THE CALLING AND TRAINING OF PASTORS AND EVANGELISTS IN

PENTECOSTAL CHURCHES: A CASE STUDY OF TIVLAND

BY
DR. MRS FRANCA SHIMINENGE JANDO
DEPARTMENT OF RELIGION AND PHILOSOPHY,
BENUE STATE UNIVERSITY, MAKURDI-NIGERIA
EMAIL: wantorshimmy@gmail.com
PHONE: +2348036510552/+2348073780063/+2348122650047

Abstract
The rise of Pentecostal churches in Tivland has been noted with a rise in the number of churches
led by young or newly ordained pastors and evangelists. These churches are well known to have
sprouted out in relatively large number with more than 400 churches in Makurdi, Gboko, Katsina
Ala alone. It seems that there are more churches than schools in Tivland. This progression is
alarming owing to the fact that the advent of Pentecostalism in Tivland generally is placed in the
post independence era. The emergence of their Pastors and Evangelists is believed to be through
calling. Being ‘called’ within such a faith is thus understood as a gift that one is born with, which
God Himself controls. Accordingly, being ‘called’ is not awarded according to one’s good deed;
rather it is something that one is predestined for. The issues that prompted this research is the
fact that since ministering depends on one’s personal and private experiences with God, Pastors
and Evangelists keep manifesting on daily basis, and more often, they are either young graduates
who are unemployed or adults who seem frustrated out of their jobs. This poses a question of
legitimacy, authenticity, genuineness, and spirituality of this phenomenon. The paper seeks to
study the notion of “call” and how Pentecostal pastors are trained and ordained in Tivland. This
paper also adopts a phenomenological (descriptive) method for easy analysis of data. The basic
findings are that genuine pastors and evangelists are those called by God and who thereafter
receive their confirmation.

Keywords: Calling, Training, Evangelism.

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Introduction

According to Hollenweger (1927), Pentecostalism is a general term used to describe the

groups and sects which have traditionally placed emphasis on the speaking and receiving of

certain gifts of the Holy Spirit such as speaking in tongues, prophesying and healing as a sign of

the baptism of the Holy Spirit. On a general note, Pentecostalism is considered as a movement to

Christian renewal and sometimes classified as a Holiness Movement or the Born Again

movement. This movement is one of the major post independence developments in Nigeria. For

instance, Onah (2014) notes that, the beginning of proliferation of Pentecostalism and

Pentecostal churches in Nigeria could be traced to the period after the Nigerian independence.

The political independence of Nigeria seemed to have in turn encouraged religious independence

in the country, giving rise to a situation whereby the strong tie of membership of the mainline

churches was loosened. Following this development, there was a rise in independent Christian

groups with evangelical and Pentecostal persuasions most of which initially claimed to be non-

denominational or inter-denominational. Most of the Pentecostal churches existing here and there

in Nigeria and Tivland in particular took their origin from this period.

Consequently, Pentecostals believe that ministering the word of God is a “call” to duty by

God Himself. As such, being a pastor, ministering or church leadership remains a thing of much

concern in Pentecostalism. This is because, unlike the orthodox churches where priesthood is an

exclusive reserve of the male folk, women leadership and marriage of the clergy are acceptable

in Pentecostalism. In essence, education, marital status, age, and time input in the church are not

a serious concern in the selection, appointment and training of Pentecostal pastors. Also, there

seems to be no formalities, hence some students who enroll for the pastoral training can spend up

to three years period or even more, others can spend as little as six months in the training and

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become Pentecostal pastors. Again, some need not go for the training at all other than for one to

simply become a born again, answer “God’s” “call”, acquire a building whether completed or

not, and attract a congregation through healing. This diversity in the formation of Pentecostal

pastors constitutes a problem and question of eligibility, authenticity, genuineness, and

spirituality of these denominations and their shepherds. There is a serious dilemma whether to

accept or dismiss this phenomenon on the grounds of an acclaimed divine calling.

Scholars have argued that Pentecostalism speaks a language of modernity and is

attractive because it offers access to modern (Western) processes of cultural, economic and

democratic globalization (Van de Kamp 2010) yet “without losing its transnational connections

and international networks” (Anderson 2003). Pentecostals pay special attention and focus on

what can be called ‘spiritual life stories’, as a way to corroborate the biblical sacred narrative.

