuity and developing future church leaders.

Social media evangelism is often presented as an effective solution to youth disengagement because it allows churches to communicate through platforms familiar to young people. Afolabi and Oderinde (2024) found that Pentecostal churches in Nigeria deliberately use online media to target youth, recognizing young people’s strong engagement with Internet-based communication. Yet, the existence of online communication does not establish that young people subsequently attend worship services, participate in Bible studies, join youth programmes, engage in evangelism or accept leadership responsibilities.

A second problem concerns the distinction between social media engagement and meaningful participation. Young people may watch a sermon, click “like,” share a Bible verse or follow a church account without becoming actively involved in the church. Social-media metrics can therefore create an inflated impression of religious engagement. High numbers of views or followers may indicate exposure to content rather than commitment to the church community. There is a need to establish whether online interaction is accompanied by observable participation in church activities.

A third problem concerns the possibility that social media may produce a substitute rather than a complementary form of religious participation. The convenience of watching services online can enable young people to receive religious content without physically attending church. Although digital participation can provide important spiritual resources, excessive dependence on online worship may reduce opportunities for face-to-face fellowship, collective worship, interpersonal accountability and involvement in church departments. Campbell’s conception of digital religion suggests that online and offline religious practices are increasingly interconnected, but the precise nature of this relationship must be investigated within specific religious contexts.

A fourth problem relates to distractions inherent in social media. Young people use the same platforms for Christian communication, entertainment, celebrity content, commercial activities, political debates and interpersonal interactions. Consequently, evangelistic messages compete for attention with large volumes of alternative content. Even when a church posts regularly, young people may scroll past religious content or engage with it only briefly. Social media evangelism may therefore have limited influence if church content does not effectively engage the interests and communication habits of its intended audience.

A fifth problem concerns the credibility and quality of religious content available online. Social media allows both trained ministers and ordinary users to publish religious teachings. Young people can therefore encounter contradictory interpretations of Christian doctrines and practices. Kolapo (2019) argues that social media has opened Nigerian Pentecostalism to wider public scrutiny and created a space where church doctrines, leaders and practices can be debated by audiences both inside and outside Pentecostal communities. While this openness can promote dialogue, it can also create confusion among young people who may find it difficult to distinguish authoritative Christian teaching from personal opinions or controversial interpretations.

A sixth problem relates to the changing nature of church authority. Traditional Pentecostal structures generally place pastors and church leaders at the centre of teaching, discipleship and spiritual direction. Social media creates a more decentralized environment in which young people can follow multiple pastors, Christian influencers, musicians and religious organizations simultaneously. They may receive teachings from individuals who are not connected to their local congregation. This can broaden religious knowledge but may also weaken the exclusive influence of local church leadership and make youth participation more fluid.

A seventh problem is the possibility of superficial engagement. Social media encourages short messages, visual content and rapid interaction. While these features can make evangelistic communication accessible, they may not provide sufficient depth for sustained discipleship. Young people may consume large quantities of Christian content without developing deeper involvement in Bible study, prayer, service, evangelism and fellowship. The problem therefore extends beyond whether social media evangelism reaches young people to whether it facilitates meaningful spiritual participation.

Evidence from the Nigerian context reinforces the need for further investigation. Folarin, Otunla and Atowoju (2024) found substantial use of WhatsApp, Facebook and YouTube among youths associated with RCCG Youth Province 12 in Osun State. Their study demonstrated strong digital presence and engagement but also emphasized the need for more effective and diversified use of digital technologies to promote meaningful worship engagement. This suggests that the presence of digital tools alone does not resolve questions about the quality and depth of youth participation.

There is also a geographical research gap. Omotayo (2017) examined ICT adoption among Pentecostal churches in Ibadan and established that churches had embraced technology largely for gospel propagation. However, the study focused broadly on ICT adoption rather than specifically investigating the impact of contemporary social media evangelism on youth participation in church activities. Since social media has developed rapidly since the period of that research, there is a need for current evidence concerning how young people respond to contemporary social-media evangelistic practices.

Similarly, Afolabi and Oderinde (2024) provide valuable evidence that Nigerian Pentecostal churches use online media to target young people, but their study primarily explores how churches use online media as a form of e-evangelism rather than directly measuring the relationship between social media evangelism and participation in specific church activities. The present study seeks to address this gap by focusing explicitly on youth participation.

The problem is further complicated by the fact that social media can have both positive and negative consequences for religious involvement. On the positive side, it can provide accessibility, continuity of communication, peer interaction, evangelistic opportunities, spiritual resources and information about church programmes. On the negative side, it can create distraction, promote competing religious messages, facilitate misinformation, encourage passive consumption and potentially reduce physical participation. These competing possibilities make it inappropriate to assume that social media evangelism automatically increases youth participation.

