Relationship between Worship Time and Attendance in Orthodox Church, Southern Nigeria
O. C. Ezeanyim *
Department of Industrial and Production Engineering, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State, Nigeria.
C. O. Nwankwo
Department of Industrial and Production Engineering, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State, Nigeria.
A. O. Umeozokwere
Departmentof Mechanical Engineering Technology, Federal Polytechnic Oko, Anambra State, Nigeria.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
The perturbation in members worship attendance data with respect to service duration and a general impression among members, that worship attendance recorded at sessional services, was due to the worship duration, gave rise to this investigative research. There has never been a study in this relation of worship time and members attendance in the church. This study therefore seeks to clarify thinking, in the service time and attendance relationships among the worshipers. To satisfy the needs of the relationships, a correlation analysis was conducted using available data from 62weekly service observations for an orthodox church in south-south Nigeria, by applying parametric and nonparametric correlation methods. The correlations coefficient were obtained by using the Pearson, Kendall and Spearman correlation methods which showed 63, 53 and 66% correlations respectively as well as a significant value of 0.000 result for each individual methods. The results show that there is a significant relationship that exists between both variables under consideration. This insightful and informative research outcome will disabuse or soothe the minds of these members as well as guide the church leadership’s poise in membership growth, development and management of gospel dissemination across sub-Saharan Africa.
Keywords: Orthodox Christians, attendance, worship duration, correlation, significance.