VICE PRESIDENT
4.9 Interviews, Discussions and Responses from Pentecostals
A total of thirty-nine (39) persons along with groups of targeted members of Pentecostal churches were interviewed. The interviews with the Pentecostals, especially their leaders, were conducted as rigorously as possible taking into account the natural tendency of the respondents to try and make their discourse acceptable. Some of them avoided the researcher for two years and others evaded questions. The following submissions are extracts from the interviews. From those interviews Pentecostals agree that, although they have members of all ages, the average age falls between 20 and 40 years. Reasons offered for becoming Pentecostals are a desire for spiritual growth and knowledge and „the spirit-filled word‟ preached by the Pentecostal churches which they see as „evidence of Holy Ghost power‟. For some, Pentecostalism is a quest for knowledge and the application thereof, vibrant worship patterns, clear teaching of the Bible, and constant, strict application of biblical principles to day-to-day living. One person stated that the closeness of the Pentecostal church to his residence, the mode of services and spiritual learning and the Pentecostal development style led him to join. Most interviewees said that they have been members of the Pentecostal movement for over ten years.226
They also mentioned that they felt their services were more needed in the Pentecostal than mainline church and that God wanted them to become Pentecostals. Others maintained that they were initially invited to Pentecostal meetings by friends and liked what they saw and stayed on. The interviewees said that they have been blessed spiritually and economically because they had become Pentecostals. 227
When asked about the position of the Holy Spirit and its actions for the church, the Pentecostals emphasized strongly that, the Holy Spirit is the power of the church. It empowers and directs the affairs of the church and is the divine partner of the church in true worship.
224 Response to question 31 in the questionnaires, 2005.
225 Response to question 31 in the questionnaires, 2005.
226 Responses from Pentecostal Christians who left their mainline churches to join the movement, interviewed January 2005.
227 Responses from Pentecostal Christians interviewed in January, 2005.
The Pentecostal understanding of the role of the clergy is unique. The role of the pastors is to teach lay members while remembering that all are believers so that there should be no difference between clergy and laity. Whatever the pastor contributes should be regarded as complementary. Pentecostals maintain that the relationship between church and the world should be corrective, educational and inspirational because the church is the salt, the light and the living epistle and intercessor for the lost world. The church should not be yoked with the world as equals, but be the arbiter of truth and morality. The church is in the world but not of the world. Therefore, the church should be pacesetter and determine who should be the political leaders. It should however, not connive with such political leaders to allow injustice in the land, rather, the church should show the world the love of Christ and the need to obey God and be the proponent of the true gospel of Jesus in the world as the shining example of the name of God reconciling the world to God.228
Some of those interviewed had already reached leadership positions in Pentecostal movements. Those who were not that far expressed a willingness to be trained for leading positions in their churches, if they were needed. They felt that there are very few signs of power struggle in their churches because their leaders are teachable, maybe open-minded or receptive and knowledgeable people, working harmoniously and in dedication to the call of God for service. They also believe that their pastors have no problems because they are well taken care of.229
As regards their economic interests, respondents were largely in agreement that their economic situation has improved and that, hence, God‟s promise is true. A few said that life is still up and down and that things were not yet working out as expected.230
One aspect of their spirituality, interviewees said, is the practice of fasting which they describe as part of service to God and which assists them to get a particular task done. Fasting can strengthen a person spiritually and is a sure way to humble the flesh while one is seeking and approaching the spirit and the face of God for intervention in case of sickness, danger or a desired success. Fasting brings spiritual upliftment and answers from God.231
The researcher was greatly surprised by the degree of collaboration offered by indigenous Pentecostals and Pentecostal interviewees during his research. There was clear evidence of a wish to express their knowledge and their feelings about what they did as Pentecostals and why. They contentedly granted interviews. Only one person was difficult to
228 Responses from Pentecostal Christians interviewed in January, 2005.
229 Responses from Pentecostal Christians interviewed in January, 2005.
230 Responses from Pentecostal Christians interviewed in January, 2005.
231 Responses from Pentecostal Christians interviewed in January, 2005.
convince. The percentage of questionnaires that was returned confirms the impression that people were keen to discuss the issues.
Pastors and leaders of the more nationally spread Pentecostal groups however did refuse to cooperate and insisted that they needed the permission of their national offices in the south of Nigeria before they could discuss the church with anyone.
The level of tolerance of Pentecostals exhibited by certain mainline churches, for example the EYN, the Anglican Church and the COCIN, was surprising. Least tolerant were the Baptists, followed by the Catholics and the Lutherans. Even though these major mainline churches show little tolerance for Pentecostals, they still said they were willing to assist them.
Many of the findings as analyzed in data presented above are not new. Among them is a fair amount of known facts but in the framework of the current research, it was necessary to get them confirmed so as to be able to sort truths from untruths in what people say about Pentecostals in Nigeria.
Thus I attempted to analyze which age and ethnic groups in Adamawa are most likely to join the Pentecostal movements. Tonmoso the director for administration of the TFM responded without mincing words that; “Our members are mostly youth and are of the middle class, level.”232 A pilot survey carried out in February 2014 at the headquarters church of the TFM, an indigenous Pentecostal church at Numan, provided some insights into the membership of the Pentecostal churches in Adamawa.
Table: 2 Age Distribution of Members of TFM in Numan
Table: 3 Educational Qualifications of Members of TFM in Numan Highest Educational
Qualification
Distribution by Sex and Percentage
Male % Female % Total %
High School Certificate 27 39.70 16 29.62 43 35.24
National Diploma 15 22.05 10 18.51 25 20.49
Higher National Diploma 10 14.70 10 18.51 20 16.39
Bachelor‟s Degree 10 14.70 15 27.77 25 20.49
Master‟s Degree 4 5.88 3 5.55 7 5.73
Ph. D. 2 2.94 0 00.00 2 1.63
Total 68 100% 54 100% 122 100%
232 Tonmoso, in response to a follow-up question, interviewed at Numan, Adamawa State, Nigeria, 25th Feb.
2014.
Age Range Male Female Total %
No % No % No %
15-30 yrs. 25 36.76 17 31.48 42 34.42%
31-40 yrs. 35 51.47 26 48.14 61 50.00%
41-50 yrs. 5 7.35 11 20.37 16 13.11%
51 & Above 3 4.41 0 0.00 3 2.45%
Total 68 100% 54 100% 122 100%
The data above could trigger more research by scholars and statisticians but it presents Pentecostalism as a religion of the middle class with about 63.1% of those surveyed having attended tertiary institutions or having university education. Furthermore, 84.4% of those surveyed fall within the age bracket of 15 to 40 years. We consider this as something of an unearthing because certain assumptions have now been corroborated or contradicted. If the findings were to be used as the starting point for a statistical analysis of Pentecostalized communities in Nigeria, we would get an even better perspective on Pentecostalism in the country and the number of assumptions might be further reduced.