PRIMATE’S OPENING REMARKS AT THE STANDING COMMITTEE MEETING HELD AT ST. PAUL’S CATHEDRAL, DIOBU, PORT HARCOURT NIGER DELTA NORTH DIOCESE

PRIMATE’S OPENING REMARKS AT THE STANDING COMMITTEE MEETING HELD AT ST. PAUL’S CATHEDRAL, DIOBU, PORT HARCOURT NIGER DELTA NORTH DIOCESE, SEPTEMBER 12 – 16, 2006

My Sisters and Brothers in Christ Jesus:
We are delighted to be able to welcome you most warmly to the Garden City, Port Harcourt. We pray that our gathering together will bear much fruit leading to greater commitment to the LORD and a renewed resolve to the pursuit of the task at hand.
Appreciation
Let me quickly on your behalf offer our sincere thanks to our host, the Rt. Revd. Ignatius Kattey and the entire diocese of Niger Delta North for willingly accepting to host this meeting and for the elaborate plans they have made to make us comfortable and welcome. The Lord will reward you bountifully for this demonstration of brotherly love. We are indeed grateful.
As you all well know, I am not in the habit of eulogising people. But, please allow me to single out for special mention, recognition and appreciation our brother, friend and benefactor, the Governor of this State, Dr Peter Odili without whose pragmatic involvement and massive support, the atmosphere here would certainly have been very different. Dr Odili is one Christian leader who believes that whatever is in his possession is from God and must therefore be judiciously utilised to the honour and glory of God and the blessing of his people. This he has done consistently and most admirably.
People of God here assembled, if I were to make a list of his financial contributions to the work of our Church, it will be longer than your arm’s length. Suffice it to say that, all the Christian denominations in this state owe much of their development in the last seven years to the huge financial donations from the people’s government of Rivers state under the most humane leadership of our dear brother. Individuals: clergy, lay members and bishops alike benefit regularly in kind and in cash from the kind-hearted disposition of the governor. His listening and responsive character to the plight of the needy is now legendary.
His spread of help to the cause of Christianity is not restricted to the state. Only recently, he doled out #100m to the South- South CAN and in addition sent four vehicles to the national headquarters in Abuja. The Christian churches and dioceses in this state see him as their champion, but we also know that Dr Peter Odili has proven himself a national, caring, keenly supportive leader. We assure you, dear brother, in the name of the LORD that you will in no wise loose your reward. We are praying for you.
National Conference
Not too long after our last meeting in Ibadan, we held a very successful and well-attended National Conference with the theme “Seek ye the Welfare of the City/Nation”. Our sincere thanks go to all the dioceses who were represented by their bishops and other high-ranking officials and to our numerous special guests drawn from all walks of life in the country. We remain indebted to the chairman and all members of the organising committee for their sense of duty and dedication. We are also grateful to all those who gave financial assistance towards the cost of the conference.
The reports and recommendations of the Conference have been sent through the diocesan bishops to be reproduced and made available to every parishioner throughout the length and breadth of this country. I appeal to all to ensure that this is faithfully carried out so that the labours and resources put behind the Conference are not in vain. Furthermore, it is important that all leaders at various levels of administration to diligently follow through the recommended action plan at the provincial, diocesan and parish levels to ensure that the desired objective of transformation of our society for needed accelerated development of Church and nation is achieved.
In my keynote address to the National Conference referred to above, I had said:
“The Scripture tells us “Seek peace and prosperity of the city; pray that it should prosper because if it prospers, you too will prosper” (Jer. 29.7) If Nigeria does not have peace no one will be at peace. If it does not prosper nothing will filter down to any of us. Therefore, it is important to seek the peace and prosperity of this country.
Nigeria today is passing through perilous times. Our dear country seems to go from one crisis to another. There is the phenomenon of youth restiveness. The poverty situation of the country in spite of well-publicized government efforts appears to be insoluble. It seems that the lofty vision of our founding fathers has been lost in a wilderness of greed, corruption, selfishness, and insensitivity to the plight of the common man. Men like Herbert Macaulay, Nnamdi Azikiwe, Obafemi Awolowo, Ahmadu Bello Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Akanu Ibiam and Alvan Ikoku exemplified patriotism, vision, integrity and selfless service to our dear country.
Most of these men died without any legacy of a material empire to their name. In contrast our generation clearly has lost these enduring virtues. Politics today is regarded as an avenue to wealth rather than service to the nation. This probably explains the vicious methods by which people seek political office in today’s Nigeria. It has been reported of some who say “give me political office for only three months and that is enough”. The rest is left to your imagination as to what Nigerians do in political office”.
