On the Church as Business Venture
I mean, let's observe Pastor Jerry objectively. All that shouting and screaming praying sessions are amazing workout sessions. And they're HIIT sessions not even LISS. I estimate nothing less than 400 calories being expended per session. If only I can stand all the screaming, I'd probably even add to my fitness routine on days where I am not able to do road walk.
His ministry being primarily digital from onset? Brilliant strategy. The community he's built, the devotion... I can't help but admire the business venture. That YouTube money must be very very long and I can't help but respect the hustle. Apart from oil and gas, traditional banks, and fintechs, I'm not sure there are booming sectors like the church in Nigeria.
And they're providing a service, let's be objective, they are rendering a valid service in Nigeria. It's akin to someone joining a club and paying club dues and the likes.
Just imagine being cursed as a citizen in Nigeria, already suffering through with poor health care, absence of infrastructure, and still no avenue for hope. You notice the prayer points are usually "asking, asking, asking." I mean I understand fervent prayer points for terminal illnesses even in first world countries as we haven't quite discovered a permanent cure for it. But we keep having low quality prayers - divine favours, light, admission, visa, etc, etc. Things that shouldn't be prayer points if we're a developed nation. Do we think a Singaporean/Japan citizen would be praying for a visa? When their passport gives them visa-free travel to 180+ countries.
That's why prosperity gospel is so prevalent and they convert, rightfully so. Because just about everything is about miracles in this country. People want something to be tethered to. And there is also that belief that there is a better place after the world on earth, they dream of future schadenfreude that if they could manage this life of uncertainty and suffering now, and afterlife would be better with all the riches and the politicians dealing with them will perish in their wickedness, forgetting said people could repent before death 🫠🫠(coughs).
Those are valid reasons to believe and if paying some money for it speaks to the believers, they should be investing, be it the time, their resources and even money. Something I learned during my time with copywriting is that people spend their money based on what they believe it's worth to them. That's why I would snort over 1 million naira hair but won't be surprised at a 1 million naira perfume (not that I can afford either). But we spend if we feel the value of the product/service is deserving of its price point. Same principle applies here. I know how much I spend in paying for courses/certifications and communities, those are my own investments to what I believe in.
So, if someone is donating all their money to the church, it's because they feel that is valid. Even if they were emotionally manipulated into giving said money, same way businesses be pumping ads on you, manipulating you to thinking you need a new perfume (you don't). Or course owners are running ads showing you how to set up x or y.
So the calls offering, tithes, donations, they're all up-selling and cross-selling if we examine them from a business perspective. The constant drilling to always give is what makes your brain malleable, the same way you'd see someone give a perfume review over and over, and you start thinking you need it. Or betting ads after each football game, repetition is the name of the game. Showing up, showing out.
So now I've concluded the above, I have no beef against the Nigerian churches. For me, myself and I, I want no part of that hence trudging through this adulthood with one course at a time. With if it happens, it happens. If I perish, I perish.
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