INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES IN … · iyere, imhoghemhe john (rev.fr.) reg. no. pg/ma/2005/40208 department of mass commucation university of nigeria, nsukka december

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES IN MANAGEMENT OF CHURCHES: A STUDY OF CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF

IDAH, KOGI STATE

BY

IYERE, IMHOGHEMHE JOHN (REV.FR.)

REG. No. PG/MA/2005/40208

DEPARTMENT OF MASS COMMUCATION

UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA, NSUKKA

DECEMBER 2008

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CERTIFICATION

This project has been certifed as having met the requirement of the Department of Mass

Communication and the school of Postgraduate Studies, University of Nigeria, Nsukka

for the Award of a Master of Arts Degree in Mass Communication.

By

..........................................

RAY A. UDEAJAH, Ph.D.

(PROJECT SUPERVISOR)

.........................................

CHURCH SOLOMON AKPAN, Ph.D.

HEAD OF DEPARTMENT OF MASS COMMUNICATION)

...........................................

EXTERNAL EXAMINER

DEDICATION

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This research work is dedicated to the memory of Late Patrick Sani with whom we

started this programme but died suddenly on December 6th, 2006 before its completion.

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ACKNOWLEGEMENTS

My profound gratitude goes to Almighty God for all His cares for me throughout the

course of this programme whihc was very demanding because of my many pastoral

activities in the diocese of Idah.

I thank my Bishop, Most Rev. Dr. E.S.Obot who permitted me to lecture at Kogi State

University, Anyigba. His fatherly, moral and spiritual supports in all academic exploit

are quite appreciated.

The authorities of Kogi State University, Anyigba deserve my thanks for promoting and

encouraging academic scholarship. Prof. F.S.Idachaba (OFR) the former Vice Chacellor

of the University really challanged me and others to plunge deeply into ocean of

academic research work. He deserve my thanks for her is my academic model.

I humbly bow and duff my hat my supervisor and Head of Department of Mass

Communication (UNN) Dr. Ray Udeajah for his patience, availability, personal phone

calls and firm stand for academic excellence which fueled my spirit at ever stage of this

research work. Accept my appreciation, Sir.

I am equally appreciative of all the efforts made by my lecturers of the Department of

Mass Communication, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, to give us (students) thier level

best in their lectures with limited facilities at thier disposal. I therefore say to you Dr.

Ray Udeajah, Dr. Akpan, M.N.Okoro (for HOD Mass Communication) M. Anorue and

E.O Ohaja that what I harvested from your intellectual farms really opened my eyes to

the wide world of Informaton and Communication Technologies (ICTs). The articles I

have published in some Journal of Mass Communication during the course of this

programme are eloquent testimony of your sound academic base.

To my spiritual son and collegues Chris Attaf of the Department of Mass

|Communication, Kogi State University, Anyigba (K.S.U) i express my thanks for his

moral, finanical and intelletual support in the course of this academic programme. It is

rare to have this kind in today’s citadel of academics.

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I want to sincerely acknowledge the immense contributions – moral and financial

support extended to me by a friend and classmate of this programme Danaan, Naaland

Godfrey. His pieces of advice really helpted me in some occassions when i felt that my

ego was insulted unnecessarily, and wanted to discontinue the programme. I shall

eternally remember all the contributions you made Godfrey. Thanks you! Further more,

to my other classmates in the programme – Barry, Diamond, Okechukwu and others – i

say thank you for ther spiritual and intellectual brotherliness that radiated between us. It

is an unforgettable experience.

To my young academic, Anthony, Chinedu Ekwueme, lecturer in the Department of

Mass Communication, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, I say thank you for being a

trustworthy person, and for all that you did for me. He helpted me to buy the form of the

programme and encouraged me throughout the course of study. I shall live to

reciprocate this kind gesture of his.

Finally, my appreciation goes to my relations Paul Amedu, Richard Iyere, Joy Iyere

(Senior), Rita Iyere, Patience Iyere, Mrs. Monica Iyere, Moses Adeyemi and Vitus

Odoh for thier individual and collective contributions during the perios of study and

research work. And to all others whose names are not mentioned here, I say may God

reward you for your various contributions during the course of this academic

programme.

IYERE, IMHOGHEMHE JOHN (REV.FR.)

UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA, NSUKKA

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Pages

TITLE PAGE i

CERTIFICATION ii

DEDICATION iii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT iv

ABSTRACT v

TABLE OF CONTENTS vi

LIST OF TABLES vii

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the study 1

1.2 Statement of the problem 5

1.3 Objective of the study 5

1.4 Significance of the study 6

1.5 Research Question 6

1.6 Theoretical Framework 7

1.7 Scope and Limitation of the study 10

1.8 Definition of Terms 10

References 13

CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW

2.0 Introduction 15

2.1 Communication and its Element 16

2.2 Elements Involved in Communication Process 19

2.3 Feedback and Noise in Communication Process 23

2.4 ICTs and Administration of Churches 26

2.4.1 Downward Communication 29

2.4.2 Horizontal Communication 30

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2.4.3 Upward Communication 31

2.4.4 Informal Communication (Grapevine) 35

2.5 ICTs and Evangelization 46

References

CHAPTER THREE: METHODOGY

3.1 Research Design 49

3.2 Population of study 49

3.3 Sample Technique 50

3.4 Sampling |Technique 51

3.5 Instrument of Data Collection 51

3.6 Method of Data Collection 52

3.7 Method of Data Analysis 52

Reference

CHAPTER FOUR: DATA PRESENTATION

AND ANALYSIS

4.1 Demographic Data 54

4.2 Response to Reseach Question 56

4.2.1 Research Questions 1 57

4.2.2 Research Quesstions 2 59




4.3 Summary of Findings 67

CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

5.1 Summary 69

5.2 Conclusion 74

5.3 Recommendations 75

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Biblography 78

Appendices 82

LIST OF TABLES

Pages

Table 1 Demographic Characteristic of the Respondents 54

Table 2 Access of ICT Equipment 57

Table 3 Literacy Among Priests, Religious and Laity Members 59

Table 4 Usage of Communication Gadget in Parish Administration 62

Table 5 Factor (s) Militating Against ICTs in Idah Diocese

ABSTRACT Information and Communcation Technologies (ICTs) are significantly changing our old ways of sending, receiving, storing, retrieving and analysing messages and data. Every sphere of life is caught in this inevitable net of information revolution. The Church being a socio-religious organisation cannot afford to be passive observer in the many benefits and opportunities being offered by ICTs. This study thus took a critical look at Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in the management of Churches with particular references to the Catholic Diocese of Idah is lagging behind in the utilisation of ICTs in the daily management of her Churches.

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

Each day the wheel of progress continues to turn bringing about significant

changes in human endeavours. Man, the rational animal on the face of the earth,

has from crude methods of communication developed highly sophisticated ways

of communicating. The new Information and Communication Technologies

(ICTs) are rapidly changing our old ways of sending, receiving, storing and

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analyzing messages and data. Many barriers that militated against effective

communication are day-after-day being dismantled. Every sphere of life is now

caught in this inevitable web of information revolution. Reflecting on this era of

Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) Toffler (980:9) has this to

say:

A new civilization is emerging in our lives, and blind men everywhere are trying to suppress it. This new civilization brings with it new family styles; changed ways of working, loving and living, a new economy; new political conflicts; and beyond all this an altered consciousness as well. Pieces of this new civilization exist today.

No doubt ICT is rapidly constructing the rhythms of tomorrow’s style and

no one can stop it. Communication strengthens life, makes it enjoyable and

meaningful. McBride et al, (1980:3) put it this way:

Communication maintains life. It is also the motion and expression of social activities and civilization; it leads various processes and systems of enquiry, command and control; it creates a common pool of ideas, strengthens the feeling of togetherness through exchange of messages and translates thought in action, reflecting every emotion and need from the humblest tasks of human survival to supreme manifestations of creativity-or destruction.

The birth of the Internet has greatly revolutionalized communication

systems globally. This global network of computers has injected more strength

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into Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) dominated by the

developed countries. In developed and les developed countries many media

institutions, schools and colleges, organizations, individuals now make

tremendous use of the Internet (Net) on daily basis to send and receive

information within and outside their countries. The “Global Village” is rapidly

turning into a “Global Parlour”. We now live in a world of “e-communication”.

Putting it in its rightful perspective Okoro (2006:5) says:

Today, our world has become a world of fax machines, mobile phones, computers, satellites, videotext, telex cable, you name it, thus giving rise to life of ... e-learning, e-business, e-trading, e-mail, e-library, e-fund transfer, e-banking, e-conferencing, e-enterprise, e-research, and the like. In this globalize world of computer mediated communication and cyberspace, life and things move at a fast clip while man adapts his behaviour to match the tempo of change.

This global growth of telecommunications industry is making many

countries, especially the less developed countries, feel uneasy for they strongly

believe that what is happening now in the field of telecommunications will set

terms of life in the near future just as 19th country industrialization set terms of

life for our present ear. In deed, many nations strongly believe that sovereignty,

economic, social, political and religious affairs and other national issues, now and

tomorrow, will greatly depend on telecommunications. It thus follows that to be

left behind in the telecommunications “hot race” means disaster (Iyere, 2001:92).

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Sherafini (1981:13) commenting on the new Information and Communication

Technology (ICT) maintains that:

The information revolution is a worldwide phenomenon causing significant structural changes in economics of all countries, regardless of national differences in industrial revolution, the information revolution is unavoidable. Consequently, the objectives of public policy should be not to prevent the revolution from occurring, but rather to turn it to our advantage.

In Nigeria, today, the whirlwind of Information and Communication

Technologies (ICTs) is engulfing many cities, towns and villages. Both young

and old in Nigeria are thus happily embracing the ICTs inevitable grip.

Ginikanwa (2007:124) sums up the situation this way:

Presently, there is an explosion in information generation and transmission around the globe fostered by the over whelming advancements in information communication technologies. Nigeria is not an exception in the present trend. There are a myriad of ICTs available to organizations in Nigeria which the Corporate Communication Manager can utilize to improve his information output.

The Church, being a human organization, cannot be a passive observer of

the vast arrays of developments in Communication Technology. This is because

she has to adequately use them for effective and efficient management,

administration and evangelization of people in the world. In fact, the Church has

to use the mass media available in our time to properly execute God’s mandate to

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her “Go, teach all nations” (Matthew 28:19). We support the views of Azuzu

(1987:15) that:

...Communication is a ministry and it is needed everywhere in the Church today than ever before. This fact should strike a meaningful note in the hearts of every commitment Christian in our time. The response should be demonstrated in having men and women who identify themselves professionally to tackle the challenging problems, and of enormous dimensions posed for the Church in this media-invaded world of ours.