This then is the backdrop scenario in our nation today. The situation in the Church is equally ugly, as shepherds and sheep have become more intensely and deeply conformed to worldly standards. Hence the theme for this meeting “We are on the Lord’s Side”-an affirmation I hope we will wholeheartedly, unreservedly and continuously make in our Christian pilgrimage. (Church Hymnal: 595 (Exodus 32:26).
Who is on the Lord’s side?
In everyday life situations, we are confronted by circumstances that require us to make choices and decisions. In the exercise of our freedom, sometimes we make wise choices but at other times, sadly, wrong ones. Good or bad, any choice we make has implications and often carries far reaching consequences.
Moses had been on the mountain to receive instructions from God for his people who had unfortunately grown impatient. Tired of waiting for their leader and in their characteristic seditious spirit asked Aaron to:
‘make us gods which shall go before us’ (Ex 32.1)
What they asked Aaron to do was a direct violation of the first two commandments and a rejection of the covenant and therefore of YHWH. More disturbing, they found in Aaron a spineless leader, who readily acceded to their rebellious demand. Well, they’ve made their choice; they must now face the consequences.
On his return to the camp, and seeing the golden calf and the debauchery of his people Moses was absolutely furious, smashed the two tablets of Testimony in his hand, destroyed the idol, decided to separate the sheep from the goats.
He threw a challenge:
who is on the Lord’s side? Let him come to me.
In this clarion call, Moses gave the Israelites a chance to make a choice, to repent and be forgiven, or to remain in their rebellion and be damned; to be on Lord’s side and live or maintain their allegiance to idols, work of human hands and perish.
By their action, (not precepts or word of mouth) the Levites declared ‘We are on the LORD’s side’. By this declaration, they were promptly conscripted into YHWH’s army with a matching order to slay all (even closest relatives) who had elected to continue in rebellion against God and when given an opportunity for repentance, remained adamant. In the ensuing battle, 3000 were slain, (Ex 32 27-28)
The problem of syncretism, religious amalgamation and of apostasy (which as rightly interpreted by the prophets was tantamount to the rejection of their Creator, Redeemer and Covenant God) continued to be the major obstacle in the life of Israel for the actualisation of the covenant promises.
Thus from time to time the prophets called them to repentance, reminding them of YHWH’s saving acts and the fact that they had no ontological relationship to the land they now occupied-it was a gift of God in fulfilment of his gracious promise to Abraham. (cp. Joshua 24:14-16) and Elijah on mount Carmel, (1Kings 18. 21ff)
The golden calf episode has become a classic example of human ingratitude but also of man’s instability in matters of trust in the immortal, invisible God of the universe who chooses not to have any physical representation. Israel here depicts the human preoccupation with walking by sight and not by faith. It is regrettable that Israel did not see YHWH’s saving acts all through the wilderness wanderings beyond the personality of Moses.
And this immediately highlights the inherent danger of making too much of religious structures or institutions, be they places, buildings, positions or personalities. When these are accorded undue importance, the understanding and recognition of the Almighty God as the true Lord and Leader of his people is inhibited; then of course the same temptation to ingratitude and apostasy begins to rear their ugly head.
That the people could so easily and so quickly forget the numerous manifestations of divine love and power both in Egypt and on the way to Sinai baffles human imagination—but then the same is sadly true of much of our contemporary attitude towards God and his Word. We (the Church) are too quick to forget “the ancient paths” and “the Rock from which we were hewn”. In the face of the clamour for modernism and liberalism, we are quick to acquiesce and throw away our long-standing and well-tested heritage and identity in the name of cultural and political correctness.
The voice of the people is not always the voice of God, thus the need for some time-tested and universal reference points like the revealed and written Word of God. To toy with these in the name of cultural accommodation or contextualization can only lead to the worship of pseudo gods and the inevitable attendant confusion and disharmony, as is the case in the worldwide Anglican Communion.
Dear friends, this saga is a great lesson for today’s Church. At such times of real danger of sliding into syncretism, apostasy and the inevitable divine judgement, what is needed is nothing short of the call by Moses: “Who is on the Lord’s side?” And those on the Lord’s side must not hesitate, whatever the cost, to make their position clearly known. They must resist every attempt from any quarters to be muddled or messed up with those of contrary disposition in any unholy alliance; lest like Israel they get their fingers burnt. God is merciful; his loving-kindness surpasses all we can fathom. But
‘today when you his voice, harden not your hearts as in
the provocation and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness’

