Church of Nigeria elects new Bishops and Archbishop
CONN/410705
Abuja, July 25, 2005- The Bishop of Asaba, the Rt. Rev Nicholas Okoh, has been elected the new Archbishop of the Ecclesiastical Province of Bendel of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion).
The election was made at the Episcopal Synod of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), which met at the Cathedral Church of St Mathew Benin, on Friday July 22, 2005.
The Episcopal Synod also decided to translate Bishop of Yola, the Rt. Rev Christian Efobi as the Bishop of newly created Diocese of Aguata, carved out of the Diocese of Awka in the Province of the Niger.
Bishop of Damaturu, the Rt. Rev Daniel Yisa as the Bishop of the Diocese of Minna in the Province of Abuja.
Director of Mission and Evangelism in the office of the Primate Abuja, the Rt. Rev Edafe Emamezi as the Bishop of the newly created missionary diocese of Western Izon, carved out of the Diocese of Warri in the Province of Bendel.
At the same meeting the following clergymen were also elected into the Episcopate for three vacant dioceses namely:
The Venerable John Akao of the Department of Religious Studies, University of Ibadan for the diocese of Sabongida-Ora in the Province of Bendel.
The Venerable Segun Adeyemi of the Archbishop Vinning Memorial Church Cathedral Ikeja, Lagos for the diocese of Kwara in the Province of Ibadan and the Venerable Solomon Kuponu of Bishop Adelakun Howells Memorial Church Surulere Lagos for the new diocese of Ijebu-North, carved out of the Diocese of Ijebu in the Province of Lagos.
According to a release from the office of the Primate the consecration of the new Bishops will take place on September 11, 2005 at Cathedral Church of All Saints, Onitsha at the opening of the 8th General synod.
With the creation of additional three new dioceses namely Aguata, Ijebu-North and Western-Izon, the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), established in 1979, now has 94 dioceses.
