The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Anglican Diocese

  • Anglican Diocese plans N5bn centenary city

    The Diocese of Lagos Anglican Communion has concluded plans to build a Centenary city worth N5bn at Lekki-Ibeju, Epe axis.

    The city, according to Bishop of The Diocese Rt Rev Humphrey Olumakaiye, is proposed to have an empowerment and youth centre as well as rehabilitation centre, games village, sports centre and conservation ground.

    He informed it will also have the Garden of Gethsemane, retreat centre, St Luke Global Hospital, women empowerment, resorts, amusement and a low income housing estate.

    The city, he stated, is part of the centenary celebration of the Diocese, which runs from January-December 2019.

    Olumakaiye said: “Any moment from now, we will now move to sites. We have seen beyond the visible and it is a project that will become a reality.

    “We have the people and we are not extravagant. What God has given to us, we are giving it back to the community.

    “Anglican has made tremendous impact in the society. We have schools, hospitals and we are not interested in acquiring wealth to ourselves. We are not so attached to this world.

    “We have project like this all over the country but we want to make this one unique. It is a huge project and for a start, we are be committing N5billion into the project.

    “It is going to be in phases. We will raise the fund inwardly by members of our church and God will help us.”

    He charged government at all levels to learn from the humanitarian services of the church, saying Nigeria will fare better if government offers selfless service.

    He stated the Diocese was inaugurated in 1910 as the first Anglican Diocese in Nigeria and has given birth to 161 other Dioceses, sub divided into 14 provinces.

    He said the spate of aggressive evangelical works increased in West Equatorial Africa, leading to further sub-division into two of what used to be known as the Diocese of Western Equatorial Africa.

    Our mandate, he added, include “Priestly: to conduct faithfully divine services, performing acts of blessing of members, not cursing them, proclaiming God’s word with fear and favour. Pastoral: we shall tenderly feed the flock of God.

    “We shall care for the weak and the strong, the rich and the poor; carefully watch over them that none of them will be lost”.

    Olumakaiye further said the church’s mission has been encompassing one.

    “We cannot target the soul to neglect the body. We shall not only preach the gospel, we shall provide for the physical needs of the people, Food, clothing, shelter, health, education shall be provided.”

    Among the activities highlighted for the centenary celebration include: Power for the New Year, Mega prayer convocation , unveiling centenary logo, rally, festival of hymns, Nehemiah summit, centenary synod, collection of centenary signature, centenary women conference week, youth conference and girl guide and the building of centenary city.

  • 2019: Anglican Diocese gets committee for poll monitoring

    The Lagos West Diocese of the Anglican Communion has inaugurated the 2019 election Sensitisation, Mobilisation and Observation Committee.

    The committee is saddled with engaging governorship aspirants in Lagos state and conducting a debate for voters to know what they stand for before the general elections.

    Unveiling the committee last week, the Diocesan Bishop, Rt. Rev. James Odedeji said the church, as the moral compass of the society, has a duty to call attention to things that could affect collective wellbeing and guide the people in making the best choice among the array of candidates.

    He said the committee would be a platform for candidates vying for political positions in the state and beyond to present their manifestoes and plans, if elected.

    Which charging the church to be an unbiased umpire, Odedeji noted elections constitute the most important foundation upon which democracy rests, stating the the church must strive to improve the process.

    He said all the elections from the Houses of Assembly to the presidential, will be closely monitored with an impartial report presented.

    According to him: “Nigeria is in this mess today because good people have failed to do what is expected of them.

    “Vote buying remains the order of the day, opponents are unduly maligned and capacity is down-played.

    “We have already started by sensitising all members of our churches towards obtaining their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) and encouraging them to vote.”

    He said the committee’s participation in the monitoring of previous elections has earned it accreditation of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    He added the integrity of members of the committee was never in doubt as they performed excellently well during the 2007, 2011 and 2015 general elections.

    Odedeji advised Nigerians to fully participate in deciding who govern them for the four years, adding “It is our responsibility to improve on what we inherited from the founding fathers of the country.”

  • Rule with fear of God, Anglican diocese urges leaders

    Rule with fear of God, Anglican diocese urges leaders

    The Diocese of Omu-Aran, Anglican Communion has asked leaders to rule with the fear of God as well as initiate and implement masses-oriented programmes.

    The Diocese said elected leaders must work hard to justify the confidence reposed in them to remain worthy before men and God.

    The church stated these in a communiqué at the end of third session of the second synod of the diocese.

    The communiqué was signed by the Diocesan Bishop, Rt Rev. Philip Adeyemo and chairman, Communiqué Committee,

    Mr. J.S. Bamigboye (SAN).

