Rethinking Church Music Education in Nigerian Baptist Convention Owned Theological Institutions

Church music education in the Nigerian Baptist Convention began c. 1992 with the establishment of the Department of Church Music, now the Faculty of Church Music, at the Nigerian Baptist Theological Seminary, Ogbomoso, Oyo State. From 2020, Church Music education is being offered in the Convention’s theological institutions in Lagos (in 2015); Benin, Edo State (in 2022); Eku; Delta State (in 2023); and Obinze, Imo State (in 2023). The faculty and departments were established in view of the vital roles of Church music in church functions; however, the Nigerian Baptist Convention faces challenges in maintaining vibrant church music education programmes in its theological institutions. Also, there is a lack of empirical studies on church music education revitalization, especially in the Nigerian Baptist Convention. In this article, I used mixed-methods approach that consists of a survey of select twenty (20) faculty members from three of the theological institutions, church music students and administration, interview of ten (10) purposively selected church music educators, analysis of the institutions’ curricula, social cognitive theory, transformational leadership theory, and organizational change theory to examine and discuss the revitalization of church music education in the Nigerian Baptist Convention’s theological institutions. Findings indicate that faculty expertise, relevance of curriculum, and availability of resources are factors that are influencing effectiveness. Faculty development, curriculum review; and resources enhancement are hereby recommended for the revitalization of church music education in the institutions. This is capable of revitalizing church music education in the theological institutions for livingness.