Encuestas origen y destino abordo de transporte público

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Table 5.9. Non-allowance of Pastors to engage in herbal medicine

Item Clergy/Pastor Laity

Non-allowance of pastors to engage in herbal medicine

Agreed Disagreed Agreed Disagreed

% % % %

16 94.1 1 5.9 166 50.6 162 49.4 The table above also reveals that the process of implementing Baptist policy on non-allowance of pastor to engage in herbal medicine was a cause of conflict.

Ninety-four percent of the clergy responded that there would be conflict in Baptist church in OBC church whenever a pastor wants to venture into making and selling herbal medicine. Six percent of the clergy disagreed with the view. A total of 166 respondents from among the laity, making up 50.6%, acceded to the fact that non-allowance of pastors to engage in the practice of herbal medicine caused conflict, while 162 respondents from the laity, that formed 49.4%, did not support that the policy should cause conflict. The sharp difference in the percentage of those who agreed and disagree that this policy caused conflict may imply that only among the pastors are the majority clamouring for the implementation of this policy. Many members would see no logical reason disallowing any pastor who has the knowledge of herbal medicine from using. The making and selling of traditional and herbal medicine is another polity and policy matter, especially in the Baptist denomination, that serves as a source of conflict. The Convention was always at loggerheads with pastors who were involved in traditional medicine. This was the main source of conflict the NBC leadership had with Revd P. O. Ogunyale, the former pastor of Immanuel Baptist Church Akeetan Oyo and the dispute at Ijeru Baptist Church Ogbomoso.⁹

The youth reported the conflict in Ijeru Baptist Church Ogbomoso directly to the General Secretary (GS) of the Convention at Ibadan. Based on the complaints of the youth, the GS sent for the representatives of the church, the youth and OBC. The representatives of the church were displeased that the GS gave audience to the youth when their Association and Conference had not been consulted. They must have said

9 Interview with Revd Dr. Kola Ojemola (rtd), formal pastor of First Baptist Church Lagos, on July28, 2012.

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that to fault the action of the GS as being against the bottom-up church polity and policy implementation style. If the GS did not jump the conflict resolution procedure, the church, acting on the autonomy of the local church, might not have cooperated with the Association and Conference as they would with the Convention. At Ibadan, a copy of Baptist beliefs and policies was given to the pastor and all representatives of Ijeru Baptist Church¹⁰ to show that the issue of pastor' engagement in herbal medicine was a policy issue.

The Ministerial Board, on February 10, 2003, set up a fact-finding and peace committee to meet with five representatives from the church and the youth. This was done after the efforts of the Association and the Conference to resolve the conflict had failed. Revd. Gbemi Otolorin, Mrs. Yemi Ladokun and Prof. Adedeji were elected as committee members. Based on the reports of the committee, Rev. J. A.

Ayanlola and S. O. Akanmu represented Ogbomoso Baptist Conference. Revd. Dr.

G. A. Ajadi, Prince F. A. Adewuyi, Sunday Ajadi, Gbola Oladipo, Dr. E. A. Akanbi, Revd. J. A. Alao, Mr. M. O. Ogunesan, E. O Olatunji and G. M. Olla represented Ijeru Baptist church. Revd. G. A. Ajadi was advised to choose between the pastoral ministry and the practice of traditional herbal medicine with his full-time job as a lecturer in the University within three months, August to October 2003. Ijeru Baptist Church was told that the decision of the Ministerial Board reiterated in the position of NBC on herbal medicine, ―that while there could be genuine and honest use of traditional herbal medicine devoid of evil influence, it is ... difficult to distinguish between the use and the involvement of demonic elements. Thus, in order to avoid creating confusion, doubt, suspicious, and all, bringing the name of Christ to disrepute, no Nigerian Baptist pastor should be involved with such practices‖¹¹

As the conflict lingered, some of the youth left the fellowship of Ijeru Baptist Church to form Living Truth Baptist Church, Ogbomoso. Samuel O. Adesina¹² said that the Living Truth Baptist Church was a product of the conflict that emerged in Ijeru over pastor's engagement in traditional medicine which some youth kicked against. Before the exit of the youth there were times that police and Oodua people‘s

10 O. O. Afolabi. 2012. Church conflict management in the Nigerian Baptist convention 48.Also in NBC. 2003. Book of Reports. 205.