Such testimonies take on a sacred nature because they are stories (perpetually) told and re-told to

validate the ongoing active work of the Holy Spirit in the world. These narratives are claimed as

having their own spiritual authority and can become part of the canonical canvas that

Pentecostals view as sacred. According to Iorhule Joel (Oral Interview 2016), for a Pentecostal,

the call to ministry is confirmed by what is referred to as the ‘gifting’. The ‘call’ (into ministry,

evangelism or pastoral duties) is often spoken of by pastors and members of the congregation

alike. It is seen as “an inner urge or a strong impulse”, where one is divinely inspired to accept

the Christian Gospels as the Truth and Jesus as one’s personal Saviour (Harris 1975). This

description is similarly echoed by Reichard and Zygon (2013), where they emphasized the act of

the Holy Spirit at work in those whom God has chosen to shepherd His flock. This paper intends

to contribute to the discussions on the Pentecostal faith, but from the perspective of the training

and ‘call’ to service of pastors and evangelists in Tivland.

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Brief History of Pentecostal Churches in Tivland

Generally, the advent of Christianity in Tivland was through the missionaries. Jando

(2014) notes that, the Christian religion came to Tivland through the Christian Missions. The

Dutch Reformed Church Mission (DRCM) was the first to start evangelical work in Tivland

followed by the Roman Catholic Holy Ghost Fathers and many others. Rubigh (1969) declared

that:

The very first fruitful mission work in Tivland was established by the Sudan
United Mission South African Branch. But their first station was established in
1904 in Wase, followed by Wukari the present Wukari Local Government Area of
Taraba Sate in 1906 respectively. Moreover, it is on record that the fastest and
biggest growing station was established in 1911 at Sai in Tivland, and later
resulted to the establishment of the first indigenous church known as NKST (90).

The NKST (Nongo Kristu U Sudan hen Tiv; meaning “the Church of Sudan in Tiv) is one

of the first and major Christian denominations in Tivland. However, the history of the origin and

spread of Pentecostalism in Tivland coincides with the general explosion and expansion of

Pentecostalism in Nigeria during the post-independence era. Terlumun (Oral interview 2016)

emphasize that, during the period before Nigeria’s independence, the phenomenon of

Pentecostalism was not a very serious Christian system in Tivland. Although, government

workers such as police, Army, Air force and so on who had been on transfer to Makurdi, as well

as students who had graduated from the university brought Pentecostalism into Tivland, the

massive establishment of Pentecostal churches came well after independence. Similarly, Andoo

Samuel (Oral interview 2016) also disclosed that indigenous Pentecostalism was cushioned by

students who graduated from other places and had introduced the movement in Tivland.

Besides it can be observed that, indigenous Christian movements to a very large extent

motivated the spread and development Pentecostalism in Nigeria. The first Pentecostal features

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appeared as early as the twentieth century in form of Independent, prophetic or spiritual

Movement in communities where missionaries had already established churches. This could be

traced to the Naked Faith people who are also the precursors of Aladura (African indigenous

Churches) and Pentecostals in the Country.

Specifically, Aganyi Fidelis (Oral Interview 2016) states that Pentecostalism came into

Tivland in the early 1970s. The movement came through some University students who were

influenced by Pentecostal doctrines at various higher institutions of learning in the country. Jam

(Oral Interview 2016) reiterates that prominent among the graduate returnees who introduced

Pentecostalism in Tivland were John Ornguze who was at the University of Jos and Joel Chul at

Amadu Bello University Zaria. Ornguze claimed that he saw a vision in which the Islamic

groups came to take over Tivland. In the vision, he was told to write a letter to all the churches in

Tivland and inform them of what was to take place. So, he did as the Holy Spirit had inspired

him, in the letter, the people were told to repent from their sins and turn to God, and should also

pray against an impending Islamic war in Tivland. This message necessitated a Pentecostal

fellowship which ignited the flame of Pentecostalism in Tivland in 1972. The group was nicked

named Hallelujah or Born again; it was an interdenominational meeting.