Global Anglican Relations
Sadly, the vexed issues of human sexuality still occupy significant prominence even after the General Convention of the Episcopal Church of the United States (ECUSA) and the General Synod of the Church of England both of which were held recently. Canterbury is now proposing a two-tier level of relationship as the way forward for the communion in response to the recommendation of the Windsor Report’s call for some sort of ‘covenant’ to bind membership. The Episcopal Synod has already given an initial response to this proposal
“Synod is satisfied with the move by the Global South to continue with its veritable project of defending the historic faith committed to us against present onslaught from ECUSA, Canada, England and their allies. The need therefore, to redefine and/or re-determine those who are truly Anglicans becomes urgent, imperative and compelling. Synod therefore empowers the leadership of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) to give assent to the Anglican Covenant”.
And at this meeting, a group is to focus on comprehensive review of all the statements and documentations prepared, and to recommend appropriate position for the Church into the future on the matter. Also, on the issue of the ‘covenant’, the Global South has taken the initiative to prepare a response. The group will also come up with our position after a thorough review.
We continue to participate in the work of the Anglican Communion Office at the United Nations through representation at the 50th Session with the status of Women and Empowerment. Our participation has been highly commended by the outgoing Anglican Observer at the United Nations – Archdeacon Taimalelagi Fagamalama Tuatapaloa-Matalavea. We hope to participate in the 51st Session next year focusing on “The Elimination of all forms of Discriminations and Violence against the Girl child and the Evaluation of progress made on the role of Men and Boys in achieving Gender Equality (as resolved in 2004).
Episcopal Succession
Pursuant to the implementation of the decision of the Standing Committee in February at Ibadan, with regard to the timeframe for the election of Episcopal successors to incumbent bishops and archbishops, a group will be looking at the work already done by the Committee of Reference on proposed Constitutional amendments and recommend to the Plenary what to present to the General Synod for ratification.
Niger Delta Conflict
The unwholesome and restive situation in the Niger Delta where violence, kidnapping of foreign and local nationals and other vices has become the order of the day calls for urgent action. It is incumbent upon the Church of Nigeria with six dioceses in the region to find a solution, restore calm and lasting peace. I have therefore on your behalf constituted a Committee with the Registrar as Chairman to wade into the issues, make necessary interface with all stakeholders and make appropriate recommendations. This Committee has done some work and their initial report will form the basis of the work of a group at this meeting. The group will after their review, recommend to the Standing Committee line of action our Church must take in this matter.
Nigerian Political Terrain
The Nigerian political environment is precarious and deadly. Already, high profile murder of gubernatorial aspirants have taken place in Lagos and Ekiti, whilst another candidate in Abia State was savagely assaulted, dispossessed and warned to back-down from contesting. There has also been wanton destruction of property and some deaths in Osun State. Onitsha has been on the boil in the past few months, with several deaths. It is common knowledge that politicians use the media to canvass personal interests with threats and innuendos of mayhem. The welfare of the nation and its developmental needs are relegated to the background completely. The Church has a responsibility and must seek ways of impacting very positively in the whole stretch of the political programme for 2007 elections.
In this regard, a seminar was held yesterday to sensitize all bishops to the imperatives of the programmes and the responsibility of the polity. The Chairman of INEC, the Inspector-General of Police and the Chairman/Chief Executive, National Orientation Agency were all here as resource persons to address us at the one-day Seminar. The idea is that the bishops will then go back to the dioceses and enlighten their parishioners through a well-co-ordinated series of events and programmes aimed at giving in-depth education of how they are to exercise their democratic right to bring about a responsible and responsive governance come 2007. A group will also at this meeting, review the situation and work done so far and recommend godly guidelines for the electorate and the political gladiators.
Corruption
Seven years ago, the President at his inaugural speech declared a fight to finish war against indiscipline and corruption. He vowed that there would be no sacred cows and it is no longer business as usual. We in the church of God are happy that the war is now truly raging. We appeal to all stakeholders to give maximum support and cooperation to the initiative. We must eradicate corruption from our national psyche. We must sanitise the polity. We have laid our hands on the plough, for God’s sake, there must be no reason to want to look back.
Mission and Evangelism
With grateful heart to God I am glad to be able to report that the bishop we sent to Congo as missionary has now fully settled down to work in the area assigned to him-Mbujimayi, within the Church of the Province of Congo. This is the beginning of a new phase of support for the Church in Africa.