The thrust of this research work, therefore, is to x-ray or bring to the fore

the imperativeness of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in

the management of Churches with particular reference to the Catholic Diocese of

Idah, Kogi State.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Significant changes in various aspects of human life are recorded daily as a

result of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). As a human

organization, the Church cannot afford to be a passive observer of the fascinating

benefits and challenges the new information revolution presents to mankind in

this 21st century. Some Church authorities, especially those in major cities and

towns in Nigeria, have taken dynamic and progressive steps to use some of the

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tools of information technology in their daily management, administration and

evangelization of people.

This study thus takes a firm stand by positing that Churches in the Catholic

Diocese of Idah, should make adequate use of the abundant resources information

and communication technology presents, if they are to be relevant and dynamic

participants in the ongoing information revolution.

1.3 Objectives of the Study

The following are the objectives of the study:

i. To find out the level of exposure of the priests, religious and members of

the laity in the Catholic Diocese of Idah to modern communication outlets.

ii. To articulate the benefits and challenges of computer literacy to priests,

religious and laity members of the Catholic Diocese of Idah.

iii. To find out the extent to which priests in the Catholic Diocese of Idah use

modern communication gadgets in the management of their parishes.

iv. To bring to the fore the factors militating against better and wider use of

Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in the Catholic

Diocese of Idah.

v. To proffer solutions to the identified problems because of the importance

of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in effective

management of parishes.

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1.4 Significance of the Study

The significance of the study is to make the Catholic Diocese of Idah see

the importance of the new Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs)

in management of Churches. It will also help the diocese in efficient and effective

planning and execution of her daily pastoral programmes and activities within and

outside the diocese. Equally, the study being the first of its kind in the diocese,

future researchers will find it very useful as it forms a springboard for further

research work in related areas.

1.5 Research Questions

Bearing in mind the objectives of this study, the following constitute our

research questions:

i. What is the level of exposure of the priests, religious and members of laity

in the Catholic Diocese of Idah to modern communications outlets?

ii. Is computer literacy taken seriously by priests, religious and laity members

of the Catholic Diocese of Idah?

iii. To what extent do the Priests in the Catholic Diocese of Idah use these

communication gadgets in management of their parishes?

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iv. What do you consider as factors militating against better and wider use of

Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs) in the Catholic

Diocese of Idah?

v. What do you consider as solutions to these problems considering their

importance in effective management of parishes?

1.6 Theoretical Frame Work

The following theories are used in this research work:

a. Diffusion of Innovation theory

b. Uses and Gratification theory.

1.6.1 Diffusion of Innovation Theory

It was Everett Rogers who propounded this theory in 1983. It has to do

with the process of spreading any kind of new technical device, idea or useful

information in a given environment. The thrust of this theory is that not every

person embraces a new idea or technical device, at the same time. It takes a

gradual progression. With an S-shaped pattern it starts or begins with a slow

staring, a high rate of adoption and a long tail. According to Rogers (1983) there

are five types of people in any given society who have different levels of

willingness to accept new ideas or new devices that media present. They are

(McQuail, 2005:553):

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i. Innovators: These are venturesome people who are eager to try new ideas.

Such people tend to be extroverts and politically liberal.

ii. Early Adopters: They are less venturesome than innovators; these people

still make a relatively quick but informed choice. This tendency marks them

out as important opinion leaders within their social groups.

iii. Early Majority: These people make careful and deliberate choice after

frequent interaction with their peers and with their opinion leaders. They

seldom act as opinion leaders themselves in their social setting or groups.

iv. Late Majority: The people tend to be skeptical and accept innovations less

often, when they do adopt an innovation, they often do so out of economic

necessity or increasing peer pressure.

v. Laggards: These people tend to be conservative< traditional and most

resistant to any type of change. Their point of reference tends to be the

past.

The researcher deems this theory appropriate for this study because if the

Catholic Diocese of Idah adopts the new Information and Communication

Technologies (ICTs) in her management, administration and evangelization of her

target members not every member would be carried along at the same time. The

graphic pattern presented by the Diffusion Innovation theory would be

experienced. For example, if the Diocese of Idah makes it mandatory for every

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Catholic organization within her jurisdiction to embark on computer literacy with

the hope of “e-storing” Church official documents/records (like baptismal,

confirmation, marriage and death records) not all the lay faithful, Parishes,

Chaplaincies and other Catholic institutions would embrace the new idea at the

same time.

1.6.2 Uses and Gratification Theory

This theory was introduced by J.G. Blumber and E. Katz in 1974. The

theory sees media users as active rather than passive participants. The scholars

who propounded this theory maintained that a media user looks for the one that

he can adequately fulfill his needs. Equally, they suggest that media users

participate actively in the communication process and are therefore goal oriented

in their media use (Ike, 2005:236). According to Folarin (2005:65) by this theory

“the focus was thus shifted from media production and transmission functions to

media consumption function. Instead of asking, “What kinds of effect occur under

what conditions?” The question became “who uses which content from which

media under which conditions and for what reason?”

This theory is a version of “individual functional theory” and “active

audience theory” (McQuail, 2005). This theory is important in this research work

because the particular media that the Catholic Diocese of Idah would use in her

daily management, administration and evangelization of people have to be the

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ones that the targeted audience(s) likes, beneficial and accessible to them. This

becomes imperative because the Catholic Diocese of Idah is situated in a rural

area of Kogi State facing rapid transformation in all sectors of life with the advent

of new Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs).

1.7 Scope and Limitation of the Study

This study is basically limited to the Catholic Diocese of Idah in Kogi State

under Abuja Ecclesiastical Province. The scope is limited to Parishes,

Chaplaincies, Laity Council, and Catholic Institutions in Idah Diocese. All these

put together form the Catholic Diocese of Idah.

1.8 Definition of Terms

The following keywords are defined within the scope in which they are

used in this study:

• Administration: It is the organization and direction of persons in order to

accomplish a specific goal or end. Its main focus is on getting things done

through other people by planning, organizing, directing and controlling

(Adebayo, 1982:1).

• Computer Network: It is a system whereby two or more computers are linked

together with the ability to interact and exchange data (Hoffmann, 2007:71).

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• Digital Computer: This is a computer that processes data-reduced to binary

code.

• Diocese: It is a portion of the people of God, which is entrusted to a Bishop to

be nurtured by him with the cooperation of the group of Priests and Religious

(The Code of Canon Law, 1983; 65; canon 369).

• Global Village: It is a concept by Marshall McLuhan (1964) that technologies

permit persons to become increasingly involved in one another’s live.

• Globalization: It has to do with the “overall process whereby the location of

production, transmission and reception of media context ceases to be

geographically fixed, partly as a technology, but also through international

media structure and organization” (McQuail, 2005:496).

• Internet: It is a global network of interconnected computers that communicate

freely and share and exchange information. It contains vast array of

information. (Agba, 2001:55; Stair, et al, 1998; Nwajinka, 2004:78).

• Lay Faithful: Members of the Church who are not members of the priestly

state or of an established religious order, (Schmaus, 1976:120).

• Management: It means to forecast, plan, organize, command, co-ordinate

and control human, non-human resources of an organization (Fayol, 1949).

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• Organization: It is an “intricate human strategy designed to achieve certain

objectives”. It also means “a system of consciously co-ordinate activities or

forces of two or more persons” (Kelly, 1989:22).

• Parish: It refers to “a certain community of Christ’s faithful stably established

with a particular church, whose pastoral care under the authority of the

Diocesan Bishop is entrusted to a parish priest as its proper pastor” (The Code

of Canon Law, 1983:92; Canon 515:1).

• Tele-Evangelism: Using television medium to preach the word of God to

varied audiences.

• Virtual Community: It refers to personnel or group association formed on-line

via Internet exchanged and discussion. Virtual community is thought to have

many of the features of a real community, including identification, bonding,

shared norms and looks even without any physical contact or real personal

knowledge of other members (McQuail, 2005:504).

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References

Adebayo, A. (1989). Principles and Practices of Public Administration in Nigeria. Ibandan: Spectrum Book Ltd.

Asuzu, B. (1987). Communication Media in Nigeria Church Today. Rome:

Tipografia Ugo Detti. Blumber, J. and Katz, E. (1973). The Uses of Mass Communication. Beverly Hills, CA:

Sage. Fayol, H. (1949). General and Industrial Administration. London: Sir Isaac Pitman &

Sons Ltd. Folarin, B. (2005). Theories of Mass Communication: An Introductory Text. 3rd ed.

Ibadan: Stirling-Horder Publishers (Nig) Ltd. Ginikanwa N. F. (2007). “ Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) and

Corporate Communications Outputs A Critical Analysis” in Okoro (Ed)International Journal of Communication. Nsukka: Number Seven, December 2007.

Hoffmann, M. (2007). Dictionary of Mass Communication. New Deihi: Epp Books

Services Nigeria Ltd.

Iyere, J. (2006). “Internet Users in Developing Countries: Benefits and the Challenging Problems in Achor, E.E. (Ed) in NASHER JOURNAL, Nigeria. Vol. 4, No 2 December, Pp. 125-134.

Kelly, L. (1998). Communication in the Work Place: A Guide to Business and Professional Speaking. New York: Harper and Row Publishers.

McBride, S. et al (1980). Many Voices One World: Communication and Society

Today and Tomorrow. Ibadan: University Press. McQuail, D. (2005). Mass Communication Theory: An Introduction (5th ed.). London:

Sage Publications. Okoro, N. (2006). “The Church in an Era of Information Technology: Issues,

Expectations and Challenges”. A Paper Presented as Part of the Events Organized by the Social Communication of the Catholoic Diocese of Nsukka to Mark the 2006 World Communication Day. Pp. 1 – 10.

Rogers, E.M. (1983). The Diffusion of Innovations. Glencoe, IL: Free Press.

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Schmaus, M. (1976). Dogma 4: The Church. Its Origin and Structure. London: Sheed &

Ward, Inc. Sharafini, S. and Andrieu, M. (1980). The Information Revolution and Its Implication

for Canada. Quebec: Canadian Government Publishing Center. The Code of Canon Law (1983). London: Collins Liturgical Publications. Toffler, A. (1980). The Third Wave. London: A Bantam Book, Willaim Morrow & Co.,

Inc.

