Is yours a Nigerian Church abroad?

admin · #1 02-12-2006, 10:44 AM

It seems for some reason, very few Churches are truly mixed. I can understand in Nigeria, Nigerians attend the Churches. But when you're living abroad, Nigerians still tend to congregate in Nigerian Churches, and you end up seeing very few, if any other person of a different colour there.

Is it that difficult for people worshipping the same God to worship together?
Has anyone made a study on why we worship where we worship?

RoyalPriest · #2 02-12-2006, 01:13 PM

Birds of the same feather flocks together. I believe is a natural instinct of being around someone who is familiar with your ideaology or nature. Even Robots from the movie I-Robot crowd together in a box when its dark. Its a sense security, understanding and belonging. For example, I feel more comfortable having a black male doctor to female or a white doctor. I believe black doctor will sure understand my idea and what I go through as a black male than any other person.

Another reason is that our Nigerian Pastors doesnt have the skills or approach on how to win souls, especially those who are not Africans. First the method of evangelism needs to change. Nothing wrong in waking up in the morning to serve the homeless cup of coffee with doughnuts on Saturday mornings (may be even once in a month). The primary method of evangelism I have been seeing so far is giving out tracks without even saying "Hello, how are you doing today, is everything alright, what a nice weather we having", Just something welcoming. All we do is preach and pray and that is not an immediate approach to people. I wonder what happened to hospitality, counselling, welfare, deliverance ministry etc. What about trying to have maybe a friday in the month which will be like a mini-gospel concert that anyone can come to church, just sit down and listen to different music performances. It may even be like just 2hrs Praise and worship night, then give a 10 or 15 min sermon for alter call.

The congregation of most Nigerian church in America is family and friends or they have been going to same church previously before coming to America.

shalom · #3 02-12-2006, 03:54 PM

I amblessed to be in a church that is truly multicultural in its make-up. English, Nigerians, Greeks, South Africans, Kenyans, Russians, Asians all make up worshippers in our church. And it isn't a big church, probably about 160 people on a Sunday.

There are a lot of things which make the church unique. The welcome, and the ability to just let you be you. There is so much freedom and liberty there to be yourself (within reason), but at the same time if you sin, the elders would let you know in love.

It is one church that I have seen ( and this has been talked about by everyone that has come there) that is truly modelled on the early Christian church. The love showed there is expressed not only in speech but in acts as well. Little things like if a family has a newborn, the women come together and cook meals for the family for a week or 2 to help them while they are getting used to haveing the baby in the house.

And let me not get started with the worship times or prayer times, it is just always an amazing time of heartfelt worship to God.

When new people come and see God moving, they always want to be a part of it, regardless of their race or culture.

topsie · #4 02-12-2006, 04:54 PM

Shalom, ur church sounds wonderful.

peculiar · #5 02-12-2006, 08:23 PM

Hmm.....
God help us all!

jewel · #6 02-12-2006, 10:13 PM

Interesting topic

My church is similar to Shalom's. It's multicultural (mainly Asians, Caucasians, say 2% of Africans). Besides the motivating visions + philosophies of our movement, that's one of the reasons y I signed up as a member. I think it just reminds people that God loves us all no matter where we're from or what experiences we've had.

Emmm... another thing is that besides spiritual matters (like unity et al.), mingling with people for other cultures and backgrounds help us learn a bit more (it broadens our perspectives with respect to specific issues. *Sorry can't think of one, but am sure there are loads*).

I also think it depends on one's location... there are more Nigerian churches in some countries than others. Maybe if I knew of a Nigerian church when I relocated to Oz, I think I might have considered joining them.

The bottom line is that God's EVERYWHERE (omnipresent)... (Praise God for that!) and people can choose to worship wherever they wish, as long as it STENGTHENS their relationship w GOD.

admin · #7 02-12-2006, 10:21 PM

Don't you think certain Nigerian pastors are responsible for the inability of their church they lead to embrace other cultures? Many insist they have a vision to reach the world, but they keep reaching only Nigerians outside Nigeria. Even many RCCG parishes are merely Nigerian churches not in Nigeria...

I think some pastros have what it takes to reach other cultures. Most don't. Bring a Paul Adefarasin to America now and he will explode.

Could it be the way they preach, lead prayers (maybe seeing too many enemies and demons as opposed to the softer Joek Osteen kind of soft messages), speak English (or whatever local lingo), etc?

RoyalPriest · #8 02-12-2006, 11:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by admin

Don't you think certain Nigerian pastors are responsible for the inability of their church they lead to embrace other cultures? Many insist they have a vision to reach the world, but they keep reaching only Nigerians outside Nigeria. Even many RCCG parishes are merely Nigerian churches not in Nigeria...

I think some pastros have what it takes to reach other cultures. Most don't. Bring a Paul Adefarasin to America now and he will explode.

Could it be the way they preach, lead prayers (maybe seeing too many enemies and demons as opposed to the softer Joek Osteen kind of soft messages), speak English (or whatever local lingo), etc?

To be a Pastor you have to be a Public Speaker. You are actually a public speaker.
Talking of RCCG, the yearly convention almost got me fed up because its like gathering of Yoruba people. I remember the last one at NY, one guy just walk to me cheerfully and started speaking Yoruba to me as if its written on my face that I'm going to understand what he's saying.
Like you mentioned Admin, many of Nigerian Pastors comes to U.S. to boast about themselves spreading the gospel acrossed the world but I have not been really convinced they have the tacts to do so. This is not even the issue of accent, but culture, traditions and ostricizing doctrines they exercise in this churches.

I remember 3 or 4yrs ago, I had senegalesse twist on my head to church. I got queeried and almost got stopped from teaching children in the church for having unholy hair on my head. But that has been changing little by little in my church. We do have a worship leader that has same senegalesse twist and no biggie in leading praises. One thing about my church also is that if you are a worker, you got to wear shirt and tie.

Multioption · #9 02-13-2006, 05:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by admin

Don't you think certain Nigerian pastors are responsible for the inability of their church they lead to embrace other cultures? Many insist they have a vision to reach the world, but they keep reaching only Nigerians outside Nigeria.

MasterMind · #10 02-13-2006, 10:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by admin

Don't you think certain Nigerian pastors are responsible for the inability of their church they lead to embrace other cultures? Many insist they have a vision to reach the world, but they keep reaching only Nigerians outside Nigeria. Even many RCCG parishes are merely Nigerian churches not in Nigeria...

I think some pastros have what it takes to reach other cultures. Most don't. Bring a Paul Adefarasin to America now and he will explode.

Could it be the way they preach, lead prayers (maybe seeing too many enemies and demons as opposed to the softer Joek Osteen kind of soft messages), speak English (or whatever local lingo), etc?

Therein lies your answer! The thing is with a lot of churches where Nigerians or Afrcans are the pastors, their flock seem to mainly be from wherever they are from!

They may not want it to be so, but in my experience, I find that the way a lot of Nigerian pastors run their churches and conduct themselves, they only attract mainly Nigerians/ other black ethnic groups to their churches.