CHAPTER FOUR

DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS

This chapter presents and analyzes the focus group discussion and interview data retrieved

from the field. The retrieved data were presented and analyzed thematically in tandem with

the research objectives.

4.1 Interview Participants’ Demographic Data

A total of fifteen respondents who were interviewed are all members of the Evangelical

Church Winning All (Ecwa), Keffi District Church Council (DCC), Nasarawa State.

According to the respondents' age distribution, 7 (47%) did not respond when asked about

their age. The other responders described their differences. According to the data, 1 (7% of

respondents) are between the ages of 19 and 24, 3 (20%) are between the ages of 25 and 30,

and 4 (26%) are age 31 or above. Data from this distribution showed that, with the exception

of one respondent in the survey, the majority of the respondents were able to identify their

ages. The majority of those in this group who are married and have children are over thirty

years old, it was also discovered.

Respondents’ educational statuses show that 9(60%) of the total population attended higher

form of educational institution. While only 6(40%) attended primary and secondary schools.

In respect to marital status, data shows 14(93%) were said to be married while 1(7%) said she

is a widow. The above implies that majority if the respondents were married and devoted

church activities.

4.2 Thematic Analysis of Data

The data used for the thematic analysis was gathered through in-depth interview. The

researcher used some of the respondents’ comments where necessary to give the analysis

more depth.
Theme 1: Contributions of the women to the development of ECWA Keffi DCC

The data gathered from the in-depth interview sessions revealed that women have played

tremendous role in the growth of ECWA Keffi DCC. Some of the areas highlighted by the

interview participant (respondents) as to where women contribute in the development of

ECWA Keffi DCC include welfare and social services, supporting the DCC financial,

spiritual growth and evangelism.

According to one of the interview participants, women through the women’s fellowship

treasury often helped the church financial especially whenever the church is in need. In her

words, one of the participants said:

Women are able to assist particular projects financially through the fellowships’
treasury. The women in ECWA Keffi, have on different occasions donated some
money to help in church building projects. Not just the building project but women
generally donate money for various projects and programs of the church in a number
of ways.24

The above implies that women have been very helpful in extending financial support to the
church in diverse ways.

Another participant revealed that women also helped in the spiritual growth of fellow women

and the church as at large. In her words, the participants said:

The teachings I received from my fellow women during fellowship sessions assisted

me in keeping up my spiritual life. In fact, I inculcate most of teachings I received on

my children and neighbours whenever I have the opportunity to do that.23

From the foregoing, it could be deduced that woman majority of the women believe that their
spiritual development was influenced by their exposure to teachings in their fellowships

___________________________________________

23
Interview sessions with a member of the women fellowship ECWA, Keffi DCC
. The above is in tandem with what the Bible says about raising children: "Train up a child in

the way he should go: and when he is old he will not depart from it" (Proverb 22: 6 KJV ).

Commenting on the contribution of the women to the development of ECWA DCC, Keffi, a

leader in the women fellowship leadership stated that women have contributed immensely by

providing social services to the ECWA DCC in Keffi. One of the areas is in the provision of

financial assistance to specific groups of church members24. These resources, according to the

leader, include clothing and food items. For many widows, for instance, the women have

provided food and clothing over the years. In addition to providing widows with food and

clothing, the women fellowship also supports them financially. Every year, certainly amount

of money is given to the widows to help them celebrate Christmas. Additionally, the

organization occasionally offered assistance in kind to retired pastors.

Theme 2: Opportunities available to the women to contribute to church growth

Under this theme, a reasonable number of women attest to the fact that they have an

avalanche of opportunities to contribute to the growth of the church. According to one of the

respondents, women are the bedrock of the church because, they are mothers, house wives

and above all they play a veritable role in making sure their children are trained in the way of

the Lord. These responsibilities according to the respondents determine whether a church is

successful or not. In her words, the respondent captured it thus:

The thing is that women have diverse opportunities to contribute to the growth of the

church. By training their children in the ways of the lord and taking care of the family

holistically automatically makes women catalysts to church growth. Therefore,

women truly have opportunities to contribute to church growth.

25
Interview sessions with a member of the women fellowship ECWA, Keffi DCC
Other respondents attest to the fact, “women intentionally or unintentionally have the potency

to contribute to church growth by moulding their families in the ways of the Lord as pointed

out earlier. In her words, one of the respondents noted that:

I personally know women who kept hitting walls in their church noticed that they had

more opportunity for growth if they moved into a more secular setting.  I’ve also seen

stay-at-home moms start and grow internet businesses praying for, and with, their

online communities. These women see their businesses as giving them an

opportunity to not only adds to their household incomes, but to disciple those

to whom they would otherwise not have access. All of the women in these examples

are, in their own ways, for their own reasons, continuing to make a way

for other women and furthering the mission of the church. 

