Dynamics of Culture, Religious Syncretism, and Effective Ministry of the Church

Name: Dynamics of Culture, Religious Syncretism, and Effective Ministry of the Church
SKU: 81581
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Apostasy has been a blight on mankind since the Garden of Eden. The Bible is one story after another of the men and women of God being lured to apostasy by culture and society. The Israelites wanted to worship Egyptian gods while our God was giving Moses the Law. Ten tribes of Israel became lost to history because of the sin of apostasy. In the Western world, the allure of culture and fictional books have created a church that does not know Scripture or the true grace that comes from loving Jesus. The challenge of identifying the thin line between syncretism and the sanctity of the word of God and setting biblical versus cultural barriers are at front-burner issues not only in African Christianity, but, the world over.

The church in many climes struggles with the challenge of syncretism as seen in idolatry, occultism, cultic rites, festivals, and sacrifices to gods. This piece investigated the reasons for the wide-ranging syncretism in Otta and what the church could do to heal syncretic members and make the expected impact on its missional mandate. The ministry context is among the mainline denominations in the heart of town with the largest religious influence.

Generally, ministry in mainline churches in the heart of the town is challenging. Only a handful of the indigenes profess to be Christians. For instance, just about half of the 30% who are indigenes in the researcher’s church are committed Christians. Many are baptized, registered, and sometimes attend church services but are obviously shallow in their Christian commitments. They are Christian in the day, but traditional worshippers at night; some could be seen to be more devoted to African traditional religion. Their religious background continues to entice them. This dual allegiance has led to stunted growth of the church of Christ, and the church has not been able to passionately fulfill Christ’s mandate.

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About the Author

Nelson was born in the car 50 years ago in Kano City, Kano State; a native of Ebo Quarters, Oka-Akoko, Ondo State in Nigeria. His father, the Revd. Canon Michael Adewole Adesina (1941-2014), retired as an Anglican priest. His mother; Chief Mrs. Mary Adewole Adesina is a converted and practicing Christian to date. Nelson and his siblings had military/priestly parentage and were strictly brought up to love and serve the Lord. He made a personal decision to follow Christ at age 14 and struggled to complete his Senior Secondary Education before finally answering the call to full-time ministry at age 18.

He worked as a Church Teacher from 1991-1993 when he gained admission to Immanuel College of Theology in Ibadan, Nigeria. He was trained as a priest and bagged a Diploma in Religious Studies of the University of Ibadan in 1995, and Diploma in Theology in 1996. He was posted to Ekiti Diocese and was made deacon on July 7, 1996, by the Rt. Revd. C.A Akinbola. He was ordained priest on July 27, 1997, by the Most Revd. Dr. Abiodun Adetiloye. He later bagged first and second degrees in Comparative Religious Studies and Theology respectively from the University of Ilorin and Lagos State University, Nigeria. He attended the Third Lausanne World Congress on Evangelization in 2012 in Cape Town and was trained in Church Leadership at Ibru International Ecumenical Centre, Aghara- Otor, Delta State in Nigeria. He studied Anglicanism at the Anglican Centre in Rome, Italy with minimal exposure to Roman Catholicism at the Vatican City. His ecumenical theological exposure led to his formation and belief in the comparative and mutual benefits of Evangelicalism, Pentecostalism, and Orthodoxy. He was a Beeson Scholar from 2020-2023 and focused on Leading and Preaching Cohort. He bagged a Doctor of Ministry degree from the Asbury Theological Seminary, Kentucky USA on May 20, 2023.

By the instrumentality of his Bishop; Rt. Revd. Dr. J. Akin Atere, he has pastored the Cathedral Church of St. James, Otta for over 11 years, He was appointed the first substantive Dean of the Cathedral in 2018. Nelson earlier served as curate and vicar in the Dioceses of Ekiti, Ekiti-Oke, and some Dioceses in the Church of Nigeria, and other parts of the Anglican – Communion. Nelson is married to Grace Olubunmi a Registered Nurse, who has been his pillar of support, encourager, and prayer partner since 2001. She is also a team player in ministry, where she trains and leads women, boys, and girls to serve the Lord. Nelson and Grace are blessed with biological children; Kasopef’Oluwa, Mosopef’Oluwa, Bamisopef’Oluwa, Mofopef’Oluwa; adopted children, and other immeasurable gifts of God.