Spiritual Well-Being and Fulfilment, or Exploitation by a Few Smart Ones? The Proliferation of Christian Churches in West African Immigrant Communities in Canada

Abstract

Africans are spiritual by nature and hold strong beliefs in and their reverence for a Supreme Being, Spirits and their ancestors.
The need for this strong spiritual attachment is not left behind when Africans migrate to Western countries. Often, the first step
in their resettlement process is to join a religious grouping. One of such countries is Canada where there is a huge presence of
Christian churches in the West African immigrant communities. While some have their origins from the continent, others were
founded in Canada by some immigrants. Using Post-Colonial theory as basis for analysis, this paper, explores the phenomenal
growth of these religious groupings within the West African communities in Canada, examines their backgrounds and modus
operandi. The motives for founding or participating in these church groupings were found to be spiritual needs, socio-cultural
and economic considerations. Among the followers, these include the use of the churches as conduits for maintaining religious
and cultural identity, and ensuring security in foreign lands. For the leaders of these churches, the motives are about not only
responding to spiritual needs but facilitating status improvement and financial gains.