ATTITUDES OF CHRISTIANS TOWARDS MONEY

ABSTRACT Acquiring money through honest means is what God approves. This is required of members of society in the pursuit of wealth, riches and material possessions. It is for this reason that the Reverend John Wesley, founder of Methodism, dedicated time and attention to educate his followers, and by extension all others to let the principles of honesty guide them in the pursuit of riches. The study sought to examine the attitudes of Christians towards money. Specifically, the study sought to identify the demographic characteristics of the respondents, examine the level of awareness of Wesleyan theology on money, find out the differences between demographic characteristics and member category and their attitude towards money. The study was a descriptive survey which targeted members of Swidu Methodist church. Stratified sampling was employed in selecting 190 out of the 400 respondents for the study. The questionnaire was the main data collection instrument used. The data was analyzed with the aid of statistical software known as Statistical Product for Service Solution (SPSS version 21.0) and interpreted by using means, percentages as well as frequencies and they were well presented by using tables and charts using Excel 2013 version. The study found out that there was low level of awareness of the principles as preached by John Wesley and the medium of instruction currently in use was not adequate for enlightenment. Therefore, the study recommended that the church should embark on a vigorous awareness campaign to sensitize people on acquisition of money in line with Wesleyan principles.