We also report that the Nomadic mission you kindly approved last February in Ibadan has also fully taken off. The Bishop is in residence at the co-ordinating headquarters in Jos. We have recruited; trained and equipped 12 Evangelists with new motorcycles.
Also, last month, with the consecration of the Bishop, Rt. Revd. Martyn Minns, the much needed Episcopal oversight for our Mission Initiative in the United States of America (CANA) commenced in earnest. It is important that we all give this godly enterprise our best support. Let charity abound that God’s glory may glow as we together nurture this worthy and timely intervention for the sake of the Gospel and the historic faith once delivered to the saints.
Let me use this opportunity to thank all dioceses that responded to our clarion call for the special fund to support this and other mission work. Specifically, we offer gratitude to the Dioceses of Awka, Lagos, Abuja, Ibadan, Kaduna, Orlu, Enugu, On the Niger, Lagos West, Niger Delta North, Ilesa, and Umuahia, for agreeing to contribute N600, 000 per annum for three years and for promptly paying the first instalment. We welcome others who are mission-minded and so led to join these worthy compatriots by subscribing to this special mission fund.
At a special session yesterday, the Archbishops met with the CNMS Board to receive the reports and recommendations of the Primatial visitation panels on missionary initiatives. Our concern arising from the vision goals of Church is to ensure that
strong Anglican presence is established wherever there is none. And wherever we are but weak, our effort is geared towards giving the church formidable Anglican presence.
The recommendations will be shared out shortly.
Ecumenism and Interfaith Dialogue
We continue actively in the pursuit of making the Christian Association of Nigeria focused and result-oriented by proactively interfacing with the government and stakeholders. This has yielded handsomely, we now boast of a more harmonious, constructive and consistent engagement with attendant positive results.
The Most Revd. Josiah Idowu-Fearon led our team to the 9th World Council of Churches (WCC) Assembly from February 14 – 23, 2006 at Port Alegre in Brazil, and he was elected into the Central Working Committee of the body.
It is pertinent to report that our Church played a leading role in the inauguration of the African Forum on Religion and Covenant (AFREG), which involves all Christian Heads of State across the Continent of Africa. The vision of the body is “Transparency and Accountability in Governance”. The first consultation took place from July 25-28, 2006 at the International Conference Centre, Abuja, with delegation from all over the world in attendance. Our Director of Ecumenism and Interfaith is the Secretary of AFREG.
Our Anglican-Roman Catholic Commission continues to hold regular dialogue as they meet bi-annually. The last consultation held at Ilesa in the month of July, 2006.
HIV/AIDS PROGRAMME
In furtherance of the implementation of our 5 – year HIV/AIDS Strategic Policy and Plans, a debriefing of Bishops was held in June. This was sponsored by ENHANSE Projects and attended by other donor agencies. I urge us all to make the best use of this in moving forward the HIV/AIDS Initiative in our respective Dioceses.
Standing in the gap
At the global level, we are beginning to take a hard and critical look at some of the issues we have hitherto taken for granted in our Christian –Moslem relations especially as it affects the growth of the Church around the world. The UK, Europe and America we used to know as Christian centres are been gradually taken over by Islam and materialism.
I know you will be surprised to learn that some northern cities in the UK now have Moslem mayors and are already asking for the introduction of the Shari’a. London metropolitan Moslem police want to wear turban. Plans are fast afoot to build a 40,000 capacity Mosque near the Olympic Stadium in London! Both the site and timing tells the whole story. France is said to have 7 million French born-Moslems! In Belgium, you don’t drink coffee in public during Ramadan, as that’ll offend Moslems. Whichever way you look at it, Islam is determined to take over the western world. Allowing Islam to take over Europe, America and the United Kingdom will surely have a negative impact and unsavoury implications for Africa.
We have identified four broad lines of action to stem this tide
· Strong Christian political office holders
· Christians in Media
· Regular publications
· Wake up call on all Christian preachers
Initial work has already begun on this assignment both in the United States of American and the United Kingdom. Consultation with identified personalities would take place before the end of the year and during the first quarter of next year.
IBRU CENTRE PROJECT
What was meant to be a one-year project is still yet to be completed. We continue to thank the dioceses that have paid their contributions to the project and appeal to the others who are yet to pay to do so to enable us complete the outstanding work which consists of installation of fittings and fixture and external works.
Finally, beloved in Christ let us rise up at the end of this meeting determined and with greater resolve to employ all our God-given talents in the pursuit of everything that reflects His glory. This is the only way we can unequivocally demonstrate the affirmation “We are on the Lord’s Side”.
“Who is on the LORD’s side
Who will serve the King?
Who will be His helpers,
Other lives to bring?
Who will leave the world’s side?
Who will face the foe?
Who is on the Lord’s side?
Who for Him will go?
By thy call of mercy,
By thy grace Divine,
We are on the Lord’s side!
Saviour, we are Thine.

