Part 1 Doing ethnography
2. In the Field: Methodology and methods
2.7 Analysis
Table 5.1 Sex Distribution of the Respondents Item Number of
Responses
Percentage
Male 279 81
Female 66 19
Total 345 100
The table above shows that 279 of the respondents were male, while 66 were female. The male respondents represented 81%, while the female respondents formed 66%. This implies that only few women were involved in conflict and conflict management. Women seem to be at the background in conflict. This is in agreement with Ayanlola‘s1 finding that affirmed that few women were involved in conflict resolution especially in selection of board that saw to resolving conflict in NBC. With this, one would expect churches to well appreciate and appropriate the contributions of women in issues of conflict management more. The Women's Missionary Union of the NBC can do more beyond involvement in mission as an auxiliary to the Convention through mission education, private and public prayer for mission, giving to mission and going on mission trip.2 Women, as mothers and wives, can be good educators and mediators in church conflicts if their potential is
1 J. A. Ayanlola. 2005. Evaluation of the administrative process of conflict management in the Nigerian Baptist Convention. An unpublished PhD thesis, Baptist Theological Seminary, Ogbomoso.
2 Baptist Women's Missionary of Nigeria. www.wmunigeria.org accessed March 19, 2013.
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well utilized. Men who are always in the majority as architect of conflicts may retrace their steps if women rise up to advocate peace.
Table 5. 2. Age Distribution of the Respondents Variable Number of
Responses
Percentage
18 – 35 111 32
36 – 50 138 40
51 – 60 55 16
Above 60 41 12
Total 345 100
The above table reveals that respondents between ages 18 to 35 were 111 forming (32%). One hundred and thirty-eight of the respondents fell between ages 36 to 50, representing 40%. Fifty-five of the respondents were between ages 51-60, while 41 respondents were above age 60. The last two age brackets formed 16% and 12% respectively. The first two age brackets, 18-35 and 36-50, that were more of youth age, had the highest percentage, as they represented 32% and 40%
respectively, forming 72% of the total population. This shows that the majority of the respondents fell between the youth age. This implies that thorough educative and informative integration and involvement of youths in conflict education would be a course in the right direction. If the youths who formed over fifty percent of the respondents were well informed about and well disposed to better knowledge of Baptist policy, the future of the church would be bright on conflict management since, assumedly, the youths of today would be the elders of tomorrow.
Table 5.3: Baptismal Status of the Respondents
Variable Number of
Responses
Percentage
Baptism by immersion 297 86
Baptism by sprinkling (others) 0 0
Not Baptized 48 14
Total 345 100
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The above table shows that 86% of the respondents declared that they had been baptized by immersion; only 14% were yet to be baptized, while none of the respondents indicated having been baptized by sprinkling or other means. The number of those who were not baptized is smaller, showing that the Baptists still put premium on regenerated church membership publicly expressed through baptism by immersion a distinctive belief that the denomination cherishes. By implication, the denomination guides jealously beliefs and practices that distinguish it from other church groups. Where people protect what they stand for there will definitely be conflict. However, that 14% of the respondents were not baptized and yet they claim to be members of Baptist churches, deserves some critical observation. This may imply that such church members were still ignorant of Baptism as a requisite qualification for church membership; they were ignorant of the beliefs and practices of the church. Such uninformed people may pose serious threat of conflict to church.
On the other hand, that conflict was still prevalent in the churches of OBC regardless of the number of those who claimed to had been regenerated affirmed the fact that conflict is inevitable in all human societies the church inclusive.3
Table 5.4: Membership Status of the Respondents
Variable Number of Responses
Percentage
Clergy 58 17
Laity 287 83
Total 345 100
Table 5.4 shows that 17% of the respondents (58) were pastors. Two hundred and eighty-seven of the respondents (83%) was laity. The pastors formed the smallest percentage. The summation of the respondents who were no-pastors (deacons, officers and members) attracted the highest percentage. This would negate the observation of Ayanlola that the clergy dominated the affairs of the church in respect of conflict resolution. By implication, at the local level, the church members
3 J. A. Ayanlola. 2005. Evaluation of conflict management strategy … 1
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dominated in conflict issue, emergence and resolution. The findings further showed that the entire component of the church was sampled; pastors, deacons, officers and other church members were well represented. The cooperation of these groups of people would make conflict management easy. On the contrary, losing the youth as a result of conflict is losing a high percentage of Baptist members and the future of the Body of Christ.
Table 5.5. Emergence of conflict in the respondents’ Churches
Variable Number of
Responses
Percentage
Yes 217 63
No 128 37
Total 345 100
The above table shows that 63% of the respondents affirmed that their churches had experienced one kind of conflict or the other, especially in respect to church policy. This implies that conflict was prevalent in the churches of Ogbomoso Baptist Conference. However, the fact that there were still 37% who claimed that their churches had not experienced any form of conflict negated the assumption that every church experienced conflict at one time or the other. However, this 37%, might represent those who denied the reality of conflict, not because they did not experience it but because they did not want to discuss it publicly. This set of people need to be better educated not to deny or avoid conflict but face its reality and usefulness when handled well.
Table 5.6: Conflict managed productively/satisfactorily
Variable Number of Responses
Percentage
Yes 224 65
No 121 35
Total 345 100
Table 5.6 presents 65% of the respondents affirming that conflicts in their churches were managed productively and that they were satisfied with it. However,
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121 respondents representing 35%, were not satisfied with the unproductive way conflicts in their churches were managed. This implies that there is a need for a better, more productive way of managing conflicts over policies in Baptist churches, especially in Ogbomoso Baptist Conference. However, it is worthy of note that there was improvement and enviable end in the way churches have been responding to management of conflicts in the recent time, in particular Ogbomoso Baptist Conference.
5.2. Baptist policies regarding clergy-laity practice and benefits that caused