By Oyebola Owolabi
Primate of the African Church, Bishop Julius Abbe has asked Nigerians to get reconnected to God to end the insecurity ravaging the country.
Abbe spoke during activities to commemorate the church’s Founders’ Day at the African Church Model College, Ifako-Ijaiye, Lagos. The church, founded in 1901, would be 120 years on October 13.
The theme of the anniversary is ‘Firmly Rooted, Aiming Higher’, taken from Ephesians 3:17-19.
The cleric noted that God is our source, and unless we are firmly rooted in him, Nigeria might not get out of the mess it is in.
He said: “For us to grow in leaps and bounds, our roots must be very deep in Him. We must understand that without Him we are nothing.
“It is only in Him that we can truly achieve our potentials in life as individuals, as one nation and as a Church.”
Abbe urged Nigerians to continue to ask for God’s divine guidance and grace to be firmly rooted in Him. According to him, this was important to enable the country to come under His influence and direction so the people can enjoy His goodness.
The cleric said the anniversary was to appreciate God’s protection, mercy, goodness, and blessings, especially for making the church grow to become a gigantic tree.
He added: “The church came into existence precisely on October 13, 1901, and has gone through many hurdles to get to where it is today. It is no longer news that the church broke out of the Anglican Church (CMS).
“From inception till date, the church had produced 12 primates and 25 lay presidents, we have branches all over the country with seven provinces comprising 47 dioceses in every geopolitical zone of the country.
“Presently, we have branches in the USA, UK and Ghana, and our membership strength is about 2.08 million. We have 680 priests in 720 parishes.
“The church owes its existence and growth to the Almighty God, and the love and mutual cooperation that exists among the members; both clergy and laity,; this has made the church to be firmly rooted in the teaching of Christ, which has given it the grace not to be tossed about by the vicissitudes of life.
“All had not been rosy these 120 years, however, the church has weathered the storm through the help of God.”
Abbe added that the anniversary would afford the church the opportunity to break forth and achieve all its set goals, which include aggressive evangelism to win souls for Christ, building lives and shaping destiny, offering affordable and quality education, as well as other social developmental services to humanity.
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