Fierce may be the conflict,
Strong may be the foe,
But the King’s own army
None can overthrow;
Round His standard ranging,
Victory is secure,
For His truth unchanging
Makes the triumph sure.
Joyfully enlisting
By Thy grace divine
We are on the Lord’s side!
Saviour, we are Thine.

+ Peter Abuja
September 14, 2006

INEC Boss Appeals for Prayers, Invites Clergymen to volunteer as ad-hoc staff.

INEC Boss Appeals for Prayers, Invites Clergymen to volunteer as ad-hoc staff.

CONN/0590906

Port Harcourt, Sept. 13, 2006- The Chairman of INEC, Prof. Maurice Iwu today delivered his most passionate appeal for the success of the 2007 elections appealing to Church leaders to fervently pray for the forthcoming polls.
He also asked the Church to encourage Priests to volunteer as ad-hoc staff, saying ‘there is nothing wrong in Anglican clergymen working as electoral staff’.

Prof. Iwu was speaking to delegates of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) attending the ongoing Standing Committee of the Church in Port Harcourt, the Rivers state capital

Making reference to the Gospel of Luke 4:18, he tasked the Church leaders to make 2007 an acceptable year of the Lord.

The INEC boss, who quoted copiously from the Bible during his presentation, said “Jesus came to preach the gospel to the poor, to proclaim liberty to the captive and recovery of sight to the blind.”

“It is only you (the Bishops) not me, that can make 2007 the acceptable year of the Lord. As Christians you can lead us to join our Moslem brothers- who are also Children of the Book-, to make 2007 an acceptable year of the Lord.”

He asked Church leaders to stop ascribing blame of manipulation of election on politicians and called on Christians to train men of integrity to take over the leadership of the country.

“No politicians carries ballot boxes, no politicians carries acid, no politician carries machete. It is the ordinary Nigerian, people who come to Church everyday to worship God; they are the ones they use,” he said.”

He described as totally unacceptable a situation in the country where people of low intellect and sheer brutality have been allowed to control the reins of political power.

Iwu said religious leaders have been appointed by God to lead and liberate the people from the reins of ignorance and bondage.

He appealed to the Church leaders to encourage their followers not to allow themselves to be used as agents to derail the electoral process.

On what INEC was doing towards the 2007 polls, Iwu said some 500,000 people and more are needed to conduct the polls.

He said the electoral body resolved not to take any list from politicians during recruitment of ad-hoc staff and listed religious bodies, academia, business community, as reliable alternatives.

