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IJMRI | International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research and Innovation
Published: September 26, 2026 | Vol. 1 Issue 4 | ISSN: 3139-5902
Research Article

SIGNIFICANCE OF PASTORAL CARE IN CAPTURING LAND FOR MISSION EXPANSION

Adedotun Abiodun Adeola, Ph. D1✉,
Janet Omotola Adeyanju, Ph. D2
1 Lecturer, Practical Theology Department, Faculty of Theological Studies, The Nigerian Baptist Theological Seminary, Ogbomoso, Oyo State, Nigeria.
2 Lecturer, Administration and Leadership Department, Faculty of Education, The Nigerian Baptist Theological Seminary, Ogbomoso, Oyo State Nigeria.
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Abstract

This article examines the role of pastoral care in capturing land for mission expansion within a contemporary Christian missiological framework. It argues that land acquisition for churches, mission schools, health centres, and other mission activities should not be understood merely as a real estate transaction or institutional expansion, but as a spiritual, relational, ethical, and community-oriented dimension of the Missio Dei. The study identifies pastoral care as a significant instrument for integrating physical expansion with the spiritual and social mission of the church. It explores major pastoral functions, including nurturing, educating, sustaining, guiding, healing, reconciling, and empowering, and demonstrates how these functions can contribute to missionary effectiveness, congregational retention, leadership well-being, community engagement, conflict resolution, and sustainable church growth. The article further emphasizes the importance of holistic care for missionaries, contextualized discipleship, public and social pastoral care, and the active participation of local communities in mission expansion. It contends that pastoral care provides an ethical framework for addressing the potential challenges associated with land acquisition, including financial pressure, leadership burnout, community resistance, exploitation, and historical land-related trauma. Consequently, the article proposes that mission expansion should move beyond territorial acquisition toward community transformation, relational integration, and the creation of spaces that promote human dignity, spiritual formation, social well-being, and neighbourhood flourishing. Ultimately, pastoral care enables the church to align its methods of expansion with the message of Christ by transforming physical spaces into contexts where God’s restorative love, justice, and grace can be experienced.
Keywords: Pastoral care; Mission expansion; Land acquisition; Missio Dei; Missional ecclesiology; Church growth; Community transformation; Discipleship; Missionary care; Pastoral counselling; Community development; Christian mission.

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🔓 Open Access | Published by AGSIR Publisher. This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).
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