Recently, Nigeria hosted the Baptist World Alliance for the first time since its inception, bringing together delegates from 64 countries. ADEOLA OGUNLADE spoke with the President of the Nigeria Baptist Convention, Rev. Adelani Akanji, to discuss the challenges, triumphs, and significant outcomes of this monumental gathering. Akanji also shares his insights on the logistical hurdles, security measures, doctrinal reaffirmations, and the overarching spirit of unity and faith that characterized the event. Excerpts:
How do feel hosting the Baptist World Alliance for the first time in Nigeria since the inception of the church over 500 years ago?
Well, it has been one day at a time, I would say, it’s been great, it’s been wonderful. You know, to have people coming from all over the world is not an easy thing to manage, we had people from 64 countries of the world that came. Now, I am yet to get the report about those who attended virtually, because we had people attending virtually. We just asked God to help us. The first day came, the second came, the third came, there were some things that gave us more fears. One of them was like moving all the people to the Baptist International Convention Center at the time, which is on kilometer 53, Lagos Ibadan Expressway. We moved them one of the days.
What about the security of the guests from 64 countries?
We were concerned, especially, when we had to move our guests from one location to another. We had to arrange our long buses, luxury buses, to take our guests, and we arranged about ten luxury buses.
Now, people also came in from all parts of the Southwest, including Ibadan, Obamashore, Shaki, Ile-Ife, and Ondo to join us at the Convention Center. That for us was quite a challenge, and we also had activities to do outside the built-up area. So, we were thinking about the rain, and yet we wanted the guests to participate in that colorful display by our young people at our campground. Eventually, everything went well. It was almost raining. We kept praying, and the Lord just held the rain for us, and we had a beautiful service. No rain disturbed us, and everybody came back to the city. I think that was like the climax of the entire programme.
Did you ever see it coming that Nigeria Baptists would host the World Baptist Alliance?
Since the inception of the BWF, we have never held it. So, for us, it’s a thing of joy that this year, we could hold it. Yeah, well, I saw it coming because the thought of hosting it did not begin with me. You know, it began with my predecessor, but usually, when you want to host, you keep asking them to come to your country. A committee was set up at that time concerning the hosting, and you know what? I was the chairman of the committee at that time.
COVID now came, and it destabilized things, but the time we wanted to host it again, they said no. They had already given another country that year, and then the next one, another country had been given.
So, we had to wait till 2024. So, for me, I would say yes. I saw it coming partially, but I never really knew if it would hold because many other countries would have been booked down to use those particular years.
It would be difficult for you to tell a country you have told three or four years earlier to start preparing. It would be difficult for you to change such arrangements. So, we are grateful it finally came, and we are grateful.
During the conference, what were the very knotty issues that were resolved?
The conference handled some important matters. For instance, the Baptist World Alliance General Secretary, who’s the Chief Executive Officer, was supposed to be in office for five years. Upon coming here, he just completed the first five years, and it was here he was elected for another five years.
Were there some doctrinal matters that were resolved and the position was taken?
No, we didn’t have any doctrinal issues, but we are part of the whole world, and the debates about LGBTQ+, the debates has been on, of course in this place, we only reaffirmed our position at the conference stage that we would stand by our understanding of the family life as a man and a woman, not a woman and a woman, not a man and a man.
So, we reiterated it, and it was not a big deal to solve. Nigerian participants at the conference stood up and cleared the mist in the air and said, ‘No, you can’t even bring this here. In our nation, Nigeria, we don’t practice this.’
So, as a doctrine, we must continue to stand against anybody trying to bring that in. In terms of bringing in LGBT people, the Baptist Church will not accept it.
What’s the position of the Baptist World Alliance on the LGBT?
The position of the Baptist World Alliance is the same. They believe in the Christian family life, children, and women, and I believe that by saying so, it just means the same as the Nigerian Baptist.
In the discussion, did you see pressure from some of the participants to be a bit careful?
There was no pressure at all. Yeah, well, some of them were saying in their countries, they have the freedom to practice such and things like that, but definitely, the Baptist World Alliance has not accepted that as an option at all.
Apart from the LGBT issue, other important issues came up…
Well, yes. On the issue of religious freedom, we moved for freedom for all religions. And there, we had no controversy because we were all in agreement that there should be religious freedom. People should be allowed to practice their religion. By religious freedom, we don’t mean by saying that Christians alone should be allowed to practice. We are saying that everybody or group or community should be allowed to express his faith without competition.
In this case, we were appealing during the conference to such places that do not allow churches to be built in some areas while the Christians live in that area. And that Christians too should ensure that when they are approached for a place of worship by other people who are not Christians, they should oblige them and treat everybody fairly so that there will be religious freedom. Nobody should endure any kind of yoke because of his faith.
Baptist is planning to reach 10 billion worldwide, can you shed more light on this?
Yes, that is in discipleship. And we want to be intentional about it, because if you don’t mention figures and you have no strategies, then you will come up with nothing. So, we are building up more mission groups, like the All Africa Baptist Fellowship, which is an arm of the Baptist World Fellowship, and Baptist World Alliances already have new missionaries to do mission work. We are thinking of bringing the discipleship programme into our churches, again, to make every Christian know that every Christian is a missionary.
So, we must all be involved in spreading the good news to everybody. So, yeah, the result of all of that is to take it seriously.
With the ongoing insecurity in Nigeria, what is the position of the Baptist Church?
Well, we Baptists don’t encourage our people to carry weapons. So, ours is continuously reporting to appropriate agencies within the country, to the police, and we have not found biblical reasons for us to start carrying arms around, you know, to defend ourselves.
Even in the face of provocation, what should Christians do?
Well, in the face of provocation, we only counsel our people to defend themselves. You know, as for defending yourself, everybody has the right to exist, and we cannot deprive people of defending themselves. But we don’t teach our people to orchestrate crises. All of that, we teach at least. But if it comes, one has to defend himself. That’s part of what we teach.
Is that a recommendation as we are faced with the farmers-herders crisis in Nigeria?
Farmers-Herders clash must not be that alone. We must be intentional about handling this one. The issue of impunity must be taken away.
If people do what is wrong, they can be arrested and tried and whatever the consequences should be, they should be allowed to face the law. And the full wrath of the law must be dispensed on those who do what is wrong. But in Nigeria, there is too much impunity.
People are doing wrong things. They are moving freely. Then sometimes, when they are arrested, they arrest the wrong people.
Those that have just been given two thousand naira to go and burn down an outfit or something. When you arrest them, where are you taking them to? Some people are their sponsors. So that is part of digging deep.
