Vol. 1 No. 1, February 2022

Surrendering all to Christ: Overspiritualization of Workplace Health and Safety in Selected Churches in Lagos, Nigeria

Oluranti Samuel, DPhil.

Abstract

Every worship centre is a work environment for members who are designated as voluntary workers and those who are paid employees. Worship centres are also places, where believers attend to interact with the Supreme Being with the expectations of having their needs met. The safety of the Lord is never in doubt. However, the clergy and individual worshippers need to adhere to some fundamental safety precautions so as to benefit from the overall safety of the Lord. Clergies and worshippers, in most cases, throw caution into the winds and leave what they need to do for their safety and health undone, surrendering them to God to do for them. Using qualitative methods (FGD, IDI, KII and observation), this study assesses safety issues in selected churches in Lagos, Nigeria. The levels of precautionary measures put in place in the worship centres to avert hazards to both individuals and the church as a whole, the personal safety and health measures by the clergy and members as well as the environmental precautionary measures serve as the main focus of the study. The study found out that personal precautionary measures, worship centres and environmental safety measures are not taken with the seriousness they deserve. Spirituality and the belief that “safety is of the Lord” take precedent over needed precautionary measures among many Christians and in worship centres. The study suggests that individual worshippers and the clergy should play their expected roles to avert dangers that could put the name of the Lord into disrepute.

Keywords

clergies, churches, Christians, overspiritualization, workplace health, safety

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