ISSN 2360-7998
Abstract
This study examined the impact of the prosperity gospel on congregants' commitment in selected churches in Nigeria. The study was guided by three research questions and three null hypotheses tested at the 0.05 level of significance. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design. The population comprised 3,827 congregants in selected churches in Nigeria, while a sample of 297 respondents was used for the study. A structured questionnaire titled Prosperity Gospel and Congregants' Commitment Questionnaire (PGCCQ) was used for data collection. The instrument was structured into sections covering demographic characteristics, extent of prosperity gospel teaching, congregants' financial commitment, spiritual and behavioural commitment,. The instrument was subjected to expert validation, and its reliability index of 0.70 was established using Cronbach's alpha. Data were analysed using frequency counts, percentages, mean and standard deviation to answer the research questions, while Pearson Product Moment Correlation and simple linear regression were used to test the hypotheses at the 0.05 level of significance. The findings indicated that the prosperity gospel was emphasised to a very high extent in the selected churches (Grand Mean = 3.51). Congregants demonstrated a high level of commitment (Grand Mean = 3.48), while prosperity gospel exerted a very high influence on their financial commitment (Grand Mean = 3.53). The findings further showed that prosperity teaching had a high positive influence on the spiritual life and moral conduct of congregants (Grand Mean = 3.41). The prosperity gospel was also found to promote both lasting commitment and conditional participation among congregants (Grand Mean = 3.40). The hypothesis testing showed a significant positive relationship between the prosperity gospel and congregants' commitment (r = .672, p < .05). The prosperity gospel also significantly predicted financial commitment (R = .714, R² = .510, F = 307.964, p < .05), significantly influenced spiritual commitment (R = .638, R² = .407, F = 202.974, p < .05), and had a significant positive relationship with sustainable congregational commitment (r = .601, p < .05). The study concluded that the prosperity gospel is a significant factor in shaping congregational commitment, financial participation, spiritual engagement, and sustainability of church involvement. It was recommended that church leaders should balance prosperity teaching with biblical teachings on discipleship, holiness, stewardship, perseverance, accountability, and ethical Christian living.
Keywords: prosperity gospel, prosperity theology, congregational commitment, financial commitment, spiritual commitment, church leadership, Nigeria.