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CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW

2.0 Introduction

In our human society that is so complex we have many kinds of

organizations. Some of these organizations are formal others are informal. And

because human beings are, social, political, and religious beings, organizations

are bound to be formed in various societies. As we live in an over changing world

with its complex nature, we cannot take care of all our myriads of needs, hence

the formation of organizations in which churches are inclusive. In the views of

Shockley-Zalabak (1988:30), organizations are “dynamic system in which

individual engage in collective effort for goal accomplishment ...” But one basic

fact is that in any organization, be it formal or informal, communication is

important. As Ginikanwa (2006:122 in Abodurin, 1995) asserts “every

organization has to communicate with its public about its operations,

achievements, intension, plans, prospects, and problems.”

Furthermore, Ginikanwa (2006:122) maintains that:

...an organization is an open system that interacts with its subsystem and its environment. This social interaction is an imperative if the organization must survive. Without this, such an organization will become a closed system. Closed systems are doomed to die. Information flow within and outside the organization provides the life blood necessary for organizational survival.

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As secular organizations need communication to survive so also Churches

that are “spiritual organizations” Communication is the vital cord that binds

Churches Leaders, members, and non-members together.

2.1 Communication and Its Elements

Communication which is as old as the origin of humankind is an

indispensable feature of life. Communication has taken varied forms in the

history of man’s complex developmental feats. Communication is a process, not a

thing, and as we lie in an ever-changing world we continuously communicate

with both humans and non-humans. So, one would be right to say nothing really

is static in the universe. A communication scholar Berk (1972:31) affirms this

view when he said:

If we accept the concept of process, we view events and relationships as dynamic, on-going, exchanging, continuous. When we label something as a process, we also mean that it does not have a beginning an end, a fixed sequence of events. It is not static, at rest. It is moving...

A critical look at communication process would show that it starts from

oneself, and it is called intrapersonal communication. Patton et al, (1981:7)

maintains that if one observes oneself carefully one would notice that “signals are

going continuously from all parts of your body to your brain. A throbbing in your

stomach may suggest that you are hungry or that you have over-eaten or sick.” In

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this respect, it is imperative that one develops consciousness of oneself which is

primary to all level of communication. May (1953:75) a psychologist points out

that:

The capacity for consciousness of ourselves gives us the ability to see ourselves as others see us and to have empathy with others. It underlies our remarkable capacity to transport ourselves into someone else’s parlour where we will be in reality next week, and then in imagination to think and plan how we will act.

Another aspect of communication is known as interpersonal

communication. This simply put is communication between two individuals. In

this interactive process one person communicates with another person on a face-

to-face basis. They can touch one another physically. But if it is machine-

mediated like the Internet physical touch is not possible. However, in

interpersonal communication each person involved plays the role of both sender

and receiver of information or messages, which involves constant adaptation and

spontaneous adjustment to the other person (Patton, 1981:12-14). It is quite

interesting to know that without one speaking a word one can still communicate

by non-verbal symbols which take various forms. Some of them are Kelly et al,

(1989:9), (a) Kinesics (posture, body movements, gestures and facial

expressions), (b) Haptics (touch), (c) Oculesies (eye behaviour), (d) Proxemics

(space and distance), (e) Paralanguage (vocal characteristics).

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Clothing is another non-verbal form of communication. This is because our

mode of dress or clothing is capable of conveying many messages about us to

others who look at us or we interact with. Thourlby (1978:1) tells us that clothing

conveys at least ten types of messages to those who behold us:

1. Economic level 6. Economic background

2. Educational level 7. Social background

3. Trustworthiness 8. Educational background

4. Social position 9. Level of success

5. Level of sophistication 10. Moral character.

The assumptions about people we make are often based on their mode of

clothing. In most formal organizations, the mode of dressing is specified and it

has to be followed dogmatically. In this respect one is able to identify the

profession or type of job some people do by their clothing or uniform (Rodman,

1988:125). Well established Churches, like the Roman Catholic Church, Anglican

Church, Baptist Church and Christ Apostolic Church have varied patterns of

dressing for their pastors of souls and aspirants. In this era of Information and

Communication Technologies (ICTs) one is able to see the mode of dressing of

many members of formal organizations including religious institutions or homes.

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2.2 Elements Involved in Communication Process

The following are elements involved in communication process. (a)

Source, (b) encoding process, (c) message, (d) channel, (e) decoding process, (f)

receiver. We shall briefly discuss them.

(a). Source: This is the starter or originator of an idea or a thought which is

eventually transmitted to others in the communication process. A source

may be a person speaking, writings, drawing, gesture or a communication

organization like a newspaper, publishing house, television station, radio

station, a motion picture studio and so on (Mortensen, 1973:28).

(b). Encoding: It has to do with the activity in communication process by

which thoughts and ideas from a source are transmitted into a form that

may be perceived by the senses. If person A wishes to convey to person B a

MESSAGE which person B is likely to understand, then the message has to

be encoded with person B’s ability to decode the message – carrying

signals well in mind (Watson and Hill, 1993:67). Encoding in a

communication process or setting can take place one or more times.

(c). Message: It is the actual physical product in the communication process

that the source encodes. For example, when we talk to a person, our speech

is the message. When we write a letter or send text to our friends or

parents, or deliver a written speech to an audience, what we put down on

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paper or screen is the message. (Watson, and Hill, 1993:16). In this era of

ICTs we are overloaded with myriads of informations or messages and we

have to chose the ones that are relevant to us.

(d). A Channel: This is the medium that is used to transmit messages from

source to destination. Equally, it is the way in which a message or

information travels to the receiver. For example, we are made to

comprehend that sound; waves carry spoken words, while light waves carry

our visual messages. Touch is regarded as a channel with respect to Braille.

According to Watson and Hill (1996:28):

Channels may be physical (our voices or bodies) technical (the TELEPHONE) or social (our schools, media etc). In business organizations or institutions they may be vertical, hierarchical, formal and predominantly one-way-from the boss downwards; or horizontal, democratic, informal and two-way as between workmates, and GROUPS with common task; interests and sympathies.

Interestingly, some message use more than one channel to travel to

the receiver. However, in all levels of society, we have channels of

communication, and access to a communication channel facilities

interactions between men, machines, group, organizations and mass

audience (Mortansen, 1973:137). In the view of Marshal McLuham (1966)

the “medium is the message.” ICTs have greatly increased many channels

of communication in this era in which Churches and other organizations

29

use to disseminate information to their various complex audiences. Church

administrators need adequate human and capital resources today than ever

to enable them communicate effectively to the world. These imperative

demands or needs are more on Churches in less developed countries, like

Nigeria, than those in developed countries that are at breast with the

development of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs).

(e). Decoding: This is the activity in communication process by which physical

messages are transmitted into a form that has eventual meaning for the

receiver. In the views of Watson and Hill (1996:52) decoding is “the

process of interpreting, analyzing and understanding the nature of

messages-written, spoken, broadcast etc. This requires not just an

understanding of the words, signs or images used but also a sharing of

VALUES and assumptions which under pin their ENCODING into a

MESSAGE by the transmitter.” Moreover, decoding is the opposite of

encoding.

Managers of organizations and Churches in this era of ICTs have to

construct or package their informations or messages in such a away that the

large audience (receiver) would be able to decode them with ease – using

the channel(s) the receiver has access to without difficulty. To effectively

30

and efficiently perform this task is one of the many challenges facing our

Church leaders today.

(f). Receiver: The receiver is the principal or ultimate goal of a message or

information sent out. Yes, the target of the message or information is the

receiver and it can be a person, a group, an institution, a large crowd or a

machine. In communication process, the sender and receiver interchanges

roles as they communicate to each other. ICTs have greatly improved on

this interchangeability of roles. With the aid of Internet one can now

communicate with someone in many kilometers away on face-to-face basis

without physical touch. Tele-conferencing system has reduced distance for

individuals and corporate organizations. They can now have formal

meetings with ease. Tele-evangelism is becoming very popular with the

advent of ICTs. Many Church Ministers now preach the word of God to

many near and distant and complex audiences via satellite-communication

system.

With the aid of other complex, Information and Communication

Technologies receivers of information or messages are having a good day.

Quick information or messages is now at the disposal of the receivers.

Senders of information or messages are also better off today than many

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years ago. With the advent of ICTs packaging and dissemination of

messages or information is cheaper and quicker to day than ever before.

2.3 Feedback and Noise in Communication Process

Feedback, simply put, is the responses of the receiver of a message or

information that shape and alter subsequent messages from the source. According

to Chambers Twentieth Century Dictionary (1972), feedback is the return of part

of the output of a system to the input as a means towards improved quality or

self-correction of error. Feedback is thus the reversal of the flow of

communication that is, the original source becomes the receiver; the original

receiver becomes the new source.

Furthermore, there are two kinds of feedback – positive and negative.

Interestingly, positive feedback encourages the communication behaviour of the

receiver, and negative feedback attempts to change the communication or stop it.

In the views of Hilbert et al, (1985:31) “Feedback is institutionalized,

representative, and indirect when evaluated in mass communication terms.”

Feedback can be immediate or delayed. In interpersonal communication,

feedback is quicker than when one writes a letter to his or her parents living far

away. The advent of ICTs has greatly reduced delay in feedback processes. For

example, Internet facility, teleconferencing, GSM system and radio phone in

programmes have greatly reduced the delay in feedback that was previously

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existing. Some Church leaders and managers of organizations or institutions are

utilizing the latest Information and Communication Technologies facilities to

send, receive, store and restrive information more efficiently than before. In

essence these rapid communication equipments now make feedback very quick.

Noise is seen as anything that interferes with the effective dissemination of

information or message. It basically has to do with any kind of disturbance in

transmission, conflict in sender or receiver (Watson and Hill (1996:130). No form

of communication is totally free of noise, though some are highly susceptible to

interference by noise than others. Hiebert et al, (1985:31-32) tell us that:

Mass communication has an increased possibility of media distortion and noise; and noise in the mass communication process can occur at any point, not simply in the medium. Because of its public nature, mass communication allows more interruption on a few broader levels than interpersonal communication. Noise can occur in a variety of forms: static on radio or television, a poorly printed newspaper, an out-of-focus motion picture.

Furthermore, the types of noise we have are (i) semantic, (ii) mechanical

noise, (iii) visual noise and (iv) psychological noise. To achieve an effective

communication one should work hard to minimized the mentioned types of noise.

