Church of Nigeria:

ACTIVITIES HEIGHTEN IN BUILD UP TO UNPRECEDENTED CONSECRATION SERVICE

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Peter Onwubuariri, Abuja

Thursday, March 1, 2007 Abuja- The mission agenda of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) to make every Anglican an evangelist and double its size will receive a firm boost on Sunday when 20 Bishops will be consecrated at one single service.

Nineteen of them are being sent to missionary areas- places considered as largely ‘unchurched’-, while one of them goes to occupy the vacant See of the diocese of Ife, following the retirement in 2006 of Bishop G. B. Oloniyo.

By Sunday, when the Primate, the Most Rev Peter Akinola completes the marathon consecration service, there would have been 117 dioceses under the primatial oversight of the Archbishop of the Province of Nigeria. A breakdown of the 117 shows: 114 geographic dioceses in the country, one non-geographic nomadic mission, a mission to Congo and CANA- the Convocation of Anglicans in North America.

The assignment for the newly consecrated Bishops in the new dioceses is centered on evangelism.

``If the Church is not evangelizing, it is like dead fire,” Archbishop Akinola was quoted recently in an article by The Guardian (London).

Akinola’s approach to evangelism and church planting shot to the fore in 2000 after his presentation as Primate and subsequent publication of the document: Vision of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion). The document outlined five cardinal visions of the Church hemmed around spirituality, rural evangelism, caring, ecumenism and self reliance.

Assessing the progress of vision in December 2006, during an interview with the League of Anglican Media Professionals, Abuja, the Primate said “these five things were accomplished within the first five years of our tenure of 10 years, what we now doing is consolidation.”

True to his words and six years after his presentation in February 2000, the Nigeria Primate, has midwifed the creation of some 45 dioceses and projections are that more will be created before 2010, when his ten year tenure is scheduled to be completed.

The March 4 Consecration in Abuja will therefore,be another highpoint in the history of the Church. Arguably, this is the first time 20 Bishops will be consecrated at one single service.

The last time a service of this quantum was held was on March 13, 2005 when 10 Bishops were consecrated at the same Cathedral in Abuja. The 3,500 capacity Cathedral of the Advent was filled to the brim and large tents and canopies were erected outside to accommodate a mammoth crowd of worshippers. A similar scenario is expected this time around and the organizing committee for the consecration led by Mr. Olayinka Fisher, has concluded arrangements to provide viewing spots outside the cathedral for thousands to follow minute-by minute proceedings of the event.

Beginning from Monday, February 26, the 20 Bishops-elect and their wives, all gathered at the St Matthias Guest House, Abuja for a week-long retreat.

Archbishop of Ibadan, The Most Rev Joseph Akinfenwa and Bishop Daniel Yisa of the diocese of Minna are coordinating the retreat. Archbishop Akinfenwa’s wife is anchoring a separate class for the wives of the Bishops-elect. The retreat is taking place in an atmosphere of prayers, bible studies, topical sessions led by experienced persons, (Abp. Akinola led one on ‘starting from scratch’) and discussions among the participants. On Tuesday, February 27, after breakfast, the Bishops-elect with the Retreatants posed for a photo session.

Some of the Bishops are already looking beyond the consecration and at least one of them, Ven. Olukemi Oduntan, has produced a document encapsulating a vision for his new diocese which he hopes to share with well-wishers after the consecration service.

Canon Paul Udogu, Bishop-elect of Afikpo missionary diocese, a predominantly Islamic rural community in Ebonyi State, looking ahead said. “Showing people the love of God and preaching the undiluted gospel will turn the people to Christ. According to him, Islam registered her presence in Afikpo since 1948, compared with the Anglican Church which only came in 1997.

Islam has found a solid footing through serious engagement in social works and the provision of social amenities to the people. The Anglican Church has to take seriously the social needs of the people if it wants Christianity to be embraced by the indigenous people. The Bishop-elect, who has a degree in Islamic Studies and good working experience in the northern part of the country, said building a cordial relationship between the two faiths cannot be ruled out.

(Church of Nigeria News)