Apart from the above, other Pentecostal churches came in Tivland for the purpose of

establishing the branches of their churches in the area. For instance, Pilah (Oral Interview 2016)

also noted that Magu Samuel and William came from Cameroon and established Full Gospel

Revival Crusade Incorporation Nigeria, in 1974 in Vandeikya and then Living Faith Church was

established in 1987. From this point, Pentecostal churches continued to spread in Tivland. Public

Servants also introduced some of the churches on transfer to Tivland, while some other people

claimed they have received direct revelation from God to start a church. Also, some individuals

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who felt it were needful to evangelize their people which contributed to the spread of Pentecostal

churches. Henceforth, many more churches began to emerge within this period.

Notable Pentecostal Churches in Tivland

Based on the analysis above, it is discernable that the first ever Pentecostal church in

Tivland is Christian Center Gboko which was co-founded by John Ornguze and Joel Ichul in

1972. As a new religious movement, Pentecostalism was at first identified with young men and

women who labelled themselves as pastors and evangelists despite lacking any pastoral or

theological training. Anum Hidejime (Oral interview, 2016) says that all they actually needed

was the Divine mandate of God and the inspiration of the Holy Ghost. Thus, from this beginning,

more and more Pentecostal churches have sprout out in Tivland.

Today, Pentecostal churches are scattered all over Tivland both in towns and villages. As

mentioned above, most of these Churches are established by the indigenes while others are

brought into the Tivland by non indigenes. The most notable Pentecostal churches in Tivland

include the following: Christian Center; Assemblies of God Church; Redeemed Christian Church

of God; Living Faith Church (aka Winners Chapel); Mountain of Fire and Miracles Church;

Deeper Life Bible Church (DLBL); Dunamis Gospel Church; Christ Embassy Church; The Good

news Chapel; Kingdom Star Assembly; Full Gospel Revival Crusade Incorporation Church of

Nigeria (FGRCN); All Nations Evangelical Ministries Inc; Victory Bible Church; Breakthrough

for all the Nations Ministries, among others.

The “Calling” of Pentecostal Pastors and Evangelists

In Pentecostalism, the idea of “calling” is built on many different biblical examples of the

‘call’ drawn from the literature of the Bible. According to Kula Philip (Oral interview 2016), a

call to leadership is just like that of Moses in Exodus 3:2-10, where God had sent him to Pharaoh

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that he may bring forth his people the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt where they were

being oppressed by the Egyptians. It may be a call to conversion, as it came to Saul on the road

to Damascus in Acts of Apostles 9:1-15, he was chosen as a vessel unto God to bear His name

before the Gentiles and Kings; and also Peter and Andrew, were called by Jesus to follow Him

and Jesus made them fishers of men (Mathew 4:18-20). In Samuel 3:14, the boy Samuel was

called to be a prophet when Eli became old and his eyes were dim; sometimes it is a call to go

for a missionary work as it came to the unwilling prophet Jonah in Jonah 1:1-3. It may be a call

to motherhood, as it was for the young Virgin Mary (Mathew 1:23). A ‘call’ implies that “one

hears a ‘voice’ from God or beyond, beckoning him/her to listen and respond”.

Most Pentecostal Pastors and Evangelists claim that they are ‘called’. Prior to becoming a

pastor, a person has to receive a ‘call.’ The ‘call’ is spoken of anecdotally, as “when a person

hears a voice or receives a vision”. Being ‘called’ has also been defined as having received an

invitation to enter into ministry from God, and this invitation may be received at any time and in

any place. According to Harris (1975), the term ‘calling’ thus refers to being divinely assigned to

a particular duty, position, or responsibility. From the perspective of the individual, it is also seen

as an inner urge or a strong impulse, especially one believed to be divinely inspired to accept the

Gospels as truth and Jesus as one’s personal saviour (http//www.education.yahoo.com).

According to Maheshvari and Nokwanda (2013), in so called ‘lay’ terms, it can refer to

“an assignment that God has prepared you for”. This definition is motivated with a quotation

from The Bible; “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you

and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future (Jeremiah 29, 11).

Mhambe (Oral interview 2016) maintains that, being ‘called’ or divine call may lose

one’s “individual identity”, which means the person now lives according to the dictates of God

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strictly, and living to do the Lord’s work. You are meant to live for your congregation as you

have to attend to their spiritual needs. Benvenuti (1999) points out, that servant-hood was always

the focal point of one’s ministry calling. And as she points out, “at times you have to wake up at

night and pray if a member is sick” and sometimes called to their homes or hospitals for prayers.