And the way to measure communication effectiveness is by the use of this

formular (Akpan, 1987:65):

33

P - meaning = I G - meaning What the above formular means is that when perceived meaning (P) tallies

with the generated meaning (G), then perfect communication occurs. But we

should bear in mind that to have perfect communication, one has to get ride of all

the component of noise. This is very necessary because noise is a form of

distraction in communication process and it delays one from getting the essential

information (Akpan, 1987:65). It is gratifying that in this era of Information and

Communication Technologies (ICTs) noise in the process of communication has

been reduced, especially mechanical noise. However, Church leaders, like

managers of organization, have to work hard to eliminate noise in the process of

disseminating the Good News of God to their target audiences. They have to be

mindful of psychological noise that comes from their workers especially ministers

of the Word of God. For example, the sexual immorality or irresponsibility’s

pervading in the Catholic Churches in the United States of America (U.S.A.)

among the clergymen had cost the Churches there millions of dollars for court

settlements. The “psychological noise” has weakened the faith of many Catholic

believers. Many people get to know about this scandal and others in the Church

cycles because of the available information technologies, like the Internet.

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Equally, the responses and measures taken by the Church leaders were made

know to the public world-wide through the mass media of communication.

2.4 ICTs and Administration of Churches

The importance of communication in human society has long been

recognized and emphasized by both scholars and practicing human resources

managers. And Chester (1938) states that communication is the means by which

people are linked together in an organization to achieve a definitive purpose. No

doubt this is the fundamental function of communication. As a human

organization the Church needs communication to carry out her daily activities.

That is to say that Church leaders have to fashion out effective means of

communication to enable them execute administrative activities within the

Church set-up and outside the Church. Information and Communication

Technologies (ICTs) today are helping Churches tremendously in their local,

state, national and international activities. Interestingly ICT is an umbrella term

that encompasses any communication device or application such as radio,

television, cellular phones, computer (hardware and software), satellite systems,

Internet and the web system. Commenting on ICTs Nwodu (2002:35) says:

The introduction of ICTs has ushered in greater speed, greater reach and clear vision in communication. Again they have encouraged to a large extent, interaction and participatory communication among people of the world.

35

The love affairs between computers and telecommunication “is the

material force of the consistent technology of communication” (Gandy, 1989) and

Solo (1982:224) tells us that “these sets of technologies are moving into

conjunction possible to be common component part of an integral functional

system, tying the massive, low cost, global transmission of image, sound and

recorded observation low cot capacity to store, organize, automatically interpret

or otherwise, programme the use of that which has been transmitted.” The

revolution of Information Technology (IntroTech) came as a result of the

discovery and invention of the computer and the development of satellite

technology and the result of their use has led to globalization of things especially

information (Mbam, 2006:63).

The Internet Technology has greatly contributed to the effective and

efficient communication systems most formal and informal organizations are

enjoying today. The term “Internet” comes from the phrase, “International

Computer Network.” (Ibemesi, 2007:252). The Internet Technology according to

The Cambridge Encyclopedia (2000) is “an association of computer networks

with common standards which enable messages to be sent from any host on one

network to any host on any other” and it was “developed in 1970s in the USA as

an experimental network, designed to support military research and steadily grew

to include federal, regional, campus and other users.” This piece of technology

36

called the Internet (Net) has a lot to offer its users. Ibemesi (2007:252)

summarizes what the Internet offers its users thus:

The Internet offers to its users, five basic services as follows: the Electronic Mail (E-mail) the Usenet, the Internet delay chat, the Word Wide Web (www) and the browser. With these five main services, accessing and exchanging of information on any imaginable topic is facilitated to an unprecedented level by this multimedia system. The Internet apart from being a medium of telecommunication itself also aids other telecommunication modes like telephony facsimile (fax), broadcasting, etc.

Bearing in mind the above brief discussion on ICTs one can now have a

broad spectrum on how Church leaders or managers of formal organizations can

make adequate use of the components of ICTs for proper office management,

dissemination, storage and retrieving of valuable information and ideas. In a

formal organization, like the Catholic Church, there exist clear channels of

communication system that flows in three directions. They are:

• downward communication

• horizontal communication

• upward communication

• informal communication-grapevine.

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2.4.1 Downward Communication

Like interpersonal communication, this system of communication is much

initiated by those in the realm of affairs like managers, Church leaders sent down

to their workers (employees) or members of the Church. This in essence means a

superior giving instruction orally or written to a subordinate worker(s) or Church

member(s) to execute some activities, or just a feedback. It is worthy of note that

this system of communication is used by Church leaders and managers of

organizations for many reasons – like communication with their subordinates to

feed them with some vital information, instructions, to share information, to

criticize, to command and to motivate (Kelly et al, 1989:27). And the major

channels Church leaders (Catholics) use in downward communication include:

a. The chain of command

b. Bulletins, posters and bulletin boards

c. Circulars and encyclicals

d. Hand bills and Church periodicals

e. Senate of Priests reports and minutes

f. Annual report from various associations and committees

g. Text messages and inter com system.

h. Messengers, radio and Tv announcements.

i. E-mail and fax messages.

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Catholic Churches in town and cities make use of the above named

channels than those in the rural areas. Churches in developed counties are more

advanced in their communication channels than those in the less developed

countries. However, important as the above channels are, it is the leader (s) of a

particular Church that selects the channels he would use. Some times the

downward communication is criticized by members of the church. One

occasionally hears such expression, “what’s wrong with our communication

system? Is this coming from the chaplaincy, or parish, or diocese?” “No useful

information is coming from up to us” (Woolcott et al, 1977:4). It is thus very

important to know that it behoves on various Church leaders and managers of

organization to develop an effective and efficient communication system with

their members. To ignore this brings about misunderstanding, mistrust, rumours,

protests and conflict and crisis.

2.4.2 Horizontal Communication

This type of communication is that which information flows between

members of an organization. By this system of communication, members or

employees on the same level are able to effectively communicate among

themselves in order to properly coordinate activities, to solve problems, to share

information among departments and associations, to resolve inter-departmental

conflicts, and to establish spiritual, emotional and social support system.

39

According to Kelly (1987) horizontal communication is an important instrument

for cooperation and coordination in an organization. This communication flow

does exist in well established Churches, like the Catholic Churches in Nigeria

bearing in mind that Churches are human organizations. ICTs have contributed

immensely for a smooth flow of this type of communication system.

2.4.3 Upward Communication

This is the opposite of downward communication. Upward communication

deals with information emanating from subordinates to the superior(s). In a well

structured organizations subordinates use this system of communication to make

positive suggestions, to air dissatisfactions, to seek vital information, to impress

their managers or superiors, to provide feedback about work done, and to reduce

the psychological distance between themselves and their managers, or leaders or

superiors.

In this era of ICTs here are some of the channels for upward

communication that one finds in most formal organizations including the Catholic

Churches in Nigeria. They are:

a. Chain of command f. Counseling

b. Open door policy g. Text messages

c. Informers h. Morale questionnaire

d. The grievance procedure i. Ombudsman.

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e. Interviews (print & electronic media) j. Labour unions.

Many scholars, Church leaders and managers strongly believe the

imperativeness of upward communication, for it helps to promote good human

relations which any human organizations worth its salt should work hard to

maintain positively. In fact, through this type of channel, Church leaders and

managers are able to carefully monitor the feelings of members or workers and

take appropriate action to correct what would otherwise lead to misunderstanding

or costly crisis or conflict. Interestingly, employees or workers or Church

members who feel that management system of communication is good, maintains

an open door policy, would have a feeling of belonging and the work done or

contribution is appreciated. However, where this scenario does not exist

employees or members would believe that they are mere members of the

organization, a cost of production and a square peg in a round hole. In such a

situation the employees or members often look for the opportunity of pouring out

their pent-up grievances thereby promoting labour-management conflicts.

Having discussed formal systems of communication in a well structured

organization we shall now briefly treat informal communication system which if

not well handled by management of an organization it can lead to serious negative

effects.

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2.4.4 Informal Communication (Grapevine)

As we have formal systems of communication in an organization we also

have informal one. This channel of communication called “grapevine” is difficult

to eliminate completely in a human organization. It is sometimes stronger than

formal channels of communication, especially where the vertical lines in the

formal network are very weak. The “grapevine” or “jungle telegraphs” operates

most effectively horizontally between members of the some department. Often

information carried in this channel (grapevine) is referred to as “rumour and

gossip”. Hoffman (2007:253-254) referred to rumour as:

A piece of purportedly true information that circulates without substantiating evidence. The information content/pay load of rumours can range from simple gossip to advanced propaganda techniques. Classically, rumours spread from person to person by word of mouth, as in gossip. Cheap postage rates and then telephone services formented the pace and range of the swirling of rumours. With the advent of the Internet many rumours have started to spread via e-mail and more recently through blogging, as also occur with various hoaxes and urban legends.

Information in grapevine moves faster, especially if it affects employees or

members directly on matters like wages, lay off, disciplinary actions, promotion

and labour-management issues. Keith (1954:212 – 217) outlined some of the

basic characteristics of the grapevine as:

• People talk most when the news is recent.

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• People talk about things that affect their lives.

• People talk about people they know.

• People working near each other are likely to be on the same grapevine.

• People who contact each other and in the chain of procedure tend to be on the

same grapevine.

Organization management abhors grapevine because of the half-truth or

false information it perpetrates which threatens the survival of the organization.

But management can effectively use grapevine to its advantage by passing

information through it to employees or members about the good intention of the

organization. This strategy should be controlled by management (including

Church authorities) so as not to get negative information disseminated instead of

the intended one. Any attempt by an organization to eliminate grapevine

communication will only increase its promotion. What organizations can do is to

fortify their formal channels of communication to counteract that of the

grapevine. It is imperative that right information is supplied at all time.

Commenting on the importance of effective communication in an organization

Shockley-Zalabark (1988:201) said:

Communication relationships between managers and subordinates influence innovation, decision making work satisfaction, perceptions of organization climate. Leadership communication, whether exhibited by managers or other influential

43

organizational members, becomes the vision of the organization that directs all organizational activity.

To bring about effective communication and avoid the negative effects of

grapevine communication in an organization, managers must (Nwachukwu,

1988:174):

i. Keep the channel of communication open;

ii. Give timely information on issues that affect the welfare of employees;

iii. Management must strive to build credibility and faith in the communication

that originates from it;

iv. Management must analyze rumours and replace them with facts, and;

v. Employees who pedal rumours must be held accountable for their actions.

The above stated points and guidelines should be embraced by Church

authorities, with particular reference to the Catholic Churches in Nigeria. This

would lead to proper management of their Churches and effective evangelization

of souls.

