A Letter to the Church in Port Harcourt

The Church, which is considered the body of believers in God through the affirmation of the sacrifice and death of Christ on the Cross of Calvary, ought ethically and logically to live by the supposed tenets of Christianity. But in recent years, the church, especially in Port Harcourt, has become more worldly than the world itself. This paper critically examines issues relating to whether the church, in truth and essence, is expected to stay quiet when the moral fabric of society, is being destroyed by politicians. It also probes into how the church in Port Harcourt treats such themes as marriage, culture, gender and politics. Questions regarding the ideal theological teachings of the church were further examined since changes in homilies suggest the practice of process theology, and the emphasis on materialism and wealth suggests prosperity theology. Where, then, is the place of salvation and the great commission which ab initio were the essence of the church? Adopting the qualitative method, the paper calls on the church in Port Harcourt to re-examine its homilies on the above themes, arguing that the church which purports to save humanity must first purify itself of all self-contradictions, as such internal purification is needed for the external purification and manifestation of society. The pulpit should not be used to spread political homilies of hate and partisanship. Since culture and traditions were instituted by God, the Church must not destroy African cultures through its homilies on marriage and gender, nor see Africans as second-rate creatures.