Contextualized church music curriculum for transformative ministry in Nigeria

Abstract

Church music education is a recent phenomenon in tertiary education among Seminaries and Universities in Nigeria. The Nigerian Baptist Theological Seminary (N.B.T.S) Ogbomoso accredited to award degrees in Theology along the lines of Euro-American Universities and Seminaries in 1948 and very recently, degree in Church music in 1996. This paper relies on historical analysis and historical evidence from primary and secondary sources to delineate the cultural, philosophical, religious, social and economic
forces that have shaped the development of church music education in Nigeria before and after its establishment. Findings show that church music education in its early beginning was at the level of serving the liturgy in mission churches and secondary schools. Significant changes in church music education leading to contextualization have been largely driven by the indigenous church pastors, leaders and music enthusiasts. Renewed effort to contextualize church music education by N.B.T.S Ogbomoso and accrediting bodies, have led to church music education curriculum reviews and creation of African church music department. It proffers solution to some of its on-going challenges by calling for a tertiary church music education conferences and festivals for creative and productive church music teaching and learning rooted in sound Christian theology that is truly indigenous in philosophy and orientation.