MESSAGE TO THE CHURCH AND NATION ARISING FROM THE POLITICAL AWARENESS SEMINAR HELD FOR THE BISHOPS OF THE CHURCH OF NIGERIA (ANGLICAN COMMUNION)

MESSAGE TO THE CHURCH AND NATION ARISING FROM THE POLITICAL AWARENESS SEMINAR HELD FOR THE BISHOPS OF THE CHURCH OF NIGERIA (ANGLICAN COMMUNION) ON WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13 2006, AT ST. PAUL’S CATHEDRAL, DIOBU, PORT HARCOURT, RIVERS STATE.
INTRODUCTION
The Bishops of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) met in a seminar on Political Awareness in the country on the 13th day of September 2006 at the Cathedral Church of St. Paul’s Diobu, Port Harcourt in the Diocese of Niger Delta North. After a very deep prayerful exposition and exhaustive deliberation on the current political process, as well as the security demands, mobilization and laws towards a successful general elections in the country next year, issues the following statements to the Church:

1. Commendation
The House of Bishops highly commends the leadership of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) for putting in place such an educative, informative and brainstorming seminar for the house of bishops at this crucial stage of our national history and development. It also places on record, the contributions of our Resource Persons: Prof. Maurice M. Iwu, chairman Independent Electoral Commission, Mr. Sunday Ehindero, Inspector General of Police, Alhaji Mohammed Faruk, Director General, National Orientation Agency and Hon. Austin Opara, Deputy Speaker, Federal House of Representatives, towards the success of the seminar. The first three personalities not only attended in persons, but also made remarkable contributions that have made the Church and her leaders better informed on the ongoing electoral process in the country.

2. The Church and an Enduring Democratic Process in Nigeria
The House of Bishops strongly believes that the feeling in certain quarters that Nigerians by nature are incapable of doing things right is not only false but also unfounded. It however identifies the problem as having to do with the wrong mindset, which people have built over the years. To conduct a credible election in Nigeria come 2007 is not only possible but also feasible.

Conscious of the fact that a new political culture is germane to the emergence of the new Nigeria of our dream, the Church therefore commits itself irrevocably to partner with all relevant electoral agencies or bodies to ensure a successful general elections in Nigeria not only in 2007 but also in subsequent elections. While regretting her political aloofness and inertia, the Church believes that the need to wrest politics out from the hands of hawks and predators into those of godly and patriotic Nigerians is urgent, imperative and compelling. It (the Church) therefore commits itself to the following programmes of action:

Aggressive Electoral Education Programme
Part of the mandate of the Church is teaching. She is to teach all things necessary for the growth and development of the human society towards the path of godliness and righteousness. To this end, every Ecclesiastical Province and Diocese in the Church of Nigeria should carefully study all the relevant electoral laws and acts and endeavour to explain same to the electorate as a way of getting them well informed enough to be able to resist the manipulations of wicked politicians. Political Education is to become part and parcel of the Church’s mission and ministry.
Awareness Campaign
Every bishop is enjoined within his Diocese to identify, persuade and encourage men and women of integrity and good Christian virtues to present themselves for elective positions and/or offices. It believes that only when such people get interested and involved will our society be on the path of recovery and rectitude. It should be made clear to people that shying away from active politics is both an anti social behaviour and an ungodly act.

Mobilization and Sensitization of the Electorate
It is the duty of every bishop to mobilize, sensitize and conscientize all eligible voters to endeavour to be card carrying members of any political party of their choice. Again every true Nigerian Christians should see it as a duty to participate fully in the forthcoming revision of voters Register so as to take active part in the process that will lead to the emergence of God-fearing leaders at all levels in our country next year.

The Youth and Electoral Violence
Every diocese in the Church of Nigeria should organize an awareness seminar for the youths on the need of resisting the temptation of mortgaging their future in the hands of wicked politicians for a plate of portage. The dangers of offering themselves as political thugs for doing odd jobs should be highlighted to prevent them from being willing tools in the hands of mischief makers.

Election Monitoring Groups
The problem with the electoral process in Nigeria also include the fact that in most cases the election results do not reflect the actual voting pattern. The need therefore to protect the peoples votes becomes absolutely necessary. It shall therefore be established in every diocese, Ecclesiastical Province, and the National Church, election monitoring groups that will make available to the Church the true voting pattern so as to ensure that the results eventually declared represent the wishes of the people of this country.

Discipline of Errant Politicians
The Church shall henceforth rediscover, dust and exercise fully her instrument of discipline and use it strongly on any member of the Church, no matter how highly placed, who as a politician, engages in or encourages thuggery, and or any form of electoral violence or malpractice or whose conduct in the political arena did not befit a Christian.

