Evangelism Approaches and Church Member Retention a Case of Kabwohea Archeadeconary, Diocese of West Ankole. Uganda.

Abstract

This study investigated the influence of evangelism approaches on church member retention in Kabwohe Parish, Diocese of West Ankole. Specifically, it examined the roles of evangelistic outreach programs, Bible study and discipleship, and youth evangelism activities in enhancing spiritual commitment, active participation, and sustained church membership. A cross-sectional research design was employed, with data collected through self-administered questionnaires from 234 Christian congregants and in-depth interviews with church leaders. Quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS, employing descriptive statistics and correlation analysis, while thematic analysis was used for qualitative data. The findings revealed that all three evangelism approaches significantly contributed to member retention, with Bible study and discipleship having the strongest influence on spiritual growth and sustained membership. Youth evangelism was found to be vital for engaging and retaining young church members. The study recommends strengthening evangelistic outreach, enhancing discipleship programs, and expanding youth ministry activities to improve overall retention.