effect of parental curses on church growth in Nigeria and the way forward

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the Study

The Church in Nigeria has seen remarkable numerical and geographical growth in the past few decades. The presence of Pentecostal, Evangelical, and native churches has largely helped in the spread of Christianity within the nation. Nevertheless, with all the numerical growth comes the growing importance placed on spiritual warfare, deliverance ministries, and the issue of parental or generational curses. Many Christians see parental curses as spiritual judgments that are passed down through generations because of sin. This belief system has influenced the worship services and ministries conducted in many Nigerian churches (Amakiri, 2025).

The belief in parental curses is derived from biblical stories where the curses and blessings are bestowed on people and their offspring. Scriptures like Exodus 20:5 and Genesis 9:25 are commonly cited as examples where parents' acts could affect generations to come. Nevertheless, other Bible verses like Ezekiel 18:20 and Galatians 3:13 have led to debates on the issues of individual accountability and the atoning power of Christ, thereby generating theological conflicts about the relevance of parental curses in modern-day Christianity (Kamai, Pilani, & Kanu, 2025).

The belief that one can inherit a curse from their parents has been embraced in many churches in Nigeria, especially in deliverance ministry, revival meetings, and spiritual counseling sessions. Many people in churches believe that poverty, infertility, late marriage, illness, bankruptcy, and lack of spiritual maturity are caused by curses inherited from their parents or forefathers. As a result, many pastors and deliverance ministers organize prayer sessions meant to break those curses. Although such beliefs have attracted many believers to churches, academicians have raised doubts regarding the positive or negative impact of such teachings on discipleship in churches (Kamai et al., 2025).

In addition to numerical growth, church growth involves the process of spiritual maturity, doctrinal health, good leadership, evangelism, and community transformation. Biblical teachings that encourage faith and eliminate doctrines that instill fear or create dependence must be used to ensure sustainable church growth. Studies carried out recently have revealed that biblical discipline, leadership, and discipleship continue to be important determinants of church growth in Nigeria (Amakiri, 2025).

As the popularity of curses on parents increases, theologians and religious authorities have raised concerns regarding this topic. There are people who believe that deliverance ministries offer hope to individuals undergoing hard times and can motivate spiritual transformation. However, there are others who believe that a lot of emphasis on curses can distract people from learning about the gospel of grace, individual responsibility, and discipleship in Christianity. The discussion is relevant to church growth since the way members perceive spiritual issues affects their dedication, involvement, and trust in church authorities (Kamai et al., 2025). As a result, this research will try to understand how the phenomenon of cursed parents affects the growth of churches in Nigeria, taking into consideration biblical perspective of the doctrine, perception of believers, and consequences on church growth.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

The doctrine of curses from parents has gained popularity in many churches in Nigeria, especially among the Pentecostals and charismatics. There is an increasing number of individuals seeking deliverance prayers to undo the so-called curses they feel are hindering them from progressing spiritually. Although this doctrine draws many worshippers, there are fears about its effect on Bible study and church growth in the long run.

While some pastors focus their teachings on parental curses as being the reason behind the problems faced in life, others advocate the teaching of faith in Christ and the importance of personal repentance. The difference between these two positions has led to the creation of controversial theological issues within the Christian denominations. In addition, there has been little empirical research carried out to determine if the teaching about parental curses leads to sustainable growth of churches or dependence on deliverance sessions.

This calls for further research on the effect of beliefs about parental curses and church growth in Nigeria.

1.3 Purpose of the Study

The broad objective of the study is to assess the influence of parental curses on church growth in Nigeria.

Specific objectives include the following:

1.         To review the notion of parental curses from both biblical and theological standpoints.

2.         To find out the association between parental curses and church growth in Nigeria.

3.         To evaluate the impact of belief in parental curses on the spiritual development of members.

4.         To find out the impact of deliverance ministries on church growth.

5.         To suggest biblical ways of promoting good church growth.

1.4 Research Questions

The research intends to address the following queries:

1.         What is the biblical perspective on parental curses?

2.         What is the correlation between parental curses and church growth in Nigeria?

3.         How do views on parental curses affect the spirituality of church members?

4.         How do deliverance ministries contribute to church growth?

5.         What biblical methods will ensure sustainable church growth while taking care of the parental curse issue?

1.5 Research Hypotheses

The hypotheses that will inform this research include the following:

H₀₁: No significant relationship exists between belief in curses from parents and church growth in Nigeria.

H₀₂: Deliverance ministry does not significantly affect church growth in Nigeria.

1.6 Significance of the Study

This research would benefit the following categories of people: Pastors, theologians, church administrators, Christian educators and researchers. The research will give biblical and theological perspectives of the doctrine of parental curses as well as making contributions to debates on sustainable growth of churches in Nigeria. The information derived from this research could be used by church administrators in coming up with balanced teachings that enhance believers' faith without instilling unnecessary fears in them.

In terms of the contribution to scholarly works in theology, religion and church administration, this research will make significant contributions towards future researches in church growth and modern Christian practices in Nigeria.

1.7 Scope of the Study

This research is about how parents' curses affect the growth of churches in Nigeria. This study involves the examination of the Bible, theology, views of believers, and the impact of deliverance ministries on church growth. This research is only limited to some Christian churches in Nigeria, without covering ancestral curses in other religions.

1.8 Operational Definition of Terms

Parental Curses: Declarations made spiritually or as a perceived consequence of inheritance that is believed to come from the parents or ancestral family and impacts the lives of their offspring.

Church Growth: The increase in numbers, spirituality, organization, and missions of a Christian denomination.

Deliverance Ministry: Ministries within the church that include prayers and counseling aimed at freeing people from spiritual bondage.

Nigeria: A multi-ethnic nation in Western Africa that boasts a large number of Christians in Africa, with a rapidly growing church scene.