AN APPRAISAL OF THE INFLUENCE OF EVANGELICAL CHURCH WINNING ALL (ECWA) TEACHINGS ON DEATH AND BURIAL RITES AMONG THE TANGLE OF GOMBE STATE

Abstract

Generally, the Tangle are adherents of indigenous African religious practices. However, the advent of Christianity via the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) has converted some to become Christians. The conversion of some Tangle people to Christianity has increasingly influenced their death and burial rituals in the region, introducing new perspectives on death, the afterlife, and burial practices. This study, therefore, appraises the influence of the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) on death and burial rites among the Tangle of Gombe State. The study adopts a qualitative research design. We obtained materials from both primary and secondary sources. Primary sources involved the use of oral interviews from twenty-seven respondents drawn through purposive and quota sampling techniques. Documented sources such as textbooks, journal articles, and the internet served as secondary sources. Findings reveal that ECWA’s teachings significantly shape believers views of rites of passage surrounding death and burial among the Tangle, as funerals are not merely considered cultural events but as a time to proclaim the gospel and affirm the hope of resurrection. ECWA emphasises that the deceased's relationship with Jesus Christ influences their eternal fate. Findings also reveal that the teachings of ECWA have significantly influenced the Tangle people through modified rituals, sacrifices, and family-centred observances, as ECWA has streamlined them and given them a theologically focused approach. The practice of immediate burial, reduction in ritual sacrifices, and emphasis on Christian liturgy during funeral services reflect ECWA’s influence on Tangle funeral practices. The study finds that the changes introduced have reshaped traditional practices and redefined the theological, communal, and cultural understandings of death. The study recommends, among other things, that there is a need for sustenance and modification of cultural rituals concerning death and burial among the Tangle to cope with the influence of modernisation orchestrated by ECWA within the community.