The problem is particularly relevant to Pentecostal churches in Ibadan because the city has a strong Pentecostal presence and a documented history of ICT adoption for gospel propagation. The contemporary environment, however, differs from earlier forms of ICT use. Social media is more interactive, participatory and personalized than traditional websites or broadcast media. Young people are not simply receiving messages; they are commenting, sharing, producing content and creating networks around religious and non-religious interests. It is therefore necessary to determine how this new communication environment affects their relationship with local churches.

Furthermore, there is limited empirical evidence concerning which forms of social media evangelism are most strongly associated with youth participation. It is possible that livestreamed services, short evangelistic videos, WhatsApp devotionals, online Bible studies, interactive prayer sessions and social-media announcements have different effects. Without empirical evidence, church leaders may invest in social-media activities based on assumptions rather than demonstrated outcomes.

There is also a practical problem for church leaders. Churches may allocate financial and human resources to social media teams, content production, livestreaming equipment, digital advertising and online evangelism. If these investments are not translated into meaningful youth participation, churches may need to reconsider their digital strategies. Conversely, if social media evangelism is found to significantly increase participation, churches can strengthen and expand the practices that are most effective.

The study therefore addresses a clear empirical gap: while Pentecostal churches in Nigeria, including churches in Ibadan, have increasingly adopted social media for gospel communication, there is insufficient context-specific evidence establishing whether this evangelistic activity significantly influences young people’s participation in church activities. The present study seeks to provide such evidence by examining selected Pentecostal churches in Ibadan Metropolis, Oyo State.

1.3 Aim of the Study

The main aim of this study is to examine the impact of social media evangelism on youth participation in church activities among selected Pentecostal churches in Ibadan Metropolis, Oyo State.

1.4 Objectives of the Study

The specific objectives of the study are to:

1. examine the extent to which selected Pentecostal churches in Ibadan Metropolis use social media for evangelistic activities;
2. identify the major social media platforms used by Pentecostal churches for youth evangelism;
3. assess the level of youth participation in church activities among selected Pentecostal churches in Ibadan Metropolis;
4. examine the influence of social media evangelism on youths’ attendance at church worship services;
5. determine the influence of social media evangelism on youths’ participation in Bible studies, prayer meetings and youth programmes;
6. examine the influence of social media evangelism on youths’ participation in church evangelism and other church-based activities; and
7. determine whether there is a significant relationship between social media evangelism and youth participation in church activities among selected Pentecostal churches in Ibadan Metropolis.

1.5 Research Questions

The study will answer the following research questions:

1. To what extent do selected Pentecostal churches in Ibadan Metropolis use social media for evangelistic activities?
2. What are the major social media platforms used by Pentecostal churches for youth evangelism?
3. What is the level of youth participation in church activities among selected Pentecostal churches in Ibadan Metropolis?
4. To what extent does social media evangelism influence youths’ attendance at church worship services?
5. How does social media evangelism influence youths’ participation in Bible studies, prayer meetings and youth programmes?
6. To what extent does social media evangelism influence youths’ participation in church evangelism and other church-based activities?
7. Is there a significant relationship between social media evangelism and youth participation in church activities among selected Pentecostal churches in Ibadan Metropolis?

1.6 Research Hypothesis

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

H₀: There is no significant relationship between social media evangelism and youth participation in church activities among selected Pentecostal churches in Ibadan Metropolis, Oyo State.

1.7 Significance of the Study

The study will be significant to Pentecostal church leaders because it will provide empirical evidence concerning the effectiveness of social media as an evangelistic and youth-engagement tool. Church leaders will gain a better understanding of whether their online evangelistic activities are associated with actual participation in physical and church-based activities. This may assist them in designing more effective digital ministry strategies.

The study will be particularly beneficial to youth pastors and youth ministry coordinators. Youth ministry requires communication approaches that reflect the realities of contemporary young people. Findings from the study may help youth leaders identify the social media platforms and forms of content that most effectively encourage young people to attend services, participate in Bible studies, join prayer meetings and become involved in evangelistic activities.

The study will also benefit church media and communication teams. Rather than evaluating digital ministry solely by numbers of followers, likes and views, the study may encourage churches to consider deeper indicators of engagement, including participation in church programmes, volunteering, discipleship and evangelism. This can contribute to a shift from social-media visibility to meaningful digital discipleship.

Young people themselves may benefit from the study because it may encourage churches to create more interactive and relevant forms of communication. If young people are shown to respond positively to particular forms of digital evangelism, churches may develop content that better reflects their questions, interests and communication preferences while maintaining appropriate Christian teaching.

The study will also be useful to Christian educators, theologians and religious communication scholars. It will contribute to the expanding field of digital religion by providing evidence from Pentecostal churches in Ibadan. The study may help clarify whether online religious engagement strengthens or weakens traditional forms of church participation.

