CHAPTER ONE
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Marketing
as a profession consists of all individuals and organizational activities
designed to facilitate and expedite exchanges so as to achieve the goals of the
producers/sellers by sensing and satisfying consumers needs at an exchange
process.
In
line with the topic in which solutions are sort, the researcher went into the
study to find the problems associated with marketing of church programmes and
how satisfied the prospective and current consumers are to the services of some
selected Pentecostal churches in Enugu metropolis as it is expected that each
of the parties concerned need to part with something of value.
Church
according to Donovan (2005:5) is a living institution which is eternally joined
to Christ, whose task is to guide and bring all its children to God in his
eternal kingdom.
The
church as a universal entity has from the beginning of human history exerted
most influence in the development of humanity. The church according to Dr
Ludwig ott is a designation for the Christians cult-structure since the
beginning of the fourth century. In the profane sense, it designates the
assembly of the people, the civil community or any kind of gathering of people
but in the religion sense it means the community of God. Other synonymous
designation is the kingdom of heaven, kingdom of God church, and house of God
e.t.c. But the Roman catechism supported
by St. Augustine (psalms 149.3) gives the following definition of the concept
“the church is the faithful of the entire whole world”.
In
the contemporary, we have the churches in every nook and cranny of the world.
Each without doubt has gone into massive advertising with commercial jingles
and messages competing for our attention daily.
The
PENTECOSTAL CHURCHES are not left out in this drive; they have embraced the
whole teachings of Christ for marketing all over the religion, economic,
social, political, and even cultural teachings in the market.
In
the mystic Corporis Pope Pius XII Encyclical 1943 described the true church of
Christ as the Holy Pentecostal Apostolic Roman Church and St Paul in one of his
teachings says that the church is the body of Christ and that Christ is the
head of the body, therefore he vividly depicts the inner spiritual connection
between Christ and his church restored by faith, charity and grace.
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
In every street of our urban and
rural towns there is one form of church or the other. However, these churches
have one common theme; massive evangelization and they tend to preach good
virtues of Christ no matter the number of services they hold, the church ground
is always filled to the brim showcasing massive fellowship. But a look at the
other side of the story is like opening a can of worm – corruption, bribery,
armed robbery, and prostitution and child sales. The list is endless. Then the
avid scholar will be forced to imagine where these evil perpetrators came from.
Is it not the same “Good followers” that indulges in this crime?
Well, it is these questions that lured
the researcher to dive in as to unearth the problems associated in the
marketing of church services using some selected Pentecostal churches in Enugu
Metropolis as a case study.
1.3 OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY
The main objective of the study is to achieve
the following:
1) To
identify the problems associated in the marketing of church services.
2) To
find if the church members are satisfied with the services provided by the
church.
3) To identify and evaluate the activities
provided by the church.
4) To
find out whether or not the church activities or programmes providers apply
effective marketing concepts in providing truthful services to members.
5) To
formulate marketing strategies in providing church services and make
recommendations that
would be more effective in the marketing of church services.
1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
The
understanding of the research objectives gives rise to the answers to these
research questions:
1)
Are
the members of the congregation satisfied with the church programmes?
2) Do
church leaders seek to apply marketing concept as to satisfy the congregation?
3) Do the clergy and leaders of the
congregation seek for opinion from members?
4)
Does the church have promotional campaign in
the mass media?
5) Do most of the churches loose members to
other congregations or break out?
1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The
study will benefit the selected Pentecostal churches, the members, the general
public and intending future researchers on a related field.
To
the selected Pentecostal churches, the study will help them to know how best to
provide services that will satisfy the target market. The satisfaction of their
needs entails enriching their minds and spirit with the gospel of Christ.
To
the general public it will help them to assess the Pentecostal churches that is
actually drawing followers to Christ or trying to make ends meet. This finding
will equally help them to know the churches that believe in doing what I say
but don’t do what I do.
The
research report will equally help intending researchers on a related field as
it will act as a stepping stone for their success.
Finally,
the researcher equally gained knowledge on the course of trying to find
solutions to the research problem.
1.6 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
This
study would have covered the entire Pentecostal churches in Enugu Metropolis
but due to some constraints 