    It lauded the federal government for its anti-corruption and

    anti-terror efforts and urged it not to relent.

    It also decried the deaths of Muslims pilgrims during the stampede at Mecca and pleaded with the Saudi Arabia authorities to avoid a repeat of the tragedy.

    The synod also urged Kwara State Governor Abdulfatah

    Ahmed to concentrate efforts on the development of rural areas to enhance adequate food production and create jobs for the jobless youths.

    It also called on the state government to improve the salaries of teachers and civil servants.

    The communiqué said: “The Synod notes that a strong weapon in our bid to stamp out corruption is by compelling public officers to make their declaration of assets open to the public for general scrutiny.

    “It commends the worthy examples of the President and his vice and enjoins others to follow suit.

    “The Synod notes with concerns the call for fresh National Conference by ex-political office holders under the Northern Re-Awakening Forum.

    “Rather the Synod calls on the Federal Government to implement the Report of the 2014 national conference in which about 500 eminent Nigerians participated. The implementation will assuage all grey areas militating against our unity as a nation.”

  • Niger Delta Anglican Diocese vows to resist same-sex marriage

    Niger Delta Anglican Diocese vows to resist same-sex marriage

    The Bishop of Niger Delta Diocese, Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, Rt. Rev Ralph Cornelius Ebirien, has vowed that the church would never support same sex marriage or relationship despite the appointment of a Nigerian as the Secretary General of the Anglican Communion worldwide.

    Rev Ebirien, who spoke at an event to mark the fifth anniversary of his ordination as the sixth spiritual head of the diocese, said the appointment of Bishop of Kaduna Anglican Communion, Bishop Idowu Fearon as ?the next Secretary General of the Anglican Communion worldwide, has received the blessing from the church but noted that the primate of the Anglican communion had told Fearon the Nigerian church would not accept same sex marriage.

    He said, “Same sex marriage is a problem to Anglican Church worldwide; Church of Nigeria is against it and we want to thank the immediate past President of Nigeria, Goodluck Jonathan who said no to it.  Our primate said no to it, all of us said no to it. The primate said Bishop Idowu Fearon is on his own, someone has been appointed to oversee his Diocese in Kaduna. Our answers remain ‘No’, according to the bible and we will continue to say No.

    Rev Ebirien began his journey as a young Deacon in 1982 and was consecrated Bishop on January 10th 2010.

    He said his greatest achievement as the Bishop of the Niger Delta Diocese was his ability to resolve a very serious crisis affecting the number two church in the Diocese. He said God’s grace was with the members of the church and others who played one role or the other to ensure that peace took the position of the crisis.

    He also recounted the contribution of the church during the flood disaster in Niger Delta communities and other humanitarian service rendered by Diocese. He said because of the terrain where most of their churches are planted, the church had always had to do more in the area of social service delivery.

    “We are indeed very happy that God is guiding us. It is not easy, but God was on our side with the support of Diocese. Since we came onboard we have made some strides in the area of discipline, we had some challenges in one or two churches. The crisis affected the Diocese badly, that church, St. Cyprian where crisis erupted is the number two church, but God assisted us to solve the matter successfully. And that is one of the greatest achievements of my leadership.

    “We have two people on scholarship; we also have plans to increase our temple in the area of training. Before I came here the church hospital was closed down. But now, we have reopened it with modern medical equipment. We have also acquired 20 plots of land; we bought lands for new church buildings and there is also plan to have a new Bishop’s court. These are some of thing we have achieved.

    “During the flood crisis, especially in the Niger Delta region, we reached out to people; about four communities were assisted with food items, clothing and other consumable materials. We have always identified with them even when there is no flood we also visit them. More of our churches are along the creek and sea that is another challenges but we don’t allow any of these challenges to deter us from doing the work of God. One of our pastors fell sick and the church sent him to Indian. With the little available to us we have also assisted other members of the society who solicited for our help in one way or the other.”

    Rev Ebirien also commended his wife for bringing the women in Anglican Communion together and teaching them in a Godly ways on how to respect their husbands and to take care of their families.

    He said the church is devoting interest to training and re-training of the leaders of the church and also establishing a youth church.

    He listed another challenge facing the Niger Delta Diocese community as the migration from rural to urban areas, noting, “Everybody today wants to travel out of his or her community and some of these people are so important to their church in the community.

    “Some time when you go to the rural area to preach you discover that some of the churches are empty. When you try to find out the reply is always that they travel out because of job or school. So it is our duty to see how we can link with those members of the church who have left the villages to towns.”