From the foregoing, it is therefore apposite to infer that women have the potency and

opportunities to contribute immensely to the growth of the church.

Theme 3: The challenges women are facing in making their contributions

Cultural beliefs

This theme aimed at unravelling the challenges faced by women in their contribution in

church growth. Most of the respondents agreed that culture is one of the factors that limit

women from contributing in church growth. The research reveals that there are two types of

culture-base barriers that affect the role of women in the ECWA DCC Keffi. They are

community culture and the church culture. This will be explicitly discussed as below.

Community Culture Many cultural beliefs have been attached on the role of women. Data

from respondents who were interviewed revealed the following;

Respondent 2: Human by nature is a cultural being. We are born, grown up, live and

die in culture. In most African communities women are inferior to men and roles we

well defined. In most cases women were not assigned roles such as leadership.

Neither were they consulted in times of need.

Respondent 13: Even among women themselves some don’t believe in women being

leaders or even having any potential in anything as far as leadership is concerned. This

has been a big challenge even in ECWA DCC, Keffi whereby it was noted some lay

women suffer from inferiority complex that has affected a certain percent of women

who believe that all leaders must be men. Such lay women shun away from any form

of leadership in the church even in cases where only women are needed. This hinders

women with great potential from active participation in church activities even in the

parish.

Respondent 8: some women in the DCC have naturally grown up in an inferior way.

They believe that their culture for this case does not permit them to be ahead of men

in anything but to be always behind them. This has made them shy off from

participating in any church activity because they feel it is men’s role. This has been a

challenge to the ECWA DCC, Keffi because it is only a few who have overcome this

challenge and are fully dedicated to work for the church.

Respondent 6: Despite the fact that women’s roles in the church are so demanding,

there is still much mistrust from men preventing them from being given full mandate

to meet freely and organize themselves, and be among the decision makers. In many

cases, they are looked upon by men as their helpers or the weaker sex who are not

needed to complement men in the church work. This notion creates bad feelings

among women hence creates bad relationships

 Respondent 4: some women in the DCC are suffering in the hands of men. For some,

their husbands cannot permit them to leave their houses and join others for prayers or

even to socialize. Some men strongly believe that where two or more women are

gathered there is gossip and rumour mongering. They don’t associate any female

gathering with anything Godly. With such a mentality they do not permit their wives

to be in any meeting with other women for fear of negative influence.

Mikula26 asserted that “traditionally, women are defined in terms of their kinship relations

with men; as sisters, wives, mothers or daughters” (89). Traditionally in the African societies

women were supposed to hold inferior positions in the community. “Their task had

traditionally been to give birth and to take care of children, prepare food for the family, work

in the fields, fetch water and collect firewood” (Ong’injo, 39) 27. In the Christian church as

Hein28 puts it, “the church was set in a world of three cultures namely: Jewish, Greek and

Roman. St. Paul who was a Jew by birth wrote epistles based on these cultures on inferiority

of women in the church” (73). For example in 1 Timothy2:11-12 that a woman should learn

in silent and full submission and she is not permitted to teach or have authority over a man

but be silent.

The second factor identified as the problem bedevilling women is illiteracy. According to a

respondent lack of education has also made lay women in ECWA DCC, Keffi to be denied

better posts of leadership in the church. This is because leadership requires somebody who

can communicate fluently in both English and Hausa other than the local language. Therefore

men are the ones who represent the church in most cases.

__________________________________________________________

26
Mikula, Maja. "Embrace or resist: Women and collective identification in Croatia and former Yugoslavia since
WWII." Women, activism and social change. Routledge, 2006.
27
Ong’injo M. The Ministry of Women with Special Reference to Paul Biblical Periscope: Maseno University,
Unpublished Thesis. (2006).
28
Hein, S. (1986). Woman and Early Christianity: Are Feminist scholars Right?. London: SCM Press.

In support of the above, Kurgat29 pointed out that education is an essential component of the

social service within the broad framework of social development. The missionaries who came

to East Africa introduced formal education to countercheck illiteracy, which was considered

to be terrible affliction from which people had to be redeemed. Education was an important

aspect of missionary work meant to prepare leaders and give them new principles on which to

build their culture and oppose evil influences. It was noted that a reasonable number of the

women have low education compared to men and this makes them feel incapacitated in their

contribution towards various roles in the church. In addition, Nasong’o 30 pointed out that

“illiteracy affects women differently in comparison to men globally” (36).

Financial Constraints

Financial Constraint Financial crisis also affects lay women roles in the church as pointed out

during the study.

