Christianity is one of the most popular religions in Nigeria. Nigeria currently ranks second in the world and is the most religious country in Africa.
The nation has various Christian denominations, each with a unique approach to worship. The fact that different Nigerian churches profess to teach the Gospel and acknowledge Jesus Christ as the creator of the worldwide Christian religion is what unites them. Read on and check out the list of churches in Nigeria.
Table of Contents
List of churches in Nigeria
- Catholic Church
- Anglican Church Of Nigeria
- Redeemed Christian Church Of God (Rccg)
- Living Faith Church Worldwide
- Christ Apostolic Church
- Christ Embassy
- Deeper Christian Life Ministry
- Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries
- Celestial Church of Christ
- The Apostolic Church
1. CATHOLIC CHURCH
The Catholic church is one of the churches in Nigeria attended by believers. Regarding congregation size, the Catholic Church is the wealthiest in the nation. Its main cathedral is in Rome, where Christ founded it.
Francis, the Pope, who serves as both the Bishop of Rome and the head of the Vatican, is currently in charge of the Catholic Church. Each state, town, and hamlet in Nigeria and every other nation worldwide have stations of this Church.
2. ANGLICAN CHURCH OF NIGERIA
This Church, often known as the Anglican Communion, has its roots in the Church of England. This Church, which Henry Townsend founded in 1842 during the colonial era, is seeing a rise in attendance.
Approximately 18 million Anglican church members have been baptized in the nation. They are organized into dioceses and parishes under the leadership of archbishops, bishops, reverends, etc.
The Anglican Church of Nigeria comprises 14 provinces, with its administrative center in Abuja and Primate Nicholas Okoh as its head.
3. REDEEMED CHRISTIAN CHURCH OF GOD (RCCG)
Before Pastor Enoch Adeboye, one of Nigeria’s most revered men of God, became the current general overseer of the RCCG in 2012, it was founded in 1952 by Rev. Josiah Akindayomi.
The Redeemed Christian Church of God now possesses the largest auditorium in Nigeria. It is the most populous Pentecostal Church by congregation, with more than half its members reportedly fitting inside. Every street in the state of Lagos has five or more Redeem churches.
4. LIVING FAITH CHURCH WORLDWIDE
Bishop David Oyedepo founded Living Faith Church Worldwide in 1981. Some of its adherents also refer to it as Winners Chapel.
With up to 1 million members, this Pentecostal Church is among the nation’s most well-liked. The Church has one of the largest auditoriums in the world, and it can accommodate up to 300,000 people during vigils or even prayer crusades.
5. Christ Apostolic Church
The first Aladura Pentecostal congregation in Nigeria and other nations is the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC). It initially appeared in the early half of the 20th century in the former British Empire.
After a break from the Apostolic Church, which the original Aladura organization (Faith Tabernacle) had welcomed to Nigeria, it was legally created in 1941. Joseph Ayo Babalola, the company’s founder and a driver for road development, oversaw its expansion.
6. Christ Embassy
Pastor Chris Oyakhilome founded Christ Embassy, also known as Believers’ LoveWorld Incorporated, as a megachurch and Christian denomination in 1990.
Since then, the Church has grown into a vast network of churches with millions of members and congregations in numerous nations. There are more than 40 000 members in the Lagos headquarters. The Church was established in Pastor Chris’ college. Multiple popular programs draw tens of thousands to millions of viewers.
As he pursued his studies in architecture at the University of Edo State, Chris Oyakhilome first oversaw a prayer group. The Church was established in Lagos in 1990. The denomination has churches spread throughout numerous nations. One million people are members. There are 40.000 members at the Lagos headquarters.
7. Deeper Life Ministry
It is an interdenominational Christian church with its global headquarters at Deeper Life Bible Church Lagos. Deeper Life Ministry is one of the most popular churches in Nigeria.
Pastor William Folorunso Kumuyi, who serves as Deeper Life Bible Church’s general superintendent, oversees it. It’s a Pentecostal-Holiness church. W.F. Kumuyi began a Bible study group with 15 college students who had approached him asking for training in the Scriptures in 1973 while working as a mathematics lecturer at the University of Lagos. The Deeper Christian Life Ministry was the original name of the Church.
William Folorunso Kumuyi, a former Anglican who was baptized, joined the Apostolic Faith Church. He was removed from the Church in 1975 for giving unlicensed sermons.
