For Jeremiah Nwabueze, Pastor of the Onitsha-based Victory Resounding Revival Ministries, advertising has become a vital tool for increasing participation from virtual members.
“We’ve seen a significant rise in online engagement,” says Nwabueze, “people who couldn’t physically attend our programs are now joining from places as far as Lagos and even Cameroon and beyond Africa.”
His ministry, which doesn’t follow the traditional Sunday service model, focuses on weekly programs that attract members from different churches.
Beyond the physical gathering, Nwabueze has observed a growing number of virtual attendees, with many tuning in from across Nigeria and abroad, thanks to targeted social media ads.
While churches have long relied on various forms of advertising, the approach has evolved significantly in recent years.
In this feature piece, Nairametrics investigates why churches advertise, who pays for it, how they fund it, whether they use advertising agencies, what KPIs they use to measure the effectiveness of their ads, whether these ads help win souls, and the types of advertising they rely on.
The evolution of church advertising in Nigeria
Churches, ministries, and other Christian-based religious outfits in Nigeria have long been advertising, primarily relying on traditional advertising methods.
These include print media, broadcast media, banners, posters, billboards, and word of mouth, such as rallies where members move around to announce upcoming programs.
These tools have been essential in promoting church events and expanding their reach across the country.
However, after working as a social media manager for a Pentecostal church in Nigeria for over a decade and later starting his own ministry, Pastor Nwabueze noted a major shift towards social media.
“The rapid rise in social media usage in Nigeria has created a powerful opportunity for churches to reach potential audiences faster than ever before,” Pastor Nwabueze explained.
With platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube becoming vital in Nigeria, churches can now connect with people in ways that traditional advertising couldn’t achieve, especially in a country where internet access is becoming more widespread.
Why churches advertise
To understand why churches and ministries invest in advertising, Nairametrics spoke to pastors, including Nwabueze and Pastor Gift Akanimo of Light to Life Ministries.
Both pastors agreed that one of the core mandates of the church is to spread the gospel and fulfill the Great Commission, as outlined in the Bible.
Pastor Nwabueze, citing Psalm 68:11, explained, “The Lord gave the word: great was the company of those that published it,” implying that sharing the gospel can be seen as a form of advertising.
Pastor Akanimo echoed this sentiment, referring to Matthew 28:19-20, which commands believers to “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations,” and Mark 16:15, where Jesus tells His disciples to “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.”
He also highlighted Acts 2:47, emphasizing the need to “add to the church daily.”
Pastor Akanimo, whose church is located in Maya, Ikorodu, further explained that, in practicing what the Bible instructed, advertising efforts using various mediums have helped with the growth of church membership, expanding the ministry’s reach, engaging online audiences, establishing the church’s identity and reputation, and increasing attendance and participation.
Similarly, Pastor Nwabueze pointed out that with social media constantly exposing people to a variety of content—some of which contradicts Christian values—churches need to be intentional about their presence online.
“In today’s digital age, where people are inundated with content that often conflicts with the teachings of Christianity, it is more important than ever for churches to actively use advertising, especially on social media, to ensure they fulfill their mission of spreading the gospel,” he stressed.
How churches fund their advertising efforts
Pastor Akanimo explained that churches rely on a combination of mechanisms to fund their advertising efforts. These include individual donations from members, financial support from pastors, elders, or the church council, as well as organized fundraising events.
Additionally, a portion of the church’s budget is often allocated for outreach activities, including advertising. Pastor Akanimo emphasized that this approach aligns with the biblical principle of stewardship, where resources are wisely managed, and giving is encouraged to support the growth of the ministry.
“We see it as part of our responsibility to ensure that the church can reach more people, and that requires financial commitment,” he said.
Pastor Nwabueze agreed with these funding strategies and added that church members often contribute their technical expertise, such as social media management, graphic design, or video production, without expecting financial compensation.
“There are members who feel called to support the church through their skills, whether it’s in media, advertising, or graphic design, and they don’t necessarily expect to get paid,” Nwabueze explained.
This in-kind contribution significantly reduces the financial burden of running advertising campaigns, particularly in smaller ministries.
