Church Responsibility Towards the Influence of Civilization on Christian Senior Citizens

Abstract

The invaluable place of senior citizens cannot be overemphasized in the African community. In fact, any community devoid of them can be considered incomplete by every human standard. Senior citizens are male and female individuals who are above sixty years of age. There is a paradigm shift against senior citizens in contemporary Nigeria due to the influence of civilization. The paper identifies specific factors responsible for weakening the strong foundation of the place and welfare of senior citizens in Nigerian societies and they are inadequate appropriation of civilization in the African context, change of value for communal family life, the ideology of liberation and individualism, eradication of kinship care and co-residence practice, economic instability, unemployment, insecurity, oppression and injustice. Caring for senior citizens is rooted in the Bible and the responsibilities of the church toward senior citizens in the face of civilization include advocating and promoting policy for the care of senior citizens, celebration programmes for senior citizens, ministering to the spiritual needs of senior citizenry, and reconciliation, among others. The paper submits that the church should faithfully discharge their roles towards the welfare of senior citizens and this will help them to live a fulfilled life and prepare them for eternity with Jesus Christ. The paper concludes that the challenges of civilization that are confronting senior citizens can be mitigated through church responsibilities toward senior citizens.