The Church is eternally committed to its time-honoured prophetic ministry that declares the whole mind of God fearlessly and uncompromisingly so that the people of this nation shall know the truth that sets free. Our prayer for the nation, her leaders and people shall be intensified so that the year 2007 will indeed be to us all an acceptable year of the Lord towards a better Nigerian nation.

May God bless us all.


+Peter Akinola
(Archbishop, Metropolitan and Primate of All Nigeria).



MESSAGE TO THE NATION

INTRODUCTION
The Bishops of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) met in a seminar on Political Awareness in the country on the 13th day of September, 2006 at the Cathedral Church of St. Paul’s Diobu, Port Harcourt in the Diocese of Niger Delta North. After a very deep prayerful exposition and exhaustive deliberation on the current political process, as well as the security demands, mobilization and laws towards a successful general elections in the country next year, issues the following statements:

Commendation
The House of Bishops highly commends the leadership of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) for putting in place such an educative, informative and brainstorming seminar for the house of bishops at this crucial stage of our national history and development. It also places on record, the contributions of our Resource Persons: Prof. Maurice M. Iwu, chairman Independent Electoral Commission, Mr. Sunday Ehindero, Inspector General of Police, Alhaji Mohammed Faruk, Director General, National Orientation Agency and Hon. Austin Opara, Deputy Speaker, Federal House of Representatives, towards the success of the seminar. The first three personalities not only attended in persons, but also made remarkable contributions that have made the Church and her leaders better informed on the ongoing electoral process in the country.

INEC and 2007 General Elections
The Church of Nigeria admires with great enthusiasm, the zeal, commitment and determination of the Independent National electoral Commission to conduct a very credible election in the country come 2007. It however notes with sadness that since independence, the electoral process in Nigeria has been characterized by massive rigging, political violence and thuggery, politics of bitterness and imposition of candidates among others. It also decries the fact that party politics has, most of the time, not been issue-based, but driven by primordial sentiments and quest for political power and public office, not as a means of bringing about development, but as vehicles of personal aggrandizement and disbursement of patronages to supporters and cronies. Synod enjoins INEC to be resolute and steadfast in its determination to make the forthcoming general elections a watershed for an enduring democratic culture in Nigeria.

The Nigerian Police and the Democratic Electoral Process
The House of Bishops underscores the crucial but central role of the Nigerian Police in ensuring the success of the democratic electoral process in this country. It is however inconsolably worried that the Nigerian Police is not only ill-equipped, but also poorly motivated for their job. That the Nigerian Police has no functional aircraft for effective surveillance and monitoring, coupled with the fact that armed robbers and social miscreants have stronger fire-power is not only a threat, but posses a real danger to the maintenance of peace, order, security and good governance in this country. It therefore calls on the Federal Government to take urgent steps at repositioning the Nigerian Police for effective discharge of their constitutional obligations by ensuring not only the provision of modern security gadgets and apparatus, but also an improved welfare package that will adequately motivate them for their very delicate job.

The Federal Government and the Success of the 2007 General Elections
The Bishops note with satisfaction that the present government of the Federation is leaving no stone unturned in an effort to engender a true democratic culture that will ensure the realization of the dreams of our founding fathers at independence. Worthy of special mention are the various legislations being put in place to ensure free and fair elections, setting of limits for election expenses by various candidates from the office of the President to Ward Councilors, and the unrelenting war against corruption in the country. It urges Mr. President and his team to remain resolute until Nigeria truly becomes the motherland of our dream.

Politics Without Bitterness
The House of Bishops reminds Nigerians that politics is about sharing of ideas. It is therefore very wrong and ungodly to allow bitterness and acrimony to rise to the level of contemplating, planning and actual assassination of perceived political opponents. It reminds our brothers and sisters in partisan politics of the truism that “whatever a man sows, that he will reap” and warns those who see politics as a do or die affair to save the successive generations of their families from the curse that goes with the shedding of innocent blood.
May God bless us all.

+Peter Akinola
(Archbishop, Metropolitan and Primate of All Nigeria).

Archbishop Akinola Commissions CSS/Omega Savings Estate.

Archbishop Akinola Commissions CSS/Omega Savings Estate.

CONN/0580906


Port Harcourt, Sept. 12, 2006- The Most Rev Peter Akinola, Primate of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) has commended the CSS bookshop and Omega Savings and Loans on the completion of a new estate located in Port Harcourt, the capital city of Rivers State.

