Abstract:
It is a norm among evangelical churches in Nigeria to have hours of great
musical performances before the gospel minister mounts the pulpit to
deliver the gospel in church programs like a retreat, camp-meeting, or
select monthly programs which attract mammoth crowds. This study, through a
structured questionnaire, interview, and participant observation methods,
finds out; the congregant's perception of these long hours of musical
performance before the sermon. ii. The influence of music on the
congregant's expectations of promised breakthroughs and deliverances. iii.
The perception of music as an entertainment-oriented or part of the gospel
preached before the sermon. The Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministry
(MFM) Lagos, Nigeria, was used as a primary source of data collection. The
findings revealed that 57.8% of these congregants get bored during the
mammoth musical performances and assert that music is not what attracts
them to the programs. The study found out that a large number of
congregants do not pay much attention to musical performances. The
congregants await when the minister would mount the pulpit to pray for them
for heaven to meet their expectations and heart desires—thereby negating
the essence of the music, which is meant to touch their souls and even
transform their lives. The congregants desired that musical performance
should be somewhat brief since their main focus in the program is instead
'prayer' to meet their various needs. The study recommends that the focus
group discussions be adopted as a research method of data collection to get
feedback from time to time between the leadership of the church and the
congregants.
*Keywords: Congregants, Perception, Music and Entertainment*