Challenges Experienced by Free Pentecostal Church of Tanzania in the Provision of Healthcare Services in Tanzania

Abstract

The paper examines challenges experienced by Free Pentecostal Church of Tanzania (FPCT) in the provision of healthcare services in Tanzania. Unlike many mainline churches, FPCT represents one of the few Pentecostal denominations actively involved in healthcare delivery in Tanzania. A qualitative approach was employed, utilizing primary data collected from forty-one purposively selected participants aged between 20 and 60, and complimented by a secondary data obtained through an extensive documentary review. The data were thematically analyzed within the theoretical framework of structural functionalism and structuration theory which provided lenses for understanding interplay between institutional structures and agency in shaping FPCT’s healthcare practices. The findings reveal various challenges experienced in the provision of healthcare services in Tanzania including; the traditional healing practice, the infrastructural challenges and donor dependency and shift to localization. Overall the study offers valuable insight that contribute to strengthening FPCT’s healthcare initiatives, informing policymakers, guiding religious organizations and enriching scholarly and policy discourses on faith-based healthcare interventions in sub-Saharan Africa.