SEXUAL IMPROPRIETY: THE ISSUES AND THE IMPLICATIONS FOR CHURCH

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  • 78 Pages
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  • 1-5 Chapters

ABSTRACT

There is concern in several quarters at the rate immorality is making waves in the society; Morality is on its decline and decay and there is gross retrogression on moral ethics in the modern society. The Church being a religious institution is to set up examples of high moral standard in the society but however the church is not exempted from the claws and threat of immorality ravaging the modern world. This study thus took a critical look at the issues of sexual impropriety and the implications for Foursquare Gospel Church, Obada Idi-Emi District Headquarters. The research work adopts library/field based approach; this includes the study of related materials, books and the use of questionnaire with adequate documentation in the turabian format. Data were collected and analysed and the findings observed was there is criteria for disciplining sexually immoral acts among the members. The researcher therefore recommended that the church should teach her leaders at all levels the genuine way to discipline immoral Christians in the church, so that the name of the church and her Christ not drag in mud. The researcher also recommended that the church should educate their members about various forms of immorality and its consequence and also teaching them Gods standard of holiness constantly.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

  • Background of the study

Sexual Impropriety has been on increase today both in society and church.  Ethics and morality as a way of ordered living which propagates ideal communal life and human relationship is speedily declining. There is concern in several quarters that at the rate immorality is making waves in both society and amazingly, church. This is why sound morals and ethical standard have been the concern of many churches in this present generation. In Nigeria, some churches, especially Foursquare Gospel Church, and few others are presently taking leading role in curbing and preventing Sexual Improprieties in their churches through regular teaching of the words of God, seminars, and pronouncing disciplinary measures on offenders when eventually occurred.

According to Galatians 5:19-21

“Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in the time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God – NKJV.

In 2 Timothy 3:1-5

“But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come; for men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away – NKJV.

However, the church is guided by the word of God which is against all forms of Sexual Impropriety.

1.2       Statement of the problem

Without doubt, there is an increasingly low level of morality and ethical standard in the society today, even in the church. Some preachers had lay blame on perilous time which brought about modernism and developments, especially the advent of modern technology and the internetAccording to S.O. Adebule

It has become the main stay of the peoples’ behaviour. Also, sexual immorality has eaten deep into the fabric of the church and society at large. Fraudulent accumulation of wealth has also been the order of the day in the society, surprisingly even in today’s churches.

It is generally believed that sexual impropriety and corruption have thousands of destructive effects on the society. However, this research is examining Sexual Impropriety: The Issues and the Implications for Foursquare Gospel Church, Obada Idiemi District Headquarters.

1.3       Purpose of the study

The following are the objectives of this study:

  1. To examine the issues of sexual impropriety in churches.
  2. To identify the factors encouraging sexual impropriety in churches.
  3. To show that sexual impropriety has great effects on the growth and non growth of the church.
  4. To highlight the patterns of discipline on immorality in Foursquare Gospel Church.
  5. To Evaluate the Ethics of Sexual Morality in the Church
  6. To determine the prospect on the issue of church sexual impropriety in the church.
    • Significance of the study

The following are the significance of this study:

  1. Outcome of this study will educate the church leaders on the issues of sexual impropriety in the church and identifying the way forward on the issue.
  2. This research will also serve as a resource base to other scholars and researchers interested in carrying out further research by bible students, church historians, etc in this field subsequently, if applied will go to an extent to provide new explanation to the topic.
  3. This research would be very useful to the church leaders on the need for proper check on sexual impropriety in the church.
  4. The work would be of great encouragement to teenagers and youth to embrace sexual sanctity.
  5. This study will also be useful for the purpose of conducting seminars, couples fellowship, bachelor programmes, spinster’s fellowship, bible expositions and study and workshops on the subject matter.
  6. It also intends to helps churches understand the contributions of sexual impropriety to church growth.
  • Delimitation of the study

The research work deals with Sexual Impropriety: The Issues and the Implications for Foursquare Gospel Church, Obada Idiemi District Headquarters. The research work is mainly and majorly on the principles of the subject matters.

  • Limitation of the Study

This study on sexual impropriety in churches will cover some forms of immoral activities that exist in churches today with a view of finding a lasting solution to the problem.

  1. Difficulty was encountered in getting the questionnaires and interview questions to the people concerned, because some served with questionnaires refused to collect them as a result of fear of their leaders.
  2. Some leaders and members who were interviewed and served with questionnaire were withholding relevant information for reasons best known to them.
  3. Some did not return their questionnaire because they could not meet up with the time given to them by the researcher to return them.

In spite of these limitations, the research works still achieve its purpose by consulting other sources for adequate information.

1.7       Research procedure

This section of the research works deals with the method and procedure used in carrying out the research work. An average number of fifty questionnaires (50) copies of questionnaire were given out and five (5) interviews were conducted for the purpose of this study. The population used for this research work includes members of the church, and few people in leadership position in Foursquare Gospel Church, Obada Idiemi District Headquarters

The criteria for selecting these groups of people include age, position, educational qualification and occupation. However, the main instruments used in carrying out this research work are oral interviews and questionnaires. The researcher also conducted a survey of related literatures such as historical books in Foursquare Gospel Church, text books, commentaries, concordances, dictionaries, newspapers, magazines and Christian journals. The survey was done in the following libraries:

  1. I.F.E Theological Seminary Library, Ikorodu, Lagos.
  2. The researcher’s personal library.
  3. The use of internet facilities in which the appropriate references were made where applicable.

1.8       Research Questions

The following are the questions posed by the researcher:

1.      What is the concept of sexual impropriety?

2.      What are the different forms of sexual impropriety?

3.      What are the causes of sexual impropriety in the church?

4.      What are the effect and challenges of sexual impropriety to the growth of the church?5.      What are the prospects of sexual morality in the church?

1.9       Definitions of Terms

Impropriety:

Hornby A.S. defined impropriety as “of people and their behaviour not considered to be good or honest by most people; not following accepted standards of sexual behaviour.”

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