Ethical Dimensions of Church Fundraising Practices in Selected Pentecostal Churches in Enugu State

This study examines the ethical dimensions of fundraising practices in selected Pentecostal churches in Enugu State, South East Nigeria, with particular attention to practices involving financial pressure, emotional manipulation, and the exploitation of theological authority. The rapid proliferation of fundraising activities within Nigerian Pentecostalism has attracted both popular support and significant public criticism, yet rigorous ethical analysis of these practices from a theological standpoint remains limited. Using a qualitative case study design, data are gathered from twenty-five interviews with church members, five pastoral staff, and three theological ethicists, supplemented by observation of fundraising events in six congregations across Enugu urban, Igbo-Eze North, and Nkanu West. The study applies established frameworks from Christian ethics and nonprofit governance to evaluate the alignment between stated theological justifications and actual fundraising behaviours. Findings indicate widespread use of emotional inducement, competitive pledge structures, and implied divine consequences for non-giving, practices that many respondents recognise as problematic but feel unable to resist. The study recommends the development of a Nigerian Pentecostal ethics charter on church fundraising, the training of church boards in fundraising governance, and the empowerment of congregants to exercise informed consent in giving decisions. Keywords: church fundraising, Pentecostal ethics, financial manipulation, Enugu State, giving theology