According to these informants, being ‘called’ means you “no longer live for yourself but for your

community”.

Based on the interviews with the pastors and evangelists, it becomes apparent that

receiving God’s call to undertake pastoral duties manifests differently for everyone. Most of

them like Oche of Redeemed Christian Church of God Old GRA, Makurdi (Oral interview 2016)

notes that, the ‘call’ is to be seen as a personal experience that can only be truly grasped and

understood by the person who received it, almost as a special kind of spiritual knowledge.

Takena (Oral Interview, 23/6/2013) points out that, Pentecostal churches are spreading

like wild fire, but the quality of their teaching and leadership does not seem like that of Christ

exactly. It is like they lack basic authority of the scripture; lack of basic understanding of

doctrines, the negative spiritual lives of the church, flamboyant life style and they are more of

dictators in leadership. We shall discuss mainly the training and call of pastors and their

leadership style. There are five main types of preachers or pastors in Pentecostal churches in

Tivland in particular and Nigeria in general.

Types of Preachers and Pastors among Pentecostal Churches in Tivland

The first types are those that base their teaching on new birth, truth and holiness,

Christian maturity and discipline. Because the scriptures point out that without righteousness, no

one can enter the kingdom of God; they preach less of financial prosperity. Their prosperity

message is mostly based on the soul, they emphasize that if your soul prospers, and every other

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thing in your life will prosper as well. These pastors are credible and Holy Spirit-filled. They are

working steadily and quietly to make disciples who can make heaven. These pastors do not live

flamboyant life like prosperity preachers. However, not many people patronize these types of

churches. Especially in Tivland where majority of the people experience hardship, they prefer

where prosperity messages are preached (Peter, Oral Interview, 2016).

The second category comprises those who are trained in Pentecostal theological

institutions. Almost all the big churches have it. After the training they claim to be called by God

into ministry. Each person is called in a way to perform a definite or carry out a particular

assignment. For example, William Kumuyi, the General Superintendent of Deeper Life Church

says he was called to preach or teach people the deeper search in the Word of God and leave by

it too. This is in order to correct the moral decadence of the nation because at the time, there was

hardship, and many people turned towards corrupt practices (Akosu, Oral Interview, 2016).

These men are people craving for moral soundness and seek to live by what they preach which is

based on holiness.

However, some of them have over-grown such that they have lost direct teachings from

their founders. As a result, these churches have resorted into poor discipleship with immaturity in

the word of God. Some of the members are more of liabilities than assets to their churches. For

example, the Sunday church service is always full but they lack hands when it comes to

programs like evangelism, prayer meeting and crusades. This has led to shortage of pastors,

where half-baked and part time pastors are recruited to preach. These kinds of pastors will only

end up impacting their kind to others. They are not capable of being believed and are of bad

influence to others through their characters. Sometimes, they even mismanage the finances of the

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churches. These things have led to the proliferation of most Pentecostal churches in Tivland and

elsewhere (Ageba, Oral Interview, 2016).

The third group pertains to those that have only specialized areas of preaching whether

trained or called by God into ministry work. These pastors have chosen to emphasize their

preaching on divine healing, aggressive prayers and prosperity. Some have tagged their churches

as deliverance ministry. For example, Victory Bible Church by Bishop Terdoo Angbagh at

Katsina-Ala and Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries by Daniel Olukoya emphasize on

divine healing, prosperity gospel and deliverance. Some of these churches perform miracles

through healing and deliverance most of the time rather than preaching the Word of God. As a

result of this, members tend not to be grounded in the Word of God deeply. Instead of

developing the spiritual yearning of the congregation, some of them tend to be more interested in

populating the church by establishing more branches for revenue generation (Kator, Oral

Interview, 2016).

