Evangelism Methods and Church Growth in Baptist Churches in Oyo State

This study evaluates the effectiveness of various evangelism methods employed by Baptist churches in Oyo State, South West Nigeria, and their influence on church membership growth between 2019 and 2024. The research is motivated by observable fluctuations in membership figures reported by the Nigerian Baptist Convention during this period. A descriptive survey design is used, with a sample of twenty Baptist churches selected across Ibadan, Ogbomoso, and Oyo Town. Data are gathered through structured questionnaires distributed to 250 church members and focused interviews with twenty senior pastors. Evangelism methods examined include open-air crusades, house-to-house visitation, digital media outreach, and friendship evangelism. The study finds that friendship evangelism and digital media campaigns recorded the highest rates of new member retention, particularly among the 18 to 35 age bracket. Open-air crusades generated significant first-time decisions but showed lower long-term retention rates. The research further notes that churches with dedicated evangelism committees and regular training programmes for lay workers experienced faster and more sustainable growth. The study recommends that Baptist churches in Oyo State invest in structured discipleship programmes to complement evangelism efforts and leverage social media platforms more strategically. These findings contribute to practical missiology in the Nigerian Baptist context and offer transferable lessons for other Protestant denominations facing similar challenges. Keywords: evangelism, church growth, Baptist churches, Oyo State, discipleship