The study will contribute to the academic literature on Pentecostalism in Nigeria. Existing studies have established that Nigerian Pentecostal churches are active users of mass media and digital technologies (Omotayo, 2017; Afolabi & Oderinde, 2024), but more research is required to determine the consequences of these technologies for youth participation.

The findings may also be valuable to researchers interested in digital religion, social media, youth studies, communication, Christian ministry and church growth. The study can serve as a basis for future research comparing Pentecostal churches with mainline denominations or examining differences between urban and rural youth populations.

Finally, the study may assist Pentecostal churches in balancing digital innovation with the biblical and communal dimensions of Christian fellowship. Social media can extend the reach of evangelism, but effective ministry requires more than digital visibility. Evidence concerning the relationship between online evangelism and actual participation can help churches develop strategies that use technology to strengthen rather than weaken Christian community.

1.8 Scope of the Study

The study focuses on the impact of social media evangelism on youth participation in church activities among selected Pentecostal churches in Ibadan Metropolis, Oyo State.

Conceptually, the independent variable is social media evangelism, which will be examined in terms of the use of platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok and X for gospel communication, sermon dissemination, online prayer, Bible teaching, Christian videos, testimonies, church announcements and other evangelistic activities.

The dependent variable is youth participation in church activities. This will include participation in worship services, Bible studies, prayer meetings, youth programmes, evangelistic activities, church departments, leadership activities and other relevant church programmes.

The study will focus on youths associated with selected Pentecostal churches in Ibadan Metropolis. It will not examine all Christian denominations in Ibadan and will not focus primarily on social-media evangelism targeted at children or older adults.

The geographical scope is limited to Ibadan Metropolis, Oyo State. Although findings may have implications for other Pentecostal churches in Nigeria, they will be interpreted primarily within the context of the selected churches and respondents.

1.9 Operational Definition of Terms

Social Media: Internet-based digital platforms that allow users and organizations to create, share, discuss and interact with content and other users. In this study, it includes WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok and X.

Social Media Evangelism: The deliberate use of social media platforms by churches, ministers or Christian groups to communicate the gospel, biblical teachings, testimonies, sermons, devotional materials and other Christian messages with the aim of reaching, influencing and discipling people.

Digital Evangelism: The use of digital technologies and Internet-based communication channels to disseminate the Christian gospel and facilitate evangelistic engagement.

Youth: Young persons within the age range adopted by the study who are members, attendees or participants in the selected Pentecostal churches.

Youth Participation: The active involvement of young people in the activities, programmes and ministries of the church.

Church Activities: Organized programmes and activities through which members participate in the life and ministry of the church, including worship services, Bible studies, prayer meetings, youth programmes, evangelism, choir, media, departmental activities, leadership and community outreach.

Online Religious Engagement: Interaction with religious content, communities, leaders or activities through digital platforms such as social media, websites, livestreaming services and messaging applications.

Pentecostal Church: A Christian congregation or denomination characterized by emphasis on the experiential work of the Holy Spirit, spiritual gifts, conversion, prayer, evangelism and contemporary forms of Christian worship.

Youth Evangelism: Evangelistic activities specifically designed to communicate the Christian gospel to young people or to mobilize young people as active participants in evangelistic activities.

Church Attendance: The physical or, where relevant, digitally mediated presence of an individual at organized church worship and other formal church programmes.

Digital Discipleship: The use of digital technologies to support Christian teaching, spiritual development, Bible study, prayer, mentoring and continuing religious formation.

Church Participation: The broader involvement of an individual in the worship, fellowship, service, evangelistic, educational, leadership and community activities of a church.

1.10 Organization of the Study

The study is organized into five chapters.

Chapter One presents the introduction to the study. It contains the background to the study, statement of the problem, aim and objectives, research questions, research hypothesis, significance of the study, scope of the study, operational definition of terms and organization of the study.

Chapter Two will review relevant literature on social media, evangelism, digital religion, Pentecostalism, youth participation and church activities. It will examine relevant concepts, theories and empirical studies and identify the gap that the present study seeks to address.

Chapter Three will present the methodology of the study. It will discuss the research design, study area, population of the study, sample size, sampling technique, research instrument, validity and reliability of the instrument, procedure for data collection and method of data analysis.

Chapter Four will present the analysis and interpretation of data collected from respondents. The research questions will be answered using appropriate descriptive statistics, while the stated hypothesis will be tested at the 0.05 level of significance.

Chapter Five will present the discussion of findings, summary, conclusion and recommendations. It will also highlight the implications of the findings and suggest areas for further research.

Project – Impact of Social Media Evangelism on Youth Participation in Church Activities: A Study of Selected Pentecostal Churches in Ibadan Metropolis, Oyo State