Respondent 13: Although women roles in the church are of great importance, they

encounter financial problems especially where they need money for their retreats,

seminars and workshops. Since majority of the women are housewives they cannot

afford major financial contributions aimed at their spiritual development such as

retreats and seminars and also contribution towards the projects within the church.

Respondent 55: since women are not economically empowered they cannot raise

money to cater for their various activities. It limits them from getting access to

published literature such as books and magazines that talk a lot about gender issues

and leadership.

_______________________________________
30
Nasong’o, Shadrack W. "Negotiating new rules of the game: Social movements, civil society and the Kenyan
transition." Kenya: The struggle for democracy 2007.

Similarly, Nasong’o30 also observed that “economic statistics reveals that a sizeable number

of women are differently affected by the level of poverty compared to men” (37). With their

economic disempowered position, women are unable to participate effectively in church

activities. They struggle for their daily bread in expense of economic development.

Inadequate Leadership Skills

Lack leadership skills as reported during the study:

Respondent 10: There is also a misconception that women cannot do things without

the help of men. This makes lay women lack great exposure of leadership roles

making them to lack leadership skills. The study further revealed that there is no

formalized training offered to equip them with leadership skills. It was observed that

women only attend workshops and seminars on matters concerning spiritual growth

and contemporary issues.

Respondent 14: Due to the high rate of illiteracy among women they are greatly

affected in their involvement in leadership positions. They cannot exercise leadership

roles because of their low level of education.

Mikula26 asserted that “women have been marginalized for a long time. They were denied
leadership positions and in most cases given care-taking responsibilities” (85). Such
responsibilities reinforced traditional gender roles of women as secretaries, writers, nurses,
cooks and mother’s .This denied them a chance to acquire adequate leadership skills needed
to play various roles in the society and the church and in the society. In addition, Oyweka 31
pointed out that “in most churches as in the society at large, people expect male leadership as
the norm leaving women aside” (26).

__________________________________
26
Mikula, Maja. "Embrace or resist: Women and collective identification in Croatia and former Yugoslavia since
WWII." Women, activism and social change. Routledge, 2006.
31
Oyweka, Rosalia Achieng. "Reaching out to the Women of Africa: Holistic Teaching Through Church
Women’s Fellowships." (2000).

The society does not look to women as leaders but rather as followers. In both main stream

and independent churches, women’s roles are clearly outlined. They are given some

responsibilities in less recognized leadership positions such as women’s fellowship and

teaching Sunday school. The main offices such as Deacons, Pastors or Elders are however

held by men. This is a challenge to lay women and as it hinders their participation in church

activities. The study findings also revealed that some women in leadership posts lack

adequate leadership skills. This has been attributed by the church tradition that favours men

more than women.

The low literacy rate

The low literacy rate of most women, according to one of the female leaders in the ECWA

DCC, is an issue bedevilling their contribution to church growth. The majority of the women

lack reading and writing skills. In her words, one of the respondents said:

As a result, they are only able to learn from the few people in their local
congregations who can read and write. It can be challenging to find one woman who
can read and write Hausa in some local congregations. The ability of the women to
use their literary works effectively and gain the most from them has been impacted by
this situation.

Further buttressing on the challenges experienced by women in church development, another

respondents noted that:

In their efforts to contribute to the growth of the church, women face numerous obstacles.

When one of the women fellowship's leaders was interviewed, she pointed to poor giving as
the reason there weren't enough funds to support the church in most cases. For instance, the

respondents note that poverty is a significant issue in the effort of women to contribute to

church growth. Poor contributions from the women may be to blame for the women's

inability to meet their financial obligations sometimes. The leader further notes that despite

their desire, women they are unable to fully contribute to the growth of the church. She

believes that if these women are given the opportunity to learn new skills that can increase

their capacity for earning additional income, their contribution to the church will likely

improve.

In her response to the challenges faced by women, a respondent identified the quiet nature of

women as a weakness. The majority of the time, she felt, women don't question how the

church is run. The women will remain silent even when reports are given by the leaders and

there are murky areas that require clarification. This kind of disposition does not allow for the

checks and balances necessary for efficient church management. She argued that it's critical

to instil in the female members of the ECWA community the importance of questioning when

necessary as both the church and the leaders will benefit greatly from this.

How to prevent ways of overcoming those challenges

The researcher also sought the views of the respondents on the possible solutions to their

problems and the following was revealed:

Respondent 2: The church and society in general should transcend above their limited

cultural spheres and become acquainted with global development. The ECWA DCC

has initiated enculturation. That is, taking part of the good cultural values and

inserting them into the word of God that always favours women. With application of

these women will feel equal to men.