The fourth category constitutes those who have gone into ministry work because they

want to be there and live a flamboyant life. Some are actually trained through theological

institutions, but others have had little or no theological training, and some manifest gifts such as

prophecy and preaching. In order to fulfil their desire, they separate from their mother churches

and establish their own. The reason for this is to be an overseer and be in full control of the

finances of the church. Such pastors usually use the name of Jesus to perform fake miracles that

last only in the church service session. The people are happy for the temporary relief of their

situation because some of them are only in such churches for miracle. But for the members that

are actually tasty and hungry for the Word of God in these churches do get bored and dissatisfied

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at the same time and decide to change to a vibrant and Spirit-filled church. (Kura, Oral

Interview, 2016)

The fifth group is that of unbridled ambitions. This behaviour is exhibited mostly among

young men who are overzealous in ministry work. The group is normally impatient to learn from

the older ministers. They also find it difficult to submit to any structure or any form of authority

or leadership. The uncontrolled and ambitious pastors cause disunity among the congregation by

criticizing the leadership of others, but paint themselves as good people. Once they have a

disagreement over something and there are quarrels, they use the opportunity to separate from

the church. In most cases, they pull half of the congregation along with them. Such pastors

usually start their church in the classrooms or uncompleted buildings, sitting room, garage and so

on. All of this only points to the quest for leadership. Thus, the result of ego gratification and

immaturity in most cases results to fraud and failure on their side.

The narratives (recounted stories of divine call) reveal that responding to the call requires

one to be emotionally and spiritually ‘ready’ and that being a pastor refers to a complete

lifestyle. Another church leader, Pastor Ukpenge (2016) of Full Gospel Church Makurdi stressed

the importance of asking God for a confirmation, saying that “it’s not enough to have a dream or

vision and pastors need not follow their emotions, they have to pray and ask God for a

confirmation”. This confirmation, according to Aondoakaa, a congregant “tells you exactly what

you have been called for, whether God wants you to start your own church or he wants you to

serve in a particular church”. This means that after receiving the ‘call’, one has to wait for a

confirmation which is to direct one with regard to one’s calling.

Just as the ‘call’ comes in different ways for different individuals as embedded in the

stories of our informants, similarly, responding to the ‘call’ differs from person to person. The

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response is in turn shaped by each individual’s spiritual beliefs and perceptions. However, Pastor

Ukpenge emphasize that each and every call has to be motivated by the “fear of God” and “not

questioning His authority”. Waiting for a confirmation of one’s call may take several days which

may be accompanied by intensive prayer and fasting.

Pastor Adigbo (Oral Interview 2016) of Assemblies of God Church Gboko argued that

people have negative attitudes towards being ‘called’ because “there are too many people who

claim to be ‘called’ nowadays”. “This sudden boom of churches that are led by young pastors

has destroyed the reputation of pastors, most of the young pastors see being a shepherd as a

career that they only attend to on a Sunday”. This attitude or phenomenon has challenged the

legitimacy and authenticity in the idea of Divine Call.

The training of Pentecostal pastors and evangelists

Pentecostal churches emphasize a purely academic theological training as a pre-requisite

for its ministers and evangelists. However, in practice not all intending pastors appear to meet up

with this standard or the ministerial training requirements. As such not all Pentecostal pastors

have formal theological training. They claim to depend on spiritual insights in leading a

congregation. Many Pentecostal pastors receive their training from the Bible Colleges run by the

prosperity preachers abroad, either by studying there fulltime or through correspondence while

some receive their training from the theological schools within Nigeria, and again others simply

attend conventional colleges and universities within the country.

According to Acha (2013), the training of Pentecostal pastors generally by Pentecostal

churches last for duration of one to four years or more, depending on the level of experience and

the stage of education the individual undergoing training already has. Admittedly, the essence of

this training is to equip the individual (prospecting pastor and evangelist) with the necessary

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theological and Biblical knowledge and understanding. This is why Ayuk (2005) had expressed

that the kind of discipline and training received by Nigerian Pentecostals make them strong

enough to bear up under any kind of condition. In his opinion therefore, their training and up-

bringing offers them an advantage no other missionary has. Ayuk also observed that many Bible

schools and seminaries have been opened to help in training church leaders for the next

generation.

In the organizational character of the Pentecostal churches in Tivland particularly, the

office of a pastor, an evangelist, or overseer is more than an ordinary job position. According to

Tondo (2016, Oral interview), a pastor needs dedication, spiritual, and emotional maturity, in

addition to the character of integrity to fully embody the title. For this reason, care is usually

taken in the process of their formation. Tondo also adds that, this training generally emphasizes

strong disciplinary action in order to help the pastors and evangelists to be strong in the mission

fields. This kind of approach is very important, because some ministers today are taking their

position for granted, he concluded.