2.5 ICTs and Evangelization

The Print Media

The Church founded by Christ is given a specific mission and mandate:

I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Go, then, to all peoples everywhere and make them my disciples: baptize them in the name

44

of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teach them to obey everything I have commanded you. And I will be with you always, to the end of the age (Matthew 28:18-20).

This in essence means that the Church is mandated to preach the Good

News of God’s kingdom to all peoples on earth. She is to evangelize. This is the

“teaching mission of the Church by which she brings the Gospel message to non-

believers and the non-baptized in the world, which Christ Jesus, the Lord and

Saviour mandated her to do through the Apostles” (Nwabude, 2008:89). The

Church, therefore, has to use available means of communication of her time to

evangelize all races on earth. Instruments of social communications exist in every

society, for the Church to use to inform, educate and entertain. Goodall

(1968:391) affirms this view when he says:

Every society needs forms of communication with the necessary power and flexibility both to establish its sense of social awareness and to express itself to itself. Press, radio, film, television, have an important role to play as the agora and town meeting of technological society.

The early apostles who were the first to execute the missionary mandate of

Christ never had the vast array of sophisticated media of communication at our

disposal today. With the limited ones they had they took the Good News to the

end of the world and we are beneficiaries of their hard work and foresightedness.

The Church today would be held responsible if she fails to maximally use the

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modern media of communication at her disposal in this era. This statement by

Evangelii Nuntiadi must be taken seriously by the authorities of the Roman

Catholic Church in Nigeria, particularly Catholic Diocese of Idah. It states (as

cited in Asuzu 1987:13):

The Church would feel guilty before the Lord if she did not utilize these powerful means that human skill is daily rendering more perfect. It is through them that she proclaims “from the house tops” the message of which she is the depository (EN: No.45)

In 1622 the Roman Catholic Church set up an organization to carry on

missionary work. It is called “The congregation for the propagation of faith”

(Propaganda Fide ). The organization was instituted by Pope Gregory XV

(Walson and Hill, 1993:152). The word “Popaganda” was coined out of

“propaganda fide.” This word has taken unto itself various meanings which were

not originally assigned to it. Today the word means “a systematic effort to

persuade, an act of advocacy in mass communication involving the making of

deliberately one-sided statements to a mass audience” (Defleur et al, 1985:605).

Early missionaries activities in Nigeria started with the establishment of

schools through which they carried out their evangelization mission. Some

produced newspapers as vehicles to preach the Christian doctrines to people and

denounced some evil practices in the society at the time. According to Coker,

cited in Aliagan (2006:2):

46

The pioneer Nigeria newspaper, Iwe Irohin Fun Awon ara Egba ati Yoruba, floated by Rev. Henry Townsand in 1959, was purely an evangelical organ, concentrating on reporting Church news, championing social causes such as campaign against slave trade...

The above quotation is supported by the comment of Duyile (1987:58):

Since all the missionaries came from a culture with dominant press influence, it was convenient for them to begin to think about setting up religious news and other news affecting their Churches, their converts and the people, and their immediate environment.

Hope Waddel, a Presbyterian Pastor founded the Church of Scotland

Mission in Nigeria and established a printing press in Duke Town, Calabar.

Today in Nigeria there are so many religious newspapers and magazines in

circulation. And with reference to the Roman Catholic Church in Nigeria almost

every diocese floats a newspaper through the Department of Social

Communications. Many Priests, Religious and Laity members in the Roman

Catholic Church in Nigeria have been trained in mass communication. And most

of our major seminaries in the country affiliated to secular universities, offer

some courses in Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). The

researcher is one of those being trained in ICTs. The rationale for this training is

to make the Church to effectively make use of the facilities our Information era

provides in her various management and evangelization activities. The truth is

that evangelizing in our contemporary media culture demands adequate

47

preparation so as to make the Gospel message relevant to modern listeners.

Communio et Progressio No. III cited in Asuzu (1987:14) supports our position

when it states:

If religious wish to be part of modern life and also to be at all effective in their apostolate, they should know how the media work upon the fabric of the society and also the techniques of their use... Indeed, lack of this knowledge makes an effective apostolate impossible in the society which is increasingly conditioned by the media.

Religious books, pamphlets and tracks are daily published by both lay

Christians, Priests and Religious. Modern technologies are contributing in no

small measure in the quality and quantity of such production. Some of these

publications are in the local languages thereby making them indigenous and

available to local people especially in the rural areas of the country. Equally,

religious articles daily appear in our secular newspapers and magazines this time

than before. We are really being engulfed by the technological garment of

Information Era in a globalized world. Information overload is here with us

(http://en.wikipeda.org.)

The Electronic Media

The Industrial Revolution in the (1700s) has contributed to the rapid

growth of communication. The advent of steam powered presses speeded the job

of printers, leading to the quantity, circulation and influence of newspapers and

48

magazines. Steam-ship and steam-powered trains led to the rapid sending of

messages and this improved more when automobiles and airplanes were

constructed. Furthermore, the discovery of electricity added more speed into

communication system when in the 1880s inventors put electricity into carrying

of messages. Yes, the birth of telegraph in 1816 freed long distance

communication transportation. The sending of messages through wire became

popular for it was quick. The telephone communication system was invented by

Graham Bell in 1876. (Watson and Hill 1996:89). The Space Age brings in

electronic computer machines. Other communication technologies have followed

and man is better for it than ever before.

Radio

Radio which is one of the chief branches of telecommunication embraces

telegraph, telephone, and television without wires and radar. It is seen in scientific

quarters as “radiation and detection of signals propagated through space as

electromagnetic waves to convey information” (Odetoyinbo, 1998:47-48). The

invention of radio is attributed to an Italian, Gugliemo Maxwell, a Cambridge

mathematical physicist, who in 1865 predicted mathematically the existence of

electrical waves (Odetoyinbo, 1998). The first “broadcast” of music and speech

was made by an American R.A. Fissenden in 1906 (Watson and Hill 1996:156).

Radio sets many years age were very big with separate batteries. To receive

49

signals one has to connect a long wire to a radio set and tie it to a tall pole.

Because of the advancement in science and technology the size of radio sets have

reduced greatly. Palm radios are now very common and very effective in signal

reception.

The Nigerian broadcasting system started in 1951 in Lagos at Tugwell

House Marina under the Post and Telegraph Department of Nigerian Service.

Moreover, in 1957 the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) now (FRCN)

came to existence replacing the former (Asuzu, 1987:39). Guzman (1982:5) many

years ago made this important observation:

The transistor radio is the medium with the greatest potential range and audience in the world, the most rapid and direct. Many of the sick and jobless of illiterate people in the underdeveloped parts of the world – in other words, many of society’s marginalized groups, can be reached through this medium.

The radio because of its affordability, portability and low maintenance

process is in the homes of many people, both rich and poor. It is called in some

quarters as the poor man’s companion. It is thus one of the cheapest means of

evangelization in poor nations. Ainslie (1967:38) aptly put radio’s importance to

the Africans in the rural areas this way:

The African village depends so much on radio as bearer of news and as an instructor; they listen with an attention almost forgotten in Europe,

50

where the medium has largely degenerated into a causal background for other activities.

There are many radio stations (including FM Stations) in Nigeria today,

and some are digital in nature. Christian and Islamic programmes are daily aired

from our radio stations. The Catholic Dioceses in Nigeria buy air time to air their

various religious programmes and activities. Radio Vatican’s programmes are

also listened to by many Catholics and non-Catholics throughout the world,

thereby bringing the word of God to both high and low. In Nigeria individuals

and organizations can now obtain License to establish radio stations. ICTs has

really made radio signals easier to receive than before. Some hand-sets can now

receive radio signals, and the price is dropping by day making many to purchase

them. The result is that information is becoming available to many. Equally, radio

and television news can now be read and viewed in the Internet.

Television

Television is technically an electronically transmission of pictures in

motion and the simultaneous electronically transmission of the accompanying

sound (Hoffmann, 2007:289). It was Paul Nipkow who in 1884 patented in

Germany a complete system – an original feature of which was the spirally

aperture rotating disk that provided at both sending and receiving end a simple

and effective method of image scanning (Dominick 1987:160). The advent of

ICTs has made the production of television sets to improve qualitatively and

51

quantitatively. With the aid of various satellites in the orbit one can now watch

many programmes from remote countries thousands of kilometers away.

Interestingly palm television through the aid of handsets are rapidly coming into

the market. It was in Nigeria in 1959 that television transmission was first made

throughout the continent of Africa. This was in the then Western Nigeria

(Western Nigeria Television Service, WNTVS). Today we have Nigerian

Television Authority (NTA). Recently it went into digital telecast and

international.

Both private and government owned television stations are scattered

throughout Nigeria. It seems that every state in Nigeria has a television station.

Airtimes are bought by religious bodies to broadcast their activities. Though

television is for now in the homes of the “rich” it’s still a strong medium for

evangelization in the developing countries. Television evangelism is rapidly

growing in Nigeria imitating what is happening in developed countries

(http://www.sjsu.edu/faculty/watkins/econ193/evangelism.htm).

Many pastors worldwide are making a lot of money through television

evangelism. They show how God uses them to perform miracles and contributors

for the airing of the programmes are promised God’s rewards and miracles in

their lives.

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Schaffer (1993) in his article “TV Evangelism, Public Goods, and

Imperfect Competition” maintains that:

The success of electronic ministries is best explained by the “Gullibility Market.” It is based on the belief that consumers cannot make informed choices since there is a proliferation of productions... such consumers are gullible because they make their purchases on faith, accepting the marketing claims of those who are most persuasive. Television evangelists understand this since it plays on the fears that the public holds about the future and the hereafter. They offer viewers hope and salvation by offering them a place in heaven in exchange for their contributions (hppt://www.sjs.ed/faculty/watksins/econ193/evangelism.htm).

In his speech on 42th World Communications Day His Holiness Pope

Benedict XVI (2008:5) indirectly referring to televangelism points out that:

The new media – telecommunications and Internet in particular – are changing the very face of communication; this is a valuable opportunity to reshape it, to make more visible, as my venerable predecessor Pope John Paul II said, the essential and indispensable element of the truth about the human person.

