COMMUNIQUE OF THE OUTCOME OF THE FAMILY LIFE AND SOCIETAL DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE HELD ON 24TH AND 25TH OF FEBRUARY, 2022 AT THE BAPTIST COLLEGE OF THEOLOGY, IGEDE EKITI, EKITI STATE, NIGERIA.
Introduction
Scholars at the Conference lamented that it is unfortunate that family values, roles, and family ties are gradually being eroded in the contemporary time. Among other reasons for this are; globalization, the influence of social media, divorce and single parenthood, striving for financial survival and quest for wealth. Moreover, these problems put society in disarray, and the Church of God is not making the total impact. Our community cannot be better than the quality of our aggregate family lives; hence, the better the family, the better the society.
Eminent scholars of great repute including; The President, Nigerian Baptist Theological Seminary (NBTS) Ogbomoso, Professor Emiola Nihinlola (Keynote Address), Professor S. Ola Ayankeye (NBTS) (Lead Paper Presenter), Professor J. K. Ayantayo (University of Ibadan), Professor Benson Igboin (Adekunle Ajasin University), Sharon Slater, President, Family Watch International, U.S. (who contributed online) have made recommendations which have been worked into the following action plans:
*1* . The Church and the Government should kick against violence, especially against women, girls and children, because they are most vulnerable in the African society. This should be done by advocating and punishing the offenders.
*2* . The Church should preach love manifested in equity, justice and fairness to enhance family unity and to eradicate sibling rivalry as parents play important roles in uniting the family.
*3* . Christian theologians should form a comprehensive contextualized theology of marriage to reduce conflicts among Christian couples.
*4* . Effective communication can dispel involutions in marriage, therefore, there is need for more practical writings on how couples can communicate practically for better understanding as they should not just tolerate but enjoy each other.
*5* . Parents should be intentional about raising their children in a godly way in this complex world to build a better and godly society.
*6* . Couples are to spend time together instead of spending time on social media.
*7* . Government agencies in charge of children’s rights should ensure that children are given primary education to eradicate child-labour through street-hawking. Also, there should be a curriculum that tends toward children’s moral development.
*8* . Parents in African society must be responsible by raising the number of children they can cater for to eradicate family neglect and violence.
*9* . In collaboration with government agencies, religious leaders should create more awareness of the dangers of youth engagement in illicit sex. *10* . The Church must be consistent on the message of abstinence until marriage.
*11* . The Church must ask the Government to execute laws against perpetrators of rape in the society promptly, and the Church should serve as the mouthpiece for victims of rape.
*12* . Christian organizations should pay more attention to the quality of marital communication among parishioners and avoid complacency.
*13* . The Christian community should create adequate awareness of the importance of pre-marital counselling, and churches should constitute a committee saddled with this responsibility.
*14* . There should be a synergy between the Government, parents and relevant NGOs to ensure quality education for the citizens.
*15* . There should be synergy between relevant NGOs and religious bodies to engage in projects that expose the evils of pornography and ensure that Government implement measures to censor these outlets.
*16* . The Government in collaboration with relevant religious bodies must, as a matter of urgency, proscribe the use and abuse of dangerous substances that are in circulation in the country and allow the law to have its course on violators.
*17* . Christian parents should serve as character and communication models for their children
Christian doctors should explore every avenue to educate families on the pros and cons of IVF to ensure informed decisions by families interested in such.
*18* . Parents should be more assertive in their parenting style in preventing delinquencies among their children.
*19* . Africans must be aware of the pending EU- ACP agreement which weakens the African Family as it deceptively advances the EU’s abortion and LGBT agenda for Africa, read implications from http://deviouseutreaty.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/26/2022/02/FINAL-ACP-EU-African-Brief-Executive-Summary-2-10-2022.pdf and sign the stand for family petition today at: https://fwipetitions.org/stand-for-the-family/
Contact:
Institute of Family Life and Societal Development.
(An Arm of the Blissful Home Initiative)
Address: 3, Old Sijuade Hospital Street, Akure, Ondo State.
Contact: 08035608098
Email: blissfulhomeinitiative@gmail.com