RELIGION AND COMMUNITY-BASED SERVICES: REINVIGORATING THE DIACONAL MINISTRY OF THE NEW TESTAMENT IN NIGERIAN CHURCHES

Abstract

At the very beginning of the New Testament, the locus of Christianity was associated with the poor, the widow, social outcast, and persons of low cultural background. This made the New Testament message a holistic one. Holistic because its mission linked up preaching with social services, social welfare and social justice. It was a mission that addressed the physical welfare as well as the spiritual needs of the people, witnessing to the people alongside their welfare needs (Acts 6:1-7). However, Churches in Nigeria are yet to adequately embrace this diaconal practice in her evangelistic approach. The main thrust of this paper is to examine the state of the diaconal ministry of the Church in Nigeria and see how this can be invigorated for effective pastoral care and sustainable development for indigent persons within the Church and the immediate community. The paper adopted the qualitative research method using hermeneutical and historical approaches. The study argues that the overbearing desire for wealth by some Church leaders and founders are responsible for the diminishing impact of diaconate ministry in most Nigerian Churches and recommends the reinvigoration of diaconal ministry to help cushion the effect of increasing poverty in Nigeria occasioned by religious violence, ethnic clashes, insecurity, unemployment and COVID 19 pandemic.