Print Technology, Television Technology, Radio Technology, no doubt

Computer Technology, Internet Technology and Telephone Technology no doubt

are tremendously helping Church Leaders today in effective and efficient

management and administration of their Churches. These media technologies are

yearly developing in sophistication and efficiency, but care must be taken as we

53

Christians use tHem. And we agree with Pope Benedict XVI (2008:I) that the

media taken as a whole:

Are not only vehicles of spreading ideas: they can and should also be instrument at the service of a world of greater justice and solidarity... The media can also present and support models of development which serve to increase rather than reduce the technological divide between rich and poor countries.

ICTs have made the world a “Global village” and from our discussions so

far we can deduce that good communication and the proper use of the available

media of communication is imperative for effective management. Without

effective communication which links members of an organization together, an

organization suffers. The message the Catholic Church gives out through the help

of ICTs should be based on her mission, vision and mandate. It should be

different from the secular media of communication. This view is supported by

Owens (1980:77):

Our information is indeed different from that purveyed by the secular media. Our news is Good News. Theirs is almost always bad. It is so bad that it seems inconceivable that people would believe that tooth paste and deodorant detergent and automobiles will compensate for the televised terrors of this world.

Here lies the challenge of the Church, the challenge brought in by ICTs.

The Church therefore, should use the same ICTs to correct the ills and threats

humanity is facing today. The Church cannot run away from this enormous

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responsibility if it is to be truly called the Church founded by Christ. So, we dare

say “Digital Technologies” are here to help our Churches in office and

communication management (Witcomber, 2003) and embracing and utilizing

them is thus imperative.

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Asuzu, B.N. (1987). Communication Media in the Nigerian Church Today (2nd ed.). Onitsha: tipografia Ugo Detti.

CroodaLL, N. (1968). “The Uppsada 1968 Report” in World Council of Churches. Geneva.

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Duyile, D. (1987). Makers of the Nigerian Press. Lagos: Gong Communication (Nig.) Limited.

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Hiebent, R.E. et al. (1985). Mass Media: An Introduction to Modern Communication (4th ed.). New York: Longman.

Hoffmann, M. (2007). Academic’s Dictionary of Mass Communication. New Delti: Academic (India) Publishers.

Ibemesi Dike (2007). “The Relevance of the New Information Technologies TO the 21st Century Broadcasting in Nigeria” in Okoro (Ed.) International Journal of Communication (No. 7, December): 247-260.

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Kelly, L. (1989). Communication in the Workplace: A Guide to Business and

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58

CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

3.1 Research Design

The research method chosen for this study is that of Survey. In the view of

Ohaja (2003:1), a survey “is a study of the characteristics of sample through

questioning that enables a researcher to make generalization concerning his

population interest.”

This research method is deemed appropriate because the researcher wants

to know the benefits and challenges the Information and Communication

Technologies (ICTs) would bring in the management of of Churches in the

Catholic Diocese of Idah, Kogi State.

3.2 Population of Study

The research work is limited to the Catholic Diocese of Idah which has a

population of one hundred and two thousand, seven hundred and ninety Catholics,

twenty-seven parish churches and eighty stations Churches, (Egbunu, 2007:6).

The station Churches are under the administration of parish Churches and this

brings the number of Catholic Churches in Idah Diocese to one hundred and

seven (107). This number forms the population of our study.

3.3 Sample Size

The sample size of this work is limited to the twenty-seven (27) parish

Churches. The justification for the choice of the sample size is that it is the parish

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Churches that canonically make up the Catholic Diocese of Idah. These Churches

adequately represent all the station Churches (80) in the Diocese. Furthermore,

the 27 parish Churches are administratively run by Parish Councils at parish level

and the Bishop of the Diocese at Diocesan level. In the light of the above stated

facts, the researcher then selected 10 respondents from each of the 27 parishes in

the Diocese to give a sample size of 270. This number is considered adequate

since according to Ohaja (2003:85) “most student researchers especially at the

undergraduate level and below, do not exceed a sample size of 300 due to obvious

constraints of time, finance and programme level. Apart from these constraints,

nature of the study also dictates the sample size.”

3.4 Sampling Technique

Non-Probability sampling technique was used in this study. This is because

the technique is cheaper and more convenient, (Ohaja, 2003:82). In this respect,

Purposive Sampling, which is one of the non-probability sampling, was used.

According to Ohaja (2003:82)

Purposive Sampling is used when a researcher ‘seeks’ certain characteristics in his ampling elements and he wants to ensure that those chosen have those characteristics. He, therefore, eliminates other members of the population and works with those that meet his requirements.

Furthermore, the purposive sampling technique was used because it helps

to choose sample elements that agree with some control measures dictated by

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some inherent characteristics of the chosen population, (Asika, 1991:46). Equally,

questionnaire designed and approved by the supervisor were produced and

distributed to the chosen population.

3.5 Instrument of Data Collection

The questionnaire was the primary instrument used for data collection.

Two hundred and seventy copies of the questionnaire containing only close-ended

questions were distributed to the respondents, ten (10) from each of the twenty-

seven parish Churches that make up the Catholic Diocese of Idah through their

parish priests or representatives. The questionnaire was divided into two parts.

The first part contains questions on the demographic characteristics of the

respondents while the second part contains questions on the psychographic

information.

3.6 Method of Data Collection

The questionnaire was self-administered on some respondents during the

diocesan meeting of the priests and the laity. Collection was made on the spot.

For those who did not attend the meeting, their parish priests or representatives

administered the questionnaire on them personally and collected them back after

they had been filled out. This method eliminated much mutilations that would

have resulted because of lack of proper understanding of the questions and

ensured faster and higher return rate of the questionnaire.

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3.7 Method of Data Analysis

Quantitative analysis is the method of data analysis that was used in this

study. This involved the use of frequency distribution tables and simple

percentages. This implies that the responses will be expressed in terms of

percentages so that a high percentage would indicate dominant opinion expressed

by the respondents. In this sense, low percentage indicates the degree of

disagreement with any particular item of the information used.

62

REFERENCES

Agba, P.C. (2001). Electronic Reporting: Heart of the New Age, Nsukka: University Nigeria Press.

Asika, N. (1991) Research Methodology in Behavioural Science, Lagos: Longman Plc.

Egbunu, E.F. (2007). “Historical Landmarks in the Catholic Diocese of Idah,”

Programme for Episcopal Ordination and Reception of Rt. Rev. Msgr. Anthony Adaji/MSP, September 22, pp.6-8.

Mcluhan, M. (1964) Understanding Media, London: Routledge and Kegan Paul.

Ohaja, E.U. (2003). Mass Communication Research and Project Report Writing,

Surulere-Lagos: John Letterman.

Stair, R and Reynolds, G.W. (1998). The Principles of Information System: A Management Approach. Course Technology International. Cambridge Thomson Publishing.

63

CHAPTER FOUR: DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS

SECTION A.

4.1 Demographic Data

In this chapter, the data gathered from the field were presented and

analyzed. The data were accurately gathered, carefully recorded and analyzed and

presented for easy comprehension. In the course of this research, a total of two

hundred and seventy (270) copies of the questionnaire were distributed to the

respondents scattered across the twenty-seven (27) Parishes in the Diocese

selected for this study. However, out of the two hundred and seventy 270 copies

of the questionnaire distributed, two hundred and sixty seven (267) were returned.

Out of this number, two were rejected because they were badly mutilated and

cannot help the course of the research in any way. In effect therefore, two

hundred and sixty-five (265) copies of the questionnaire representing 98.15

percent of the sample size were used for the study.

In this first part of the data analysis, the demographic characteristics of the

respondents are presented and analyzed as shown in table 1 below:

Table 1: Demographic Characteristics of the Respondents S/No Characteristics Respondent Frequency Percentage 1 Sex Male 170 64.15 Female 95 35.85 Total 265 100

Age-Bracket 18-25 37 13.96 26-30 45 16.98 31-35 53 20

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36-40 45 16.98 40-above 85 32.07 Total 265 100

3 Marital Status Married 178 67.16 Single 58 21.89 Divorced 9 3.40 Widowed 20 7.55 Total 265 100

4 Occupation Civil servant 96 36.23

Student Farming

148 12

55.85 4.53

Trading 9 3.40 Total 265 100

5 Qualification FSLC 20 7.55 WASC/SSC 85 32.07 NCE/OND 96 36.23 B.Sc/B.A. 59 22.26 M.Sc/Ph.D 5 1.87 Total 265 100

Discussion

The data in table 1 above show that out of the 265 respondents, 170

(64.17%) were males while 95 (35.85%) were females. This shows that there

were more males than female respondents.

The table also shows that 37 (13.96%) respondents were between 18-25 years; 45

(16.98) respondents were between 26-30 years; 53 (20%) were between 31-35

years; 45 (16.98%) were between 36-49 years while 85 (32.07) were 40 years and

above.

This finding shows that a majority of the respondents were below 40 years

of age. The table further reveals that out of the 265 respondents, 178 (68.16%)

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were married; 58 (21.89%) were single; 9 (3.40%) were divorced and 20 (7.55%)

were widowed. This shows that a significant majority of the respondents were

married.

Finally, the table shows that of the 265 respondents, 20 (7.55%) have their

First School Leaving Certificate; 85(32.07%) have either West African School

Certificate, WASC; Senior School Certificate, SSC or their equivalents;

96(36.23%) have National Certificate of Education, NCE; Ordinary National

Diploma, OND or their equivalents; 59(22.26%) have Bachelor’s degrees while

only 5(1.87%) have either Master’s or Doctorate degrees

The implication of the above finding is that most of the respondents have

mostly WASC or NCE or their equivalents. It shows therefore that most of the

respondents are enlightened.

In this second part of the study, the psychographic data will be presented in

an effort to answer the research questions.

SECTION B.

4.2 Responses to Research Questions

Four research questions are presented using option frequency and

percentage method. The results are presented based on the data obtained.

66

4.2.1 Research Question No. 1: What is the level of exposure of the priests, religious

and members of laity in the Catholic Diocese of Idah to modern communications

outlets?

The answer to the above research question will be provided by analysis of

questions No. 1, 2, 3 and 4 in the questionnaire as presented and analyzed in table

2 below:

Table 2: Access to ICT Equipment S/No Question Option Frequency Percentage

1 Do you have access to modern communication gadgets?

Yes 265 100 No - -

Total 265 100

2 If yes, which of these communication gadgets do you

have access to?

Handset 222 83.77 Camera 5 1.89 Desktop 26 9,81 Laptop 12 4.53 Total 265 100%

3 Are you computer literate? Yes 63 23.77

No 202 76.23 Total 265 100

4 If yes, what is your level of

proficiency in the use of the computer?