11 NBC. 2004. Book of Reports. 198-199.

12 S. O. Adesina. Aged 48 years. Interviewed in January 2013.

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Congress (OPC)¹³ were invited to broker peace. The pastor eventually left the church, for as he said ―my medicine ajadilopea is the only potent anti-malaria anywhere. I will not jettison it because of any church against the benefit of the whole world.‖¹⁴ Revd. Ajadi decided not to fellowship in any Baptist church that was cooperating with the NBC. He had never attended the Convention-in-session or any pastor‘s fellowship meeting because of the bitterness he had with how some pastors and Convention leaders acted in his case.

5.3.3. Monogamy as a requirement for holding church offices: Conflict in Iranlowo-Oluwa Baptist Church

Iranlowo-Oluwa Baptist Church was established in 1987. The church had been led by lay leaders, student pastors and full-time trained pastors within the period of its existence. Among other issues that caused conflicts in Iranlowo-Oluwa Baptist Church were polity and policy-related matters. Baptists believe that the church is the Body of Christ founded by Jesus, the Head. The administration is based on the decision of the entire congregation who function through the Executive Committee.

This process of control belonging to the entire members under the leadership of the pastor contributed to the conflict.¹⁵

At the establishment of the church by the mother church, Oja-Oba Baptist Church, few members were constituted to be 'Caretaker Committee'. The few committee members assumed the position of 'founding fathers' in the running of the affairs of the church, even after a trained full-time pastor was called to lead the church. The caretaker committee sometimes overruled the decision of the Executive Council of the church. This practice is against the Baptist Church polity of congregationalism This 'power of attorney' exhibited by the caretaker committee was used at a time in buying some musical instruments worth of N1.2 million, while

13 Oodua Peoples Congress is a Yoruba socio-cultural militant group. From now OPC stands for the group.

14 Interview with G. A Ajadi at his personal house in Ogbomoso, September 2011.

15 Olukunle Niyi Adesope. 2008. The effects of conflict on the growth of a local church: Case study of Iranlowo Oluwa Baptist Church, Ogbomoso. An M.Div thesis, Nigerian Baptist Theological Seminary, Ogbomoso, University of Jos, 33-34.

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the¹⁶ pastor was on leave without his permission or knowledge as the church leader.

Inclusion of polygamists among the 2006/2007 church workers also contributed to the dispute. The chairman of the nominating committee insisted that polygamists must be included because he did not know of any NBC policy against it,¹⁷ but the pastor and others opposed such a stand as it was against the Nigerian Baptist Convention policy.

The church pastor, who was at the centre of this conflict, acceded to the proposition that Baptist principle was one of the sources of conflicts in the church. At his assumption of pastorate, he met some polygamists in the Executive Committee (EC). According to Baptist principle, no known polygamist is allowed to be an officer. The pastor tried to make the Baptist position known but he was opposed. The pastor sought counsel from elderly ministers. They admonished him to apply tact because no Convention leader would come to his aid when conflict erupted. On that basis, he stopped the action. At Ilorin Convention, the Baptist position on polygamy was reviewed and amended. The amendment allowed that polygynists can participate in baptism and the Lord's Supper but cannot be nominated as church officers. All efforts to refuse election of polygynists into office was fruitless; instead, dispute was brewing.

16 Rev. E. K. Akano. Aged 61 Years. Interviewed on 5^th January 2013.

17 Olukunle Niyi Adesope. 2008. The effects of conflict on the growth of a local church: …

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