The training of pastor and evangelists involves a procedure which any prospective pastor

or evangelist must adhere to. First and foremost, the trainee must be a member of a Pentecostal

church and must spend significant time (2-3 years) dedicating oneself to worship and services

within the church. This is why Pastor Ukpenge of the Full Gospel Christian Church Makurdi

(Oral Interview, 2016) emphasized that it is must necessarily be an overseer or superintending

leader who would permit the admission of an intending pastor into the training institutes.

Orsooga (Oral interview, 2016) adds that the period of membership and commitment in

the church also determine the enrollment of the candidate into the pastoral college. As members

continue to attend church services and activities, it is assumed that they are growing spiritually.

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As time goes on, some of the committed members are appointed into leadership positions in the

church. Sometimes it is even the church that selects the serious member to attend the Bible

school. The prospective pastors/evangelists mostly come from the various groups in the church.

Some of them rose from leaders to such groups to a deacon or deaconess and are later trained as

pastors or evangelists.

Abul (Oral Interview 2016) adds that the second part of the training involves the study of

the Bible and theologically related subjects. Although secular courses are also offered and most

pastors attend conventional institutions, the emphasis is more on the Bible. The importance of

the Bible in Pentecostal theology cannot be overemphasized as such, they are supposed to be

well versed in the Bible and theology to be able to preach the gospel and teach the congregation

effectively. Within the period of training, the students are sent out for one year to go and practice

preaching and teaching of the Bible. This kind of training is what pastor Ukpenge described as

“Practicum” or “Field Attachment” during the study years of the trainees.

It is observed that not all graduands of the Pentecostal training institutes are actually

ordained upon their graduation. Pastor Ukpenge responds here that, the eligibility of one’s

ordination depends on evidence of genuine salvation, regenerated true Christian behavior must

be monogamous, and also imbibe all the qualities in 1Timothy 3:1-7. He also notes that a trainee

can be withdrawn if he or she is found guilty of fraud, heresy, immorality and other unchristian

behaviors. This principle “obstacle” might probably be the reason for the phenomenon of

mushroom churches that keep springing up daily. Probably, aggrieved graduants who felt they

were erroneously disqualified can decide to establish their own churches to prove their innocence

or fulfill their self acclaimed divine mandate at all cost.

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Methods of ministerial training

This paper has identified three basic methods of training of Pentecostal pastors and

evangelists in Tivland. These include the Bible/theology school training, the in-service training

or practicum, and the self/Holy spirit training.

First and foremost, the Bible Theological School Training is the aspect of ministerial

training where the prospective minister enrolls in a training institute and studies as a normal full-

time student. This requires seeking for admission just as in conventional schools where normal

academic work follows with lectures, examinations and certification is issued at the end of the

studies. A candidate that has successfully passed through the Bible School programmes

graduates at the end of his or her study. Thus graduation becomes the last stage of the training

process which is celebrated with friends and families like it happens with convocation

ceremonies in conventional universities and colleges. Upon completion of studies, a trainee is

fully equipped for the work of the ministry either as a pastor or as a evangelist. At this stage,

some of the pastoral candidates retire to join their churches or even open their own churches

while evangelists, join an already existing ministry for attachment (Ukpenge, 2016, oral

interview).

The second method is the in-service training. This method of training of ministers takes

place within the individual church and its limited both in scope and size. This kind of training is

usually adopted among newly found Pentecostal churches where the founder of the church and

the senior pastors spearheads the training. For instance, the Christ Embassy Church practices this

method. The process involves the candidate to pass through the foundation class programme.

The foundation school teaches the principles of the church and the Bible study. According to

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Igbetar (2016, Oral Interview) says that graduates of the foundation class are qualified to teach or

to lead a branch of the church as a pastor provided he/she shows strong evidence of both spiritual

and financial commitment. Financial commitment here implies that once one is delegated to take

charge of a branch, he/she automatically becomes responsible for all that takes place within that

church. Often times, the church organizes pastors and ministers conferences chaired by the

founder to receive additional training.