Very proficient - - Fairly

proficient 54 85.71

Just proficient 9 14.29 Below average - -

Total 63 100

Discussion

The figures in table 2 above try to assess the level of accessibility of the

priests and parishioners in the Catholic Diocese of Idah to modern

communications gadgets. Answers to question No. 1 show that all the respondents

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(265 or 100%) agree that they have access to some modern communications

gadgets. The implications of the above answer are that all the respondents have

knowledge of these gadgets and possibly know how to use some or all of them. It

also shows that they are eligible to answer the subsequent questions.

In respect to question No. 2, the data reveal that 222(83.77%) of the

respondents have access to handsets; 5(1.89%) have access to camera; 26(9.81%)

have access to desktop while 12(4.53%) have access to laptop. This shows that all

the respondents have access to different communication gadgets.

Question No. 3 seeks to find out the number of computer literate adults. It

was discovered that only 63(23.71%) respondents are computer literate while

202(76.23%) of them are not. This shows that the literacy level of the priests and

parishioners is quite low.

Finally, question No. 4 sought to find out the level of proficiency among

the few computer-literate parishioners. It was discovered that only 54(85.71%)

fairly proficient while the rest are just proficient. This means that the level of

proficiency among the parishioners is still very low.

Having carefully analyzed the data in table 1, we have to conclude that

though many of the priests and parishioners have access to different modern

communications gadgets, their level of literacy and proficiency is abysmally low.

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4.2.2 Research Question No. 2: Is computer literacy taken seriously by priests,

religious and laity members of the Catholic Diocese of Idah?

The answer to the above research question will be provided with the

analysis of the questions No. 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 in the questionnaire. The details

of the findings are presented in table 3 below:

Table 3: Computer Literacy Among Priests, Religious and Laity Members S/No Question Options Frequency Percentage

8 Which of these communication gadgets are accessible in your

parish?

Radio station 189 (71.32%) 14.26 GSM 265(100) 20

T.V. station 265 (100) 20 Cyber-café 51 (19.25) 3.85

None 0 (0) 0 Total 770 (58%) 1325 (100%)

9 Do you have a computer

training center in your parish?

Yes 65 24.53 No 196 73.96

I don’t know 4 1.51 Total 265 100%

10 If yes, how many

parishioners are trained in it every year?

Very many 8 12.31 Many 5 7.69 Few 30 46.15

Very few 22 33.84 Total 65 100%

11 Is there a cyber café in

your parish for parishioners’ use?

Yes 78 29.43 No 166 62.64

I don’t know 22 8.30 Total 265 100

12 If yes, how many

parishioners patronize the cyber-café per day?

Very many 6 7.69 Many 7 8.97 Few 22 28.21

Very few 45 61.54 Total 78 100

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Discussion

Data in table 3 above show that 189(71.32%) respondents have access to

radio stations in their parishes; 265(100%) have access to GSM networks; 265

(100%) have access to television station; 51 (19.25%) have access to cyber-cafes

within their parish. This shows that there is remarkable number of information

outlets in the Catholic Diocese of Idah.

Analysis of question No. 9 shows that 65(24.53%) respondents say that

there is a computer-training center in their Parish; 196(73.96%)say there is no

computer-training centre in their parishes while 4(1.51%) do not know.

This implies that there are very few computer-training centres in many parishes in

the Catholic Diocese of Idah.

Analysis of question No. 10 in the table shows that 8(12.31%) respondents

agree that very many parishioners are trained in these centers per year; 5(7.69%)

say that many are trained, 30(46.15%) say few are trained while 22(33.84%) say

very few are trained. From the above analysis, we deduct that few parishioners are

trained in computer literacy skills in these training centres per year.

In question No.11, 78(28.43%) respondents agree that there are cyber-café

in their parishes; 166(62.64%) say that they do not have any while 22(8.30%) say

that they do not know.

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From the above figures, we can safely deduce that there are very small

number of cyber-cafes in the parishes of the Catholic Diocese of Idah and indeed

only a few parishioners are trained in the use of modern communication gadgets.

Finally, in response to question No. 12 in the table, 6(7.69%) respondents

agree that Very many parishioners patronize the cyber cafes; 7(8.97%) say that

many patronize the cyber-cafes while 22(28.21%) and 45(61.5%) respondents

answered Few and Very few respectively.

The data above show that the cyber-cafes do not enjoy much patronage

from the parishioners. And in view of the findings above, we have to conclude

that the priests and members of the laity of the Catholic Diocese of Idah do not

take the issue of computer literacy very seriously.

4.2.3 Research Question No. 3: To what extent do the Parishes in the Catholic

Diocese of Idah use these communication gadgets in management of their

parishes?

The answer to the above research question will be provided with the careful

analysis of questions No. 13, 14, 15 and 16. Details of these findings are

presented in Table 4 below:

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Table 4: Usage of Communication Gadgets in Parish Administration S/No Question Option Frequency Percentage 13 How often do the parishes use the

cyber-café in communicating with parishioners?

Daily 38 14.34 Once in a

week 40 15.08

Twice a week

- -

None at all 187 70.58 Total 265 100

14 Do you produce Sunday Bulletins in

your parish? Yes 87 32.83 No 178 67.16

Total 265 100 15 If yes, do you use computer in the

process of production of these bulletins?

Yes 87 100 No - -

I don’t know

- -

Total 87 100

16 Are important church documents such as certificates produce and stored in

the computer?

Yes 83 31.32 No 178 67.16

No idea 4 1.51 Total 265 100

Discussion

Data in table 4 above have interesting revelations in respect of question

No.13. 38(14.34%) respondents say that the Parish use the cyber-cafes in

communicating to them daily; 40(15.08%) say that it is used once a week; none

for twice in a week while 187(70.58%) answered none at all.

In view of the above figures, it is right to conclude that the Parishes in the

Catholic Diocese of Idah do not make good use of the few cyber-cafes available

within the Parishes.

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In answer to question No. 14 in the table, the figure reveal that 87(32.83%)

respondents agree that Sunday bulletins are produced in their Parishes while

178(67.16%) say that they are not produced in their parishes.

This implies that Sunday Bulletins are produced in many but not in all

parishes of the Catholic diocese of Idah.

In question No. 15, all the 87(100%) respondents agree that computer is

used in the process of producing Sunday Bulletins in their parishes.

Finally, in question No. 16, 83(31.32%) respondents agree that important

Church documents like Baptismal, Birth, Death and other certificates are

produced and stored in the computer; 178(67.16%) say that they are not while

4(1.51%) have no idea. Their responses tend to suggest that such important

Church documents are not produced and stored in the computer by many parishes.

In view of the answers obtained from respondents in respect of the above

research question, we must conclude that many parishes in the Catholic Diocese

of Idah do not use computer effectively in management of their Parishes.

4.2.4 Research Question No. 4: What do you consider as factors militating against

better and wider use of Information and Communications Technology (ICTs) in

the Catholic Diocese of Idah?

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The answer to the above research question will be provided by answering

questions No. 21 and 22 in the questionnaire. Details of these are shown in table 5

below:

Table 5: Factor(s) Militating Against ICTs in Idah Diocese S/No Question Option Frequency Percentage 21 Do you think that

there are factors militating against wider use of ICTs

in your Parish?

Yes 265 100 No - -

No idea - - Total 265 100

22 What are these

factors? Lack of manpower -

Lack of fund - Poor electricity -

Illiteracy - Poverty -

Lack of interest - All of the above 265 100

Total 265 100

Discussion:

In the table 5 above, the researcher wanted to find whether there are factors

militating against better and wider use of the Information and Communications

Technologies (ICTs) in the Catholic Diocese of Idah and what these factors are if

they exist.

In answer to question No. 21, it was shown that all the 265 respondents

(100%) agree that there are factors militating against the used of Information and

Communication Technologies (ICTs) in the Diocese.

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In answer to question No. 22, it was discovered that all the factors listed

contribute in one way or the other to the ineffective use of ICTs. These factors

include: lack of funds, lack of trained manpower, poor electricity supply,

illiteracy among parishioners, poverty among parishioners, absence of adequate

interest by the Priests.

4.2.5 Research Question No. 5: What do you consider as solutions to these problems

considering their importance in effective management of parishes?

In order to find solutions to the above problem, let us examine questions

No. 23and 24 in the questionnaire. Details of the findings are shown in table 6

below:

Table 6: S/No Question Options Frequency Percent 23 Do you think that

there are solutions to the above problems as they concern the

Parishes?

Yes 265 100 No - -

No idea - - Total 265 100

24 What are the

solutions to the problems in their

order of preference?

Mass education 75 28.30 Poverty reduction 63 23.77

Special appeal fund/levy 51 19.25 Sensitization of the flock 40 15.09 Massive comp. training 23 8.68 Mobilization of priests 13 4.90

Total 265 100

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Discussion

In the table 6 above, the researcher tried to find solutions to the problems

of insufficient use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in the

Catholic Diocese of Idah.

In question No. 23, the answers show that all the 265 respondents (100%)

agree that there are solutions to the problems. This means that the problems are

not insurmountable.

In question No. 24, which asked the respondents to name the solutions to

the various problems in their order of preference, we obtained an encouraging

answer. Out of the 265 respondents, 75(28.30%) said that the solution lies in

mass computer education; 63(23.77%) say the solution is with poverty

reduction; 51(19.25%) advocate special appeal fund or levy for massive

procurement of computer hardware and accessories; 40(15.09%) call for

sensitization of the parishioners; 23(8.68%) say that there should be massive

computer training of the parishioners while 13(4.90%) submit that the priests

should be mobilized for the task.

From the figures above we conclude that the single most powerful tool

against this problem is massive education of all the parishioners even though

other factors still have contributions to make.

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4.3 Summary of Findings

After the data presentation and analyses, we present the following findings

with regards to the research questions that were used to guide this study. Below is

a summary of the findings:

1. That 265 respondents of different demographic characteristics were

involved in the study. These respondents are Catholics living within the

Catholic Diocese of Idah.

2. That all the respondents are aware and have access to some modern

communications gadgets though their literacy level and level of proficiency

in the use of these gadgets are abysmally low.

3. That the Priests and members of the Laity of the Catholic Diocese of Idah

do not take the issue of computer literacy very seriously. The issue is worse

among the priests as it was found that most of them have not procured

computer systems for the use of their various parishes.

4. That there is very small number of cyber-cafes in the parishes of the

Catholic Diocese of Idah and indeed only a few parishioners are trained in

the use of modern communication gadgets

5. That many Priests in the Catholic Diocese of Idah do not use computer

effectively in management of their parishes. This is simply because they do

77

not have the necessary computer hardware and software for effective use in

the management of their parishes.