1982 he founded the Deeper Life Bible Church while continuing his independent ministry. Deeper Life Bible Church was officially launched in the early 1980s after that tiny congregation had grown to several thousand people.
8. Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries
In 1989, The Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries (MFM), a Pentecostal organization, was founded in Yaba, Lagos, Lagos State, Nigeria. Today, MFM has churches in both English- and non-English-speaking nations. Dr. Daniel Kolawole Olukoya, also known as DKO founded it. 1989 Daniel Kolawole Olukoya organized a prayer gathering in his homeroom to begin Mountain Of Fire And Miracles Ministries.
The prayer group acquired a plot of land near the University of Lagos and built the International Headquarters of Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries, led by Olukoya.. There was a debut service on April 24, 1994.
9. Celestial Church of Christ
Celestial Church of Christ is one of the most popular churches in Nigeria. On September 29, 1947, in Porto-Novo, Benin, the Rev. Samuel Biléwu Joseph Oshoffa founded the Celestial Church of Christ, an African-initiated church. Primarily found in Afro-descendant communities worldwide, especially in Nigeria and Benin.
Samuel Joseph Bilewu Oshoffa, a former carpenter born in Dahomey (now Benin) in 1909, started the movement. He was raised as a Protestant (Methodist) and experienced a heavenly revelation on May 27, 1947, during a solar eclipse while lost in the wilderness. In September 1947, he established his Church after feeling compelled to pray, cure the sick, and raise the dead. He was the leader of his movement, acting as a prophet, pastor, and founder…
10. THE APOSTOLIC CHURCH
The Apostolic Church, founded in 1931 by a well-known man of God, Gabriel Olutola, is another legitimate church worth mentioning; it has many branches spread throughout the nation and can be found in different states.
11. METHODIST CHURCH
The Methodist Church in Nigeria was founded by John Wesley in 1842. Prelate Samuel Chukwuemeka Uche Kanu is the current head of the Nigerian Methodist Church, which has numerous branches in the various states of the nation.
12. Cherubim and Seraphim
Cherubim and Seraphim come to mind when we think of churches in Nigeria with white garments. One of the earliest churches in Nigeria, the church was established in 1925 by Moses Orimolade Tuno. With an estimated 5 million followers worldwide, Cherubim & Seraphim has since split into other churches.
The Largest Church in Nigeria
Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG)
The RCCG auditorium, also known as the “redemption camp,” is located on over 40,000 hectares of land near the Lagos-Ibadan motorway in Ogun State. The camp can hold up to 1 million worshippers at once, and it also has branches spread throughout Nigeria and even outside the country.
The Redemption Camp of the RCCG has its main office in Ebute-Metta, Lagos State. At Kilometre 46 of the Lagos-Ibadan motorway, the church auditorium known as the Redeem camp is situated on over 40,000 hectares of land and can reportedly hold one million worshippers.
Due to the charisma of the General Overseer, the RCCG is a well-known and well-respected church in Nigeria with more than 50,000 members.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who founded Nigeria’s first Church?
St. Peter’s Cathedral Church. In Nigeria, the first Church was finished in 1898. Ake, Abeokuta, Ogun State is home to The Cathedral Church of St. Peter, the country’s first Church.
Who began Church in Nigeria?
In the fifteenth century, Augustinian and Capuchin monks from Portugal brought Christianity to Nigeria. However, Henry Townsend did not organize the first Church of England mission until 1842 at Badagry.
Who is Nigeria’s head of the churches?
The episcopal conference for Nigeria is the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria. The Archbishop of Owerri, Most Rev. Lucius Ugorji, is its current leader.
Who are Nigeria’s first missionaries?
The first missionaries to set foot in Nigeria were Catholics, thanks to the influence of Portuguese commerce. Early Christian missionaries aimed to educate the ‘heathen’ or benighted Africans to Christianity.
Which Pentecostal church was the first in Nigeria?
The first Aladura Pentecostal congregation in Nigeria and other nations is the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC). It first appeared in the British Empire in the early 20th century.
Conclusion
There are many diverse churches in Nigeria, each with a unique approach to worship. Both Nigerian churches claim to teach the Gospel and believe in Jesus Christ, the founder of Christianity worldwide. This is the only thing that unites them.
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References
- nigerianinfopedia.com
- www.ablaze.com
