CHRISTIANITY.. THE NIGERIAN MODEL. It is a good afternoon here in the capital city. Just sitting and pondering over the above subject. I was glued to the television this morning watching folks paying tributes to the late Mohammed Ali on Arise TV. One of them said something that caught my attention. It is actually a quote by the legend himself. He said that all rivers,ponds,streams,gutters,lakes,oceans etc. contain the same substance...*Water*. He said all religions worship the same God but in different ways. Permit me to narrow it down to Christianity. Let me run us through 'my own' perception of the progression of christianity in Nigeria. Years ago, we had churches that are now branded orthodox churches... The Methodists, Anglicans, Presbyterians,Catholics,Baptists, C& S Apostolic, etc... These Churches had encounters and interactions with the missionaries that brought Christianity to Africa. Africa then was filled with idol worship/traditional way of worship. Those who listened to the missionaries and accepted their message formed the church and expansion began. Evangelism was spreading all over the country. Many traditionalists accepted the Message and Christ. The mid Era then came. The birth of Penticostalism. Before then, great men like Bishop Ajayi Crowther, Moses Orimolade Tunolase,Josiah Olufemi Akindayomi and the likes had established churches in the ways they were inspired. Moses Orimolade Founded C& S, while Josiah Olufemi Akindayomi founded Redeemed Christian Church of God after worshiping for years with C& S. Arch-Bishop Benson Idashosa was instrumental to the revolution that birthed the penticostalism of today. Churches sprang up with different names and beliefs that allowed women wear trousers in church, preach in churches,wear ear rings, enter the church with uncovered hair/head. This was different from what the churches had then. Many of the advocates tend to have biblical portions/understandings to back these. And lately, it is spreading like wild fire. Infact I am sure if I want to start up my own church today, I will have problems with what name to call it because virtually all names and combinations of names have been exhausted. Sadly, the church has moved from the message of Salvation to messages such as wealth, prosperity, die by thunder, die by fire. All we see are Posters of the GO and wife. More terrifying lately is the change of nomenclature from Rev or Bishop to Prophet... It seems all preachers in Nigeria are moving over to the prophetic 'ministry'. Do a count of the program posters in your area as see. In the times past, vision and prophecy was peculiar to the C& S churches. Now, the new found penticostalism has taken over. It is rare to see a prophetic church with few members. This has led to the massive increase in the amount of prophets in Nigeria. Some one once said. All the native doctors are now forming prophets. All they need is the ability to see and communicate with mediums(good or bad), look for a suitable name, location and then,PACKAGE well. Amazingly, the way the collect money from their congregation is scary. Give different names to offerings, devise different schemes to collect money, use scenarios of how Abraham painfully gave his son and how giving with pains is the best form of giving. You see people giving all they have ever saved. Please don't get me wrong. Giving brings more. But how do you differentiate between giving for Christs work and giving to a fraudster marauding as a Pastor? I witnessed one who asked members to drop all the cash in their possession on the alter. Later he asked for N1,000 to be dropped in his pocket to receive anointing. He reduced the amount till it got to N200. While it is left for Jesus Christ to be the ultimate judge, we need to pray fervently. One thing is for sure. NO CHURCH is an automatic ticket to heaven. That I attend Redeemed, Cele, Cherubim,COZA, Christ Embassy,Anglican,Catholic or Living Faith doesn't give me an express ticket to heaven. Have you ever asked. Is there any church where their members don't die? Where all the young girls and guys are virgins, where everyone is healthy, where no member has ever been involved in an accident, where no member has been robed, where all member are millionaires, where all members are citizen's of heaven? The vices mentioned above affect all no matter the church. Quote me anywhere. All that matters is looking on to Christ, the author and finisher of our faith.