Philosophy of Christian Education

This is the revised and edited handout from my presentation at the October 2-3, 1989 Steering Committee Meeting of the Afro-American Network of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). The purposes of the presentation were to summarize and introduce (a) these theories, (b) how they predefined the problem(s) and solution(s), (c) how and why they impact and influence Black self-understanding, and (d) why it was important to choose positive, bi-cultural, and strength-resiliency theories for our pedagogical and andragogic endeavors. The Network and its educational mission have been subsumed by the Institute for African American Faith and Life, “an umbrella for the Pre-Convocation Leadership Institute and the [National] Convocation Educational Workshops” of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).

The paper elucidates poverty to be one of the challenges of the age. It highlights the efforts of various governments in Nigeria towards poverty eradication which seems not to have worked out well enough. The writer calls on churches to see poverty alleviation as part of their mission of evangelisation and be proactively involved in it. Salvation is holistic in the sense that it does not only concern the redemption of the spirit and soul but it also involves the enhancement of the physical status of an individual. The causes, effects and level of poverty in Nigeria are presented. The rationale for churches response to poverty is stated as well. The paper itemizes some possibilities through the corridors of Christian education which churches could adopt in the alleviation of poverty. Specifically, the emphasis of Christian education strategies for the church’s involvement in poverty alleviation in the paper is illustrated with three practical and spectacular  models/ patterns of ministry gained from an educational tour by the writer of the paper having visited sites of  some individual church members who are ministering to the poor in their community. The paper concludes with some recommendations.