Greetings, I am Dr. Charles Apoki, and today I have an urgent message for our pastors, a call for self-reflection and change. Recently, I met with a group of my subscribers and followers at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja. Among them were intellectual elites, including a professor and a lecturer in Germany specializing in AI, as well as others residing in the United States. These individuals come from Christian homes, many of them being children of pastors, but they shared some concerning observations that demand our attention.
A Growing Disconnect Between Pastors and Congregants
One of the key issues raised was the growing pride and misplaced sense of authority that many pastors have assumed over their congregants, their finances, and even their personal lives. This unnecessary overreach has created an unhealthy dynamic where some pastors feel entitled to speak and act without accountability, forgetting the deep-rooted principles of humility and servanthood that once defined the Church.
The group I interacted with pointed out that many pastors today preach messages that do not resonate beyond the borders of Nigeria. The messages often focus on prosperity, fear, witchcraft, and a transactional relationship with God, where people are constantly asked to sow seeds for blessings. These sermons are shaped by our local context of poverty, insecurity, and governmental dysfunction.
Outdated Messages Struggle to Cross Borders
These young intellectuals noted that the messages preached in many Nigerian churches would not make an impact in developed countries. The emphasis on prosperity, driven by the harsh socio-economic conditions, does not resonate in societies where government functions properly and provides social security, healthcare, and stable infrastructure. In such environments, the focus shifts to responsibility, justice, love, and productivity, leaving many Nigerian church messages irrelevant to a global audience.
The Impact on the Next Generation
A troubling revelation was that many of these young people, despite being raised in the church, have stopped attending physical church services. Instead, they now attend online services where they can ask questions and engage with pastors in meaningful discussions. In these online spaces, pastors are required to provide thoughtful, researched answers, and if they do not have the answers, they must commit to finding them.
This shift points to a deeper issue: our children are not like us. They are well-read, informed, and they no longer accept messages blindly. Assuming that congregants are ignorant or uninterested in deeper theological discourse is a fundamental flaw in the church today.
A Call for Re-Education and Depth
Our pastors must undergo a process of re-education. We need to preach the same gospel but with greater depth and relevance. Our focus should be on teaching justice, faith, love, and responsibility—values that are the core of our relationship with God. In organized environments like the one I find myself in today, people are less concerned with prosperity and more with how they can live out these values in their everyday lives.
Conclusion
It is time for us to rethink how we preach, lead, and engage with our congregants, especially the younger generation. They are not foolish, and they seek substance in their spiritual lives. We must rise to the challenge of meeting their needs by preaching the gospel with wisdom, depth, and relevance.
I am Dr. Charles Apoki, reaching you from Frankfurt, and I encourage you to join my upcoming conference on November 8th and 9th, titled Becoming a Person of Influence. The seminar will hold online at 7:00 PM Nigerian time. To register, send a message to +234 80 2121 9262. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn key principles for living a life of influence.
God bless you.
I remain your friend,
Dr. Charles Apoki