 Respondent 23: As far as finances are concerned, women must come up with some

income generating projects. They should have something like a poultry farm in one of

their member’s compound where they can share the profit from the sale of eggs and

poultry. They should ensure that a portion of the money goes towards church

development like in church projects and buying uniforms for their fellwoship. Some

money can be geared towards improving their living standards.

Respondent 12: The DCC should try and organize workshops within the parish and

also to enlighten women on how to be good leaders. Women are always encouraged

to participate fully in church activities and accept to take various posts of leadership

in the church.

Respondent 12: Since most women in the KEffi DCC, lack the opportunity for full

service, they need to utilize the limited time given to them in reaching out to others in

the DCC. They should be able to plan and have an order of priority. There should be

models of development aimed at empowering women to make better use of the time

available to them. A holistic approach to teaching that focuses on the reality of the

daily tasks of women can greatly assist in giving women control over their own time

so that they can plan effectively.

In support of the above, Okullu 31 pointed out that, “men and women are saved and liberated

for the bodily as well as spiritual services of their fellow human beings” (58). God is not a

God of souls only, but of the body as well. There is no department of life which He does not

enter. Therefore both male and female are all equal in His eyes. With this in mind no lay

woman should feel inferior to men as far as spiritual matters are concerned. In doing so lay

women will be able to play all their roles effectively. Okullu 32further reiterated that men and

women have similar roles biblically.

_________________________

31
Okullu, Henry. Church and politics in East Africa. Uzima Publishing House, 1974.

She cited Genesis 12:1-5 where Abraham was called by God to leave his home, his country

and culture and set out for unknown land. He heard the call, accepted it and acted it in blind

faith. Likewise, Ruth in Ruth 1:15-22 was also willing to give up her home, country and

culture as well as her former religious beliefs and the security of her own family. She set out

for a strange land with a strong faith and trust in the unknown God of her mother in-law,

Naomi. Therefore women should not be hindered or feel shy in participating in religious

matters in the church.

 CHAPTER FIVE

SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Summary

This chapter provides a summary of the topics covered in the earlier chapters. An overview of

the study was given in Chapter 1. The context of the study, the problem statement, the

research questions, the aim and objectives of the study, the significance of the study, the

scope and limitations of the study, the methodology, and the definition of terms are all

covered. The second chapter emphasized the study's historical and biblical context. The

contributions of women in the Bible, women in church history, and the growth and

development of some Christian denominations in Nigeria are all topics that are covered in the

discussion. The third chapter looked at the research approach. Chapter four discusses the

contribution of women to church growth and the challenges they faced. Research findings

show that the women have made contributions in areas such as spiritual development, welfare

and social services, and financial support among others.

It was discovered that there are ongoing difficulties hindering women's ability to contribute to

the development of the church, despite the opportunities that are available for further

contribution. The majority of the women in the Keffi DCC are in low financial standing,

which is one of the challenges. They have been prevented from contributing more money to

the church because of this. The fact that very few of the women are literate presents another

difficulty.

Conclusion

The findings of this study show that the women's union has assisted in the growth and

development of ECWA DCC, Keffi. It suffices to say that women have a special place in the
scheme of salvation. They are complete human beings with mind, emotion, and spiritual

faculties. In order to put women on an equal footing and in a partnership with men, it is

crucial to affirm their human dignity as individuals with their own rights, despite their

biological differences from men. The pilgrim church must determine which areas women can

be given more power.

There is no doubt that the women have made a modest contribution through their

fellowship/union body to the growth and advancement of the ECWA DCC, Keffi. According

to the results of this study, it is possible that women's fellowship makes a greater contribution

to the development and growth of the church through financial support, spiritual

development, and other factors. However, the leadership of ECWA DCC, Keffi must respect

the work of women and support their fellowships by identifying with them in order to fully

realize women's potential.

Recommendations

Based on the findings of this research and the statement of the problem, the researcher makes

the following recommendations:

1. The researcher's analysis of the demographic data revealed that women in the ECWA

DCC Keffi have extremely low literacy rates. The pastors of the churches may be able

to help set up literacy programs for both men and women. This may contribute to their

spiritual development.

2. It will be apt if women are encouraged to learn new skills that will increase their

capacity for earning additional income, as this will increase their ability to contribute

to church growth.

3. Women have the potency to significantly advance the growth of the church.

Therefore, it is imperative for ECWA DCC, Keffi to be aware of that fact and pay
 attention to the activities of women and their groups or unions by providing necessary

support and encouragement.

4. A holistic approach can be employed to teach lay women how to control over their

own time so that they can plan effectively.