The third method of training is what Ucha (2013) called the self/Holy Spirit training. In

this method pastors and evangelists do not undergo any form of formal academic training as is

obtainable in the mission churches; they are rather trained by the Holy Spirit. Churches under

this category such as Charity and Faith Chapel, believe that as soon as preacher climbs the alter

of God; he is controlled by the Holy Ghost who dictates the sermon to be preached to the

members of the congregation. These kind of churches usually cite the early Christian era (Acts of

the Apostles 4: 13) when there were no theological colleges and seminaries for the training of

priests, pastors and evangelists and yet the gospel was passed on to the pagans and to this

generation. The self trained pastors argue that what is necessary for the pastoral work is

rudimentary education, and then the ability to read and interpret the scripture. The emphasis here

is that one can be inspired by the Holy Spirit to preach and lead the congregation in the worship

of God. Therefore, these pastors are trained in any theological college but enthusiastic members

preach through the help of the Holy Spirit and thereby assume pastoral functions.

However, this is where part of the problem lies. First of all, to assume that education is

not a pre-requisite for evangelization or preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ, hence one has the

ability and conviction or talent (gift) to do so. Secondly, accepting to be a pastor on the mere

claim that he/she has been called by God even though, one would believe that God Chooses

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people and singled them out for evangelism. With the recent explosion in the emergence of

Pentecostal pastors and evangelist most of whom are unemployed or frustrated out of their jobs.

Coupled with the fact that most of these churches lay more emphasis on monetary prosperity and

sowing of seed (tithing), the question on ingenuity, illegitimacy, or to be down to earth quackery

obviously comes first. Similarly, Attoo (Oral Interview 2016) further suggests that it is possible

for one out of economic frustration to claim to be called to service because of the attached

financial gains in ministering. Tyough Joseph (Oral Interview 2016) quickly adds that, there is

even a possibility for such self acclaimed ministers to acquire some charms or witchcraft to fake

miracles in order to attract more members which is trying to convince a customer in business. It

therefore means that poverty and unemployment could be the reason most people claim the

divine call as a pastor or evangelist.

Again, without totally dismissing the possibility of divine inspiration or divine call, it is

arguably factual that the Biblical account of Jesus’ selection of the apostles does not necessarily

see education as a criterion. For instance, Luke 5:1-11, Matthew 10: 4-12, and Mark 3:13-19

(Simon Peter and the sons of Zebedee James and John were illiterate fishermen among others).

Many other biblical narratives on prophetic calls and other illustrations attest to this fact. Hence,

there exist a possibility for an authentic and self acclaimed pastor through these means (i.e

literate and illiterates, the “divinely called” and acclaimed “call”), it is for people to be cautious

of which church they fellowship with and also the genuineness based on the capability of the

minister. All these must be assessed to avoid being victims of circumstances in the hands of

“gospel businessmen”.

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Pastoral training institutions in Tivland

Based on the tripartite methods of pastoral training described above, it is discernable that

not all pastors undergo formal theological training preparatory for their ministry. Again, newly

established Pentecostal denominations or churches that do not have colleges or theological

schools simply adopt the in-service training method. Since the in-service training and self/Holy

Ghost training options, are own only by the mega Pentecostal churches. They operate and give

their pastors formal education in schools. Some of these schools include; Dunamis School of

Ministery (DUSOM), Abuja; Living Faith’s Word of Faith Bible Institute (WOFBI), Lagos;

Redeemed Christian Church of God has School of Mission or Bible School (CPM) Lagos;

Christian Pentecostal Mission has Pentecostal International Bible Seminary (PIBS), Makurdi.

More and more theological institutions are spring up on daily basis (Ogbu, Oral interview 2016).

Recommendations

Based on the findings of this paper, it has become very imperative to make the following

recommendations that:

i. The Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (the umbrella body responsible for all Pentecostal

churches in Nigeria) should make frantic efforts towards unifying all the institutions that

train pastors and evangelists.

ii. Even though the issue of divine call is a private and personal experience, it must be

backed up with a confirmation. This will ensure that one will not just claim to be called,

in order not to tarnish or adulterate or even make jest of the Holy Ghost and the

denominations as well.

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 iii. There is need to raise the standard of the existing theological colleges and institutions

where the pastors and evangelist are trained.

iv. The “practicum” or “field attachment” for pastors-in-training must be taken serious to

ensure proper check on the intending pastors. This shall curtail the general excesses after

ordination leading to the suspicion that Pentecostals are only economically centered.

Conclusion

This paper analyzed the concept of calling and training of Pentecostal pastors in Tivland.