Types of advertising used by churches
The advertising methods used by churches in Nigeria vary, as Nairametrics learned from discussions with pastors and experts, including Pastor Nwabueze, who has a decade-long experience as a social media manager.
While print and broadcast media are still used, the focus has shifted toward digital advertising, which requires platform management skills and social engineering to effectively engage audiences.
Digital media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube have become essential tools. According to Pastor Nwabueze, these platforms allow churches to create targeted campaigns, reaching specific audiences.
“You need the right skills to ensure your message reaches the right people,” he noted.
Influencer advertising is another growing trend, where faith-based influencers promote church events and programs to their followers. This strategy helps amplify the church’s message, reaching a wider, engaged audience.
Event-based advertising remains key, combining traditional methods like billboards with social media ads to promote programs such as crusades and conferences. These ads ensure that time-sensitive events get maximum visibility.
Livestreaming is rapidly gaining traction, with ministries like Pastor Nwabueze’s and Pastor Jerry Eze’s New Season Prophetic Prayers and Declarations (NSPPD) using platforms like YouTube and Facebook to reach global audiences. Livestreams allow churches to engage viewers in real time and grow their virtual congregations.
Do churches use advertising agencies? Insights from Industry Experts
In investigating whether churches turn to advertising agencies for their campaigns, Nairametrics found that larger congregations often collaborate with professional agencies to handle their advertising needs. These churches, with bigger budgets, typically seek comprehensive services, from social media management to promotional content creation, ensuring they reach wide audiences effectively.
Pastor Nwabueze, who has extensive experience managing digital campaigns, noted that many smaller churches are increasingly relying on freelance services to manage their advertising efforts.
“Smaller churches often hire freelancers to handle specific tasks like video editing or content creation on a project basis,” he explained.
“This approach helps reduce costs while still ensuring quality.”
Emmanuel Chiefe, whose agency Centytech has worked with the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) and other ministries, shared that the typical services churches require include setting up or growing their social media presence.
“Some churches don’t have a social media presence, while others have it but aren’t getting the traffic they need,” he said.
Regarding costs, Chiefe explained that his fees range from N100,000 to N400,000, depending on services such as ad campaigns, flyer designs, reels, and video editing.
Mrs. Gift David, a Port Harcourt-based video editor, voice-over artist, and animator, added that churches often contract her to create short 30-second to 1-minute videos. These videos are typically designed to advertise or promote conferences and crusades in a compelling way, using stunning visuals and fonts to capture attention.
Her pricing ranges between N35,000 and N60,000, depending on the complexity of the project. She emphasized that the cost is rarely for just one video, as churches usually require multiple videos alongside the official one.
“It’s all about making the message visually compelling while ensuring the content resonates with the target audience,” she explained.
From the discussions with these experts, many churches are striving to develop more in-house expertise in this field, offering opportunities for their members to acquire these skills. This reduces dependence on external freelancers or agencies, except when necessary.
Measuring success: KPIs and soul-winning in church advertising
Key performance indicators (KPIs) for church and ministry advertising depend on the initial goals—whether it’s raising awareness, increasing engagement, boosting viewership, or driving salvation efforts.
While tracking KPIs from traditional forms of advertising can be challenging, digital media and internet-based campaigns are more easily measurable due to the insights these platforms provide on campaign performance.
Regarding the effectiveness of ad campaigns in winning souls, the experts agree that while these campaigns expand the reach to potential audiences, salvation-driven campaigns have proven successful in leading people to Christ.
The pastors also echoed this sentiment, with Mrs. Gift David sharing her personal experience: “It was one of these ad campaign videos that led me to repentance,” she noted.
Outlook
Churches are increasingly using digital marketing to reach wider audiences, with platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube becoming essential for promotion and engagement. Short videos convert best, followed by picture content, while written content is less effective.
Digital campaigns offer measurable insights, allowing churches to track success more easily than traditional methods.
Many churches are also training members in social media and content creation to reduce costs and maintain a strong online presence, helping them extend their outreach and connect globally while pursuing their core mission.
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