IJMSRT foster a global community of researchers and provide them with a platform to publish and access high-quality scientific content. We strive to be at the forefront of scientific communication, enabling the rapid dissemination of cutting-edge research and driving advancements in various fields.
Read moreChurches in Nigeria, particularly Pentecostal denominations, continue to experience rapid numerical expansion, yet many still struggle with inconsistent membership retention, fluctuating attendance, and uneven financial contributions despite increased use of modern marketing strategies. This study examined the effect of church marketing strategies on membership growth in selected Pentecostal churches in Akwa Ibom State. The specific objectives were to assess the influence of community outreach programs, word-of-mouth evangelism, and quality of God’s Word on membership growth. A descriptive survey research design was adopted. The population comprised selected Pentecostal church members, workers, and leaders, with a sample size of 400 respondents, of which 372 valid responses were analysed, representing a 93% response rate. Data were collected using structured questionnaires administered via Google Forms and analysed using descriptive statistics and multiple regression analysis. Findings revealed that all three church marketing strategies had significant positive effects on membership growth, with the model explaining 61% of the variation in membership growth (R² = 0.610). The quality of God’s Word emerged as the strongest predictor (β = 0.252), followed by word-of-mouth evangelism (β = 0.236). The study concludes that church growth is significantly influenced by strategic marketing and communication practices. It recommends improved sermon quality, and strengthened relational evangelism for sustainable church growth.
References
Abiodun, T. A. (2022). Sermon clarity and church engagement in Nigeria. Journal of Religious Communication, 6(3), 90–108.
Akwa Ibom State Government. (2025). About Akwa Ibom State. Retrieved from https://akwaibomstate.gov.ng/about-akwa-ibom
Allen, H. (2023). Multi-site churches and growth dynamics in contemporary Christianity. Baker Academic.
Anderson, A. (2013). An introduction to Pentecostalism: Global charismatic Christianity (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press.
Asamoah-Gyadu, J. K. (2019). Contemporary Pentecostal Christianity: Interpretations from an African context. Wipf and Stock.
Baker, C. (2019). Christianity and the new social order: Pentecostalism and social engagement. Routledge.
Barna Group. (2025). Young adults lead a resurgence in church attendance. Retrieved from https://www.barna.com/research/young-adults-lead-resurgence-in-church-attendance/
Bird, W., & Thumma, S. (2022). The other 80 percent: Turning your church’s spectators into active participants. Jossey-Bass.
Blau, P. M. (1964). Exchange and power in social life. Wiley.
Campbell, H. A., & Tsuria, R. (2022). Digital religion: Understanding religious practice in digital media. Routledge.
Coleman, R., Ogden, G., & Meyer, P. (2024). Discipleship and cell multiplication strategies in the 21st century church. Zondervan.
Einstein, M. (2018). Brands of faith: Marketing religion in a commercial age (2nd ed.). Routledge.
Ewanlen, D. O., & Edum, C. C. (2025). Marketing practices of mega churches in Nigeria. UNIZIK Journal of Marketing, 2(1), 42–55.
Fang, D., Fombelle, P. W., & Bolton, R. N. (2021). Member retention and donations in nonprofit
service organizations: The balance between peer and organizational identification. Journal of Service Research, 24(2), 187–205. https://doi.org/10.1177/1094670520933676
Goh, S. K., & McDonald, M. (2021). The role of service experience in religious organizations: A
marketing perspective. Journal of Services Marketing, 35(6), 755–768. https://doi.org/10.1108/JSM 03-2020-0098
Harrison, T., & Shaw, R. (2020). Relationship marketing in nonprofit and faith-based
organizations. International Journal of Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Marketing, 25(2), e1657 https://doi.org/10.1002/nvsm.1657
Hutchings, T. (2023). Creating church online: Ritual, community and new media. Routledge.
Kalu, O. (2008). African Pentecostalism: An introduction. Oxford University Press.
Kasibayo, N., Nuwatuhaire, B., & Ainomugisha, A. (2025). Evangelism approaches and church member retention: A case of Kabwohe Archdeaconry, Diocese of West Ankole, Uganda. International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, 9(14), 2896–2907.
Miller, D. (2020). Global Pentecostalism and religious innovation. University of California Press.
Morgan, R. M., & Hunt, S. D. (1994). The commitment-trust theory of relationship marketing. Journal of Marketing, 58(3), 20–38.
Niazi, A. G., Ahmed, N., Kifayat, S., & Kifayat, S. (2024). Urban churches show an increase in attendance, donations, and finances during the COVID-19 pandemic in the USA. Journal of Religion and Health, 63, 3206–3232. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-024-02046-z
NaijaDetails. (2025). Akwa Ibom State population and religion statistics. Retrieved from
Nwachukwu, C. O. (2021). Word-of-mouth evangelism and church attendance in Nigeria. International Journal of Religious Studies, 7(2), 33–48.
Ojo, M., & Adesanya, A. (2025). Church growth and leadership development in African Pentecostalism. Journal of African Religious Studies, 18(2), 45–62.
Okon, B. B., & Etuk, U. M. (2023). Mega church events and membership growth in Akwa Ibom State. Journal of African Religious Studies, 12(2), 65–82.
Okpara, J. C., & Udo, I. M. (2021). Church outreach programs and member retention in Southeastern Nigeria. Journal of Religion and Society, 11(3), 88–104.
Olanrewaju, T. O., & Yusuf, R. A. (2023). Integrated evangelism strategies and church growth in Nigeria. Journal of Contemporary Religious Studies, 10(4), 101–118.
Olatunji, A. O. (2021). Preaching quality and member retention in Nigerian churches. African Journal of Theology, 9(1), 45–61.
Parasuraman, A., Zeithaml, V. A., & Berry, L. L. (2018). SERVQUAL: A multiple-item scale for measuring consumer perceptions of service quality. Free Press.
Pew Research Center. (2015). The future of world religions: Population growth projections, 2010–2050. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org
Rogers, E. M. (2003). Diffusion of innovations (5th ed.). Free Press. Sargeant, A., & Shang, J. (2017). Fundraising principles and practice. John Wiley & Sons.
Twitchell, J. B. (2007). Shopping for God: How Christianity went from in your heart to in your face. Simon & Schuster.
Udo, E. S., & Ekpenyong, M. E. (2023). Sermon quality and church expansion in Nigeria. Journal of African Pentecostal Studies, 9(2), 77–92.
Ukah, A. (2020). Pentecostalism and the dynamics of religious competition in Nigeria. Journal of Religion in Africa, 50(3–4), 315–340. https://doi.org/10.1163/15700666-12340056
Usunier, J.-C., & Stolz, J. (2019). Religions as brands? Religion and spirituality in consumer society. Journal of Management, Spirituality & Religion, 16(1), https://doi.org/10.1080/14766086.2018.1535347
World Christian Database. (2023). Global Christianity statistics. Center for the Study of Global Christianity. https://www.worldchristiandatabase.org
WorldMetrics. (2026). Christian church growth statistics report. Retrieved from https://worldmetrics.org/christian-church-growth-statistics Yamane, T. (1967). Statistics: An introductory analysis (2nd ed.). New York. Harper and Row.
Church Marketing Strategies; Membership Growth; Community Outreach Programs; Word-of-Mouth Evangelism; Quality of God’s Word; Pentecostal Churches; Akwa Ibom State; Nigeria.
Note : A published paper may take 4-5 working days from the publication date to appear in Rode, Semantic Scholar, and open alex.
