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COASTAL GOSPEL MISSIONS; PROSPECTS AND CHALLENGES
COASTAL GOSPEL MISSIONS; PROSPECTS AND CHALLENGES
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
- Background to the Study
- Statement of the Problem
- Purpose of the Study
- Significance of the Study
- Delimitation of the Study
- Research Procedure
- Limitation of the Study
- Definition of Terms
CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
2.1 Concept of Coastal Gospel Mission
2.2 Characteristics of Coastal Gospel Mission
2.3 Challenges of Coastal Gospel Mission
2.4 Criteria for Coastal Gospel Mission
2.5 Contributions of Coastal Gospel Mission
CHAPTER THREE: BIBILICAL BASIS OF MISSIONS
3.1 In the Old Testament
3.2 In the New Testament
CHAPTER FOUR: COASTAL GOSPEL MISSIONS; PROSPECTS AND CHALLENGES: A CASE STUDY OF FOURSQUARE GOSPEL CHURCH, WARRI DISTRICT MISSIOLOGICAL EFFORTS.
4.1 Brief History of the Emergence of Christianity in Nigeria
4.2 Brief History of Christianity in Delta State and The Coastal Regions
4.3 Brief History of The Foursquare Gospel and The Foursquare Gospel Church
4.4 Challenges of Coastal Gospel Missions
4.5 Prospects of Coastal Gospel Missions
CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1 Summary
5.2 Conclusions
5.3 Recommendations
APPENDIX
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Section One
Introduction
- Background to the Study
It has been observed in Nigeria that there are more churches in the cities than rural areas, and specifically the coastal regions where life is usually very difficult. It has also been noted that more pastors prefer to set up their ministries or go for evangelism abroad than stay in their locality to spread the gospel. The biblical injunction did not talk about border line for evangelism. What does the scripture say about where to evangelise? Mark 16: 15-16 says: “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptised shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.” Matt. 24:14 also says: And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.
If we must facilitate Jesus’ return, then the focus of most of our churches should also be channelled to the coastal regions of the world where the gospel is still very sparse.
This research work is to elucidate the great prospects and attendant challenges involved in carrying out mission work in the coastal regions of the world. The research will highlight the reasons behind the great successes achieved by Warri District and the challenges faced in their missiological efforts.
- Statement of the Problem
The body of Christ, which is so much concentrated in the cities and urban centres, seem to be unaware of the great potential for souls in the coastal regions. As a result, many of the souls there, for which Christ died, are inundated with their myriads of fetish beliefs and dying daily without the true gospel. Many missionaries in these fields are abandoning their duty posts by the day, and many churches closing down due to the multiple challenges they face. In the light of all these challenges, this research will encourage would be workers to the coastal regions not to abandon their aspirations along the way, encourage sending churches to get dogged in their mission and finally provide simple models to a successful coastal gospel mission.
- Purpose of the Study
The purpose of this research work is to let the Church know that Christ also died for the dwellers in the coastal region and that all missiological efforts should not be concentrated around the cities and urban land areas alone, but dissipated along the coastlines that is also replete with titanic population. Beneficiaries of this work will also be made to know that there are huge prospects, in terms of souls awaiting them, as well as arm them with the necessary tools to overcome or at the least, minimise the challenges they will face along the way.
- Significance of the Study
The significance of this work stems from the attendant benefits to be derived from concentrating missional efforts in the riverine. It will help mission organizations and churches who plan to plant churches in the coastal regions know that there is an eager colossal population waiting to receive the gospel with open minds. It will also help these organizations as well as missionaries know the challenges they are out to face when they get there. It will further help to highlight the place of visionary leadership in the achievement of the desired result.
- Delimitation of the Study
The concentration of the work in this study is limited to Warri District alone and also to the coastal communities in Warri District. The work is not to expound the whole concept of coastal gospel missions in a broader sense, but to pinpoint specific sources of success within the district. As a result of the large geographical spread of the coastal communities within Warri District, and the cost/time of reaching major locations, only a few of the communities will be used as reference in this study.
1.6 Research Procedure
The research will be largely dependent on inputs from the Warri District Overseer as well as several other stakeholders in the area of work. There will be a combination of library works from LIFE Theological Seminary as well as books, journals, publications, lecture notes and internet tools.
The researcher will visit some riverine communities as well as extract information from key stakeholders using hard-copy questionnaires, online questionnaires, especially for stakeholders abroad, and interviews.
1.7 Limitation of the Study
There are not many materials on coastal gospel missions, so the literature review and references may not be garrulous. The riverine communities in the Niger Delta are very far apart requiring enormous amount of money, time and energy to traverse: as a result, information spread will be limited to just the few communities one is able to reach.
1.8 Definition of Terms
The following terms used in the course of this work are defined for clarity of usage:
Coastal areas:
These are commonly defined as the interface or transition areas between land and sea, including large inland lakes. Coastal areas are diverse in function and form, dynamic and do not lend themselves well to definition by strict spatial boundaries.
Coast:
The part of the land adjoining or near the sea.
Riverine area:
An inland or coastal area comprising both land and water, characterized by limited land lines of communication, with extensive water surface and/or inland waterways that provide natural routes for surface transportation and communications.
Gospel:
Gospel is the Old English translation of Greek εὐαγγέλιον, evangelion, meaning “good news”. It originally meant the Christian message itself, but in the 2nd century it came to be used for the books in which the message was set out.
Mission
- An important assignment given to a person or group of people, typically involving travel abroad.
- The vocation or calling of a religious organization, especially a Christian one, to go out into the world and spread its faith.
- Biblically, “’mission’ is the divine activity of sending intermediaries whether supernatural or human so speak or do God’s will so that God’s purposes for judgement or redemption are furthered.”
Prospects
- The possibility that something good might happen in the future: 2. the possibility of being successful, especially at work: 3. the idea of something that will or might happen in the future
Challenges
The situation of being faced with something that needs great mental or physical effort in order to be done successfully and therefore tests a person’s ability