6. That there are many different factors that contribute in varying degrees for

this anomaly. These factors include: lack of funds, lack of trained manpower,

poor electricity supply, illiteracy among parishioners, poverty among

parishioners, absence of adequate interest by the priests. Solutions to these

factors are poverty reduction among the various parishioners who are largely

poor; special appeal fund or levy in the Diocese to raise the necessary funds for

the procurement of the computer systems needed in the parishes; massive

sensitization of the parishioners on the need to be computer literate and this can

be done through the various parish priests; opening of computer-literacy

centres in the parishes and encouraging the parishioners to avail themselves of

the skill obtainable from there; and finally, massive mobilization of the priests

for the task above by making them to become computer-literate first and then

letting others obtain it in their parishes.

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CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

5.1 Summary

In the course of this research, we have made effort to assess the level of

usage of Information and Communication Technology in the Catholic Diocese of

Idah in Kogi State. The Diocese is one of the family old dioceses in what is today

called the North Central Geo-political Zone of Nigeria. The diocese is therefore

one of the oldest in whole country. But being located in an area that is

predominantly Muslim and traditionalists has made evangelism a very Herculean

one for the Priests in the diocese. It is therefore expected that the priests should

put in extra effort to win and maintain their converts.

The development and use of Information and Communication

Technologies (ICTs) offer a new tool to these Priests in their onerous tasks of

evangelism and effective management of their parishes. The Church being a

socio-religious organization cannot afford to be a passive observer and a non-

partaker in the enormous opportunities offered and many benefits of the

Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). In fact, the Diocese and

by extension, all the Parishes therein need and should use these technologies if

they are to fulfill God’s mandate and injunction: “Go and teach all nations” in

Genesis 1:22.

79

It is in this respect that we consider instructive the submission of Asuzu

(1987:15) that:

… Communication is a ministry and it is needed everywhere in the Church today than ever before. This fact should strike a meaningful note in the hearts of every committed Christian in our time. The response should be demonstrated in having men and women who identify themselves professionally to tackle the challenging problems, and of enormous dimensions posed for Church in this media-invaded world of ours.

Because of the much benefits of these communication technologies, this

researcher set out to find out the extent to which the parishes in the Catholic

Diocese of Idah have imbibed and actually use the technologies in their parishes

and of course, the whole diocese. The objective of this study is therefore, among

others, to show the relevance of the Information and Communication

Technologies (ICTs) in the management of Church as well as the benefits and

challenges the Catholic Diocese of Idah would get if she embraces the new

technologies. To realize the objectives of this study, five research questions we

asked namely:

� What is the level of exposure of the Priests and Laity of the Catholic Diocese

of Idah to modern communication outlets and or gadgets?

� Is computer literacy taken seriously both by the Priests and the members of

Laity of the Catholic Diocese of Idah?

80

� To what extent do the Priests in the Catholic Diocese of Idah use these new

Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in the management of

their Parishes?

� What do you consider the factors militating against wider and better use of

these Technologies in the Catholic Diocese of Idah?

� In what ways can these problems be surmounted?

To give the study a sound theoretical foundation, two theories were used in

explaining the study. They are: Diffusion of Innovation and Uses and

Gratification theories. The two theories are considered because while Diffusion of

Innovation tries to explain how people adopt new products including

technological products, Uses and Gratification tend to look into the various uses

people put the media to and the benefits they obtain from so doing. The theory

sees the audience, as active, selecting and using what they believe are beneficial

to them and leaving behind what they do not need.

In the second chapter of the study, some relevant and related literature was

reviewed. The essence was to give the study a good empirical background. The

search for the literature led the researcher to review the works of different

scholars and professionals in two key areas: Information and Communication

Technologies (ICTs) and Evangelism. The literature focused on the use of these

communications technologies in various disciplines particularly in the area of

81

Church management and propagation of faith. Interestingly, there is large

quantity of work in this area especially in the Internet.

The nature of the study made the researcher to adopt Survey as research

method capable of assisting him arrive at a dependable and replicable answers to

his questions. In order to ensure that every member of his population of study had

equal chance of being selected as a respondent, the simple random sampling

technique was used after the population has been broken down into clusters.

Using this method, a total of two hundred (270) respondents were selected from

the twenty-seven (27) parishes in the Catholic Diocese of Idah; ten (10) from each

parish. The data generated from the field were analyzed using tables and simple

percentages.

The analyses of the data revealed some interesting findings on the subject

matter of the study. The findings show the following:

• That 265 respondents of different demographic characteristics were involved

in the study. These respondents are Catholics living within the Catholic

Diocese of Idah.

• That all the respondents are aware and have access to some modern

communications gadgets though their literacy level and level of proficiency in

the use of these gadgets are abysmally low.

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• That the Priests and members of the laity of the Catholic Diocese of Idah do

not take the issue of computer literacy very seriously. The issue is worse

among the priests as it was found that most of them have not procured

computer systems for the use of their various parishes.

• That there is very small number of cyber-cafes in the parishes of the Catholic

Diocese of Idah and indeed only a few parishioners are trained in the use of

modern communication gadgets

• That many Priests in the Catholic Diocese of Idah do not use computer

effectively in management of their parishes. This is simply because they do

not have the necessary computer hardware and software for effective use in

the management of their parishes.

• That there are many different factors that contribute in varying degrees for

this anomaly. These factors include: lack of funds, lack of trained manpower,

poor electricity supply, illiteracy among parishioners, poverty among

parishioners, absence of adequate interest by the priests. These factors can be

tackled through poverty reduction among the various parishioners who are

largely poor; special appeal fund or levy in the Diocese to raise the necessary

funds for the procurement of the computer systems needed in the parishes;

massive sensitization of the parishioners on the need to be computer literate

and this can be done through Parish Priests; opening of computer-literacy

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centres in the parishes and encouraging the parishioners to avail themselves of

the skill obtainable from there; and finally, massive mobilization of the priests

for the task above by making them to become computer-literate first and then

letting others obtain it in their Parishes.

5.2 Conclusion

The findings above show that the Catholic Diocese of Idah suffers from

lack of effective use of the Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs)

in the management of their parishes and by extension, the entire diocese despite

the numerous benefits they offer. It is very disturbing to find that most of the

Parishes do not have computers in their Parish offices and houses much less

cyber-cafes. This has derailed the production of important Church documents like

baptismal, birth, death, marriage certificates and many other important Church

documents as most of the parishes have to go through printers instead of desktop

publishing and its many benefits. What is more, most of the important church

documents and information are still stored in files instead of in the computer with

its attendant risks and cumbersomeness.

Besides the risk of losing important documents, there is the delay in

accessing information, sending information, interacting with parishioners and

fellow priests in other parishes. The parishioners also do not benefit from the

immense opportunities the technologies offer.

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In view of the foregoing, we conclude that the parishes in the Catholic

Diocese of Idah must computerize their activities so as to benefit optimally from

the opportunities offered by the Information and Communication Technologies

particularly now that they are facing increasing and persistent challenges from the

Pentecostal Churches. They must develop very effective communication outlets

with which they will be constantly communicating with their parishioners or risk

losing many of them to other Churches. This conclusion is amply supported by

the submission of Onyekwere (2007) that:

Dynamic individuals and organizations are discarding operational styles carried from earlier glorious but no longer relevant ages, also organizations and persons who fail to understand how much the new technologies have changed various professions will be eclipsed by the greater successes of those that do.

5.3 Recommendations

The importance of the Information and Communication Technologies

(ICTs) in management of the Church and in other areas makes a good case for

urgent action by the Catholic Diocese of Idah in this respect. If the diocese wants

to remain relevant in the scheme of things in the comity of Churches in the

country and worldwide, must give the issue the urgent attention it deserves. We

are today in a global village as predicted by Marshall McLuhan some decades ago

and nobody can afford to be left behind. It is unfortunate that while many

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Churches and ministries are reaping bountifully from the positive windfalls of

globalization, the Catholic Church is still foot-dragging and wallowing in

unnecessary conservatives instead of moving sure-footedly to reap like or even

more than others.

The Catholic Diocese of Idah cannot claim ignorance of the exploits and

success of such preachers like Chris Oyakhilome of Christ Embassy, Tunde

Bakare of Later Rain Assembly; Chris Okotie of Household of God; T.B. Joshua

of Synagogue of All Nations among many others. It is immaterial what the

Catholic Church thinks about them it suffices that their messages whether true or

false are resonating with their converts and many are daily listening to their

speeches. It is because of the above concern that the following recommendations

are made:

� The Catholic Diocese of Idah must urgently convene a meeting of all

stakeholders in Churches in the Diocese to thrash out the issue in detail. The

discussion should involve experts in the area of Information and

Communication Technologies (ICTs) who should be given the chance to

dissect the issue and not the often condescending attitude of the priests to laity,

claiming that they know it all when indeed they do not know much.

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� A concrete and realizable communication policy should be articulated and

packaged, which will guide all the communication activities and actions of the

diocese.

� A massive appeal should be made to all Catholics Agencies in and outside the

diocese for financial assistance towards realizing the communication

objectives of the diocese. Such appeal should go down to stations in the

parishes as well as special offertory to be arranged in all the Parishes in the

Diocese towards the realization of this objective.

� The diocese should send out promising and intelligent priests and members of

the laity drawn from all the Parishes on comprehensive computer training

course in a good computer school anywhere in the country. The aim is for

these people to learn and come back home and train others. My concept for

this is, “Training of future trainers programme.”

� It is also suggested that as a corollary, adult literacy classes should be

established in most stations in the Parishes with Parish Priests exercising

supervisory roles. In this way some of the more uneducated ones may even

begin to appreciate the potentials of computer and may be favourably disposed

towards it.

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APPENDIX

QUESTIONNAIRE

Department of Mass Communication,

University of Nigeria, Nsukka,

December 2008.

To Whom It May Concern

I am a post-graduate student carrying out a research on Information and

Communication Technologies in Management of Churches: A Study of the

Catholic Diocese of Idah, Kogi State. As part of the requirements for the award of

Master’s Degree in Mass Communication, University of Nigeria, Nsukka.

I wish to state that this exercise is strictly academic and the confidentiality

of respondent’s answers and comments are highly guaranteed. Kindly answer the

questions in the questionnaire that best explain your disposition.

Please be objective.

Yours faithfully,

IYERE, I. JOHN (Rev. Fr.)

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