The paper reveal that the duties of pastors and evangelists are not so much earned, rather people

are ‘born’ to undertake duties to which God ‘calls’ or summons them at some point in their lives.

Pastoral duties have been shown to be similar to that of a shepherd as pastors are expected to

take care of or tend to their congregations’ spiritual and social needs. The ‘call’ has been seen as

a divine invitation, from the Divine. However, this does not suggest that pastors simply respond

to an invitation. Rather, the understanding here is that people who respond to this invitation were

predestined for the sacred duty, and that the call is validated or confirmed by being

communicated to someone else as well. Hence, the invitation is a ‘call’ that serves to prepare

individuals for the duties they are to undertake. These invitations or call are in turn validated for

the pastors by a spiritual confirmation before they begin their spiritual journey as pastors. Being

‘called’ within such a faith is thus understood as a gift that one is born with, which God Himself

controls. Within this framework the Pastors are seen as a kind of spiritual glue holding the

congregation (flock) together and thus contributing in no small way to the exponential growth of

Pentecostalism and Pentecostal Churches within Tivland through their personal ‘public’ or

evangelical style and charisma.

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Works cited

Abu, A. “The Training of Pastors and Evangelists in Pentecostal Churches: A Case study of
Idomaland”. An unpublished Dissertation submitted to the Department of Religion and
Cultural Studies, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, for an award of Master of Arts Degree in
Religion and Cultural Studies. February, 2013.

Anderson A, Bergunder M, Droogers AF, van der Laan Cornelius 2010. Studying Global
Pentecostalism Theories and Methods: The Anthropology of Christianity. USA:
University of California Press.

Ayuk, A. A. “Portrait of Nigerian Pentecostal Missionary”. Assian Journal of Pentecostal

Studies Vol 8:1<http//www.apts.edu/aeimages/file…> Accessed January, 2016.

Benvenuti SR 1995 “Pentecostal Women in Ministry: Where Do We Go From Here?” From

<http://www.pctii.org/cyberj/cyberj1/ben.html> Accessed January, 2016

Harris W 1975. The American Heritage Dictionary. From

<http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/?s=calling> Accessed January, 2016.

Hollenwenger, W.J. The Pentecostals. London: SCM, 1972.

Jando, F. S “Growth and Expansion of Pentecostal Churches in Tivland 1975 – 2005” A thesis
presented to the department of Religion and Cultural Studies, University of Nigeria,
Nsukka for the award of degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Religion and Cultural Studies.
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Reichard J, Zygon D 2013. Of miracles and metaphysics: A Pentecostal-Charismatic and process

of miracles and relational dialogue. Journal of Religion and Science, 48: 274-293

Van de Kamp L 2010. ‘Questioning an Emerging Multi- Polar World? The Role of African
Networks and Connections in Shaping the New Global Order, South-South Transnational
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List of Respondents

S/n Name Sex Age Location Occupation Date of

Interview
01. Mhambe Bernard Male 42 Gboko Evangelist 06 January,
2016
02. Samuel Oche Male 45 Makurdi Pastor 10 February,
2016
03. Torkighir Denis Male 41 Makurdi Evangelist 17 January,
2016
04. Member Pilaku Female 48 Makurdi Deaconess 02 February,
2016
05. Pastor Ukpenge Male 57 Makurdi Pastor 20 January,
2016
06. Aondoakaa Female 47 Makurdi Deaconess 16 January,
Philomena 2016
07. Pastor Adigbo Harris Male 49 Gboko Pastor 06 January,
2016
08. Tondo Godwin Male 51 Gboko Evangelist 06 January,
2016
09. Orsooga Mercy Female 45 K/Ala Evangelist 1 February,
2016
10. Igbetar Douglas Male 42 K/Ala Pastor 04 February,
2016
11. Iorhule Joel Male 39 K/Ala Pastor 13 February,
2016
12. Terlumun Male 40 Gboko Pastor 06 January,
Theophilus 2016
13. Mhambe Bernard Male 37 Makurdi Evangelist 08 February,
2016
14. Abul Solomon Male 43 Gboko Pastor 06 January,
2016
15. Torkighir Denis Male 39 K/Ala Evangelist 07 February,
2016
16. Jam James Male 37 K/Ala Evangelist 07 February,
2016
17. Pilah Terngu Male 30 K/Ala Pastor 07 February,
2016

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