Social Institutions Of The New African Diaspora: A Study Of The Redeemed Christian Church Of God, North America, 1992-2012
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2015
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History and Geography
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Doctor of Philosophy
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This item is made available by Morgan State University for personal, educational, and research purposes in accordance with Title 17 of the U.S. Copyright Law. Other uses may require permission from the copyright owner.
Abstract
The Redeemed Christian Church of God, North America (RCCGNA), which began operation in the US in 1992, was not just another Pentecostal church creating a branch in the United States; it marked the beginnings of a concerted effort aimed at creating a cultural enclave where many Nigerians, mainly Yorubas, were able to experience "home away from home." The RCCGNA, one of the largest social institutions of the new African Diaspora, emerged as a cultural force that created a new African diasporic consciousness in North America, as well as a Yoruba-Nigerian diasporic identity. The organization had achieved a measure of success in its home base in Nigeria and through the agency of a crop of educated Nigerian elites was able to start churches in different parts of North America and in the process contributed to the formation of a new diasporic identity. The reproduction of the peculiar brand of Nigerian Christianity which was a fusion of Pentecostalism with elements of Nigerian culture created a social and cultural environment comfortable for Nigerians, mostly Yorubas. While the wholesale importation of the RCCG brand from Nigeria was attractive to immigrants who were born in Nigeria, it was of putting to culturally sensitive non-Nigerians who were not interested in Yoruba/Nigerian cultural immersion, and this accounted for the limited amount of success it had in attracting peoples from other African countries, the Caribbean, and African Americans. For two decades, its numbers were swelled by fresh immigrants from Nigeria who were also bearers of culture thus sustaining its cultural connection to Nigeria. Changes in immigration policies and the gradual coming of age of immigrants' children who are not as immersed in the Nigerian culture may pose the greatest challenge to the long-term success of the organization. This dissertation adopts the concepts of pan-Africanism and elevated minority as situated within the context of identity, as the frameworks for analyzing the growth, development and activities of the RCCGNA. A combination of primary sources including oral interviews with current and former members and leaders of the movement, and secondary sources were used during the course of this research