The Primate assisted by some other Archbishops and Bishops of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) attending the Standing Committee of the Church in Port Harcourt commissioned the ultra-modern estate located at 50, hospital road, today.

“If you knew this place three years ago you would not want to enter this area at all. Many of you from Lagos know about the ‘area boys’- the street urchins-, this was how this place was”, he said. According to him, the CSS bookshops limited in conjunction with Omega Savings and Loans moved into the area, cleaned it- up and under three years, the Cliff-top CSS-Omega Estate was completed.

Archbishop Akinola extolled the achievement of the team led by Chairman of Omega Savings and Loans and Anglican Priest, the Rev Canon Segun Agbetuyi.
He said the team worked for the church ‘absolutely free of charge’ and he prayed God to crown their efforts with success.
Furthermore, the Primate challenged the team to go all out and look for the right kind of potential owners for the properties.

The CSS-Omega Estate design is a terrace type with a minimum of 2 units in a block, others have 3-4 units in a block and there are 8 blocks in all. Each unit is an ultra-modern 4 bedroom luxury house.

Commenting on the project, Canon Agbetuyi noted that there was a huge gap between the demand for and the supply of housing in the country.
“To make matters worse cases of building collapses in our crowded cities nationwide has only heightened the fear of the average Nigerian on where to go for shelter,” he said.
He commended the vision of Archbishop Akinola in identifying this gap and repositioning the CSS Bookshops Limited, to meet the housing needs of the nation through her subsidiary, CSS properties.

Agbetuyi said the management of the joint venture has created a moderate finance opportunity to accommodate those with initially insufficient capital to own a home.
CSS bookshop Limited, one of the oldest printing and publishing houses in Nigeria, was established by the Church Missionary Society in 1869 as C.M.S Bookshops, Lagos.
In 2003, the company which has strong links with the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) was repositioned into three divisions: CSS Bookshop, CSS Press and CSS Properties.

Standing Committee meeting opens Tuesday in Port Harcourt

Standing Committee meeting opens Tuesday in Port Harcourt.
CONN/0570906

Abuja, Sept. 11, 2006 - A meeting of over 400 Anglican delegates begins Tuesday at St Paul’s Cathedral Church, Diobu- Port Harcourt.
The meeting, otherwise known as the Standing Committee of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), is being hosted by the Diocese of Niger-Delta North.
It is normally held twice each year. The last meeting was hosted in February by the Diocese of Ibadan-North at the Cathedral of St Peter Aremo, Ibadan North Diocese.
With ‘We are on the Lord’s Side’, (Exodus 32:36) as it’s theme, the Primate of the Church of Nigeria, the Most Rev Peter Akinola is expected to deliver his presidential address Thursday.
The meeting will combine a political awareness seminar, plenary sessions, a presentation on 'Religious Virus', bible studies, group discussions, Provincial Women’s work meetings, audit report and financial budget for year 2007.
Expected speakers at the political awareness seminar include Prof. Maurice Iwu, chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mr. Sunday Ehindero, Inspector General of Police, Alh. Idi Farouk, Director General of the National Orientation Agency and Hon. Austin Opara, Deputy Speaker, National Assembly.
Another prelude to the Standing Committee meeting is an evaluation of progress in the Church’s evangelism programme. Archbishops, visitation panels and the Church of Nigeria Missionary Society (CNMS) will meet to do the evaluation, and also chart further steps towards achieving the Church’s goals.
A pastoral letter and message to the nation is expected at the end of the meeting.

STATEMENT FROM THE STANDING COMMITTEE OF THE COUNCIL OF ANGLICAN PROVINCES OF AFRICA (CAPA) NAIROBI KENYA

STATEMENT FROM THE STANDING COMMITTEE OF THE
COUNCIL OF ANGLICAN PROVINCES OF AFRICA (CAPA)
NAIROBI KENYA, SEPTEMBER 5TH 2006


1. We urge all Christians in Africa and the world at large to be more loyal and dedicated to the Word of God. In the situation we find ourselves in today’s world we remind all Christian people of the need to be faithful, diligent, and prayerful and never to allow materialism and any pseudo religion to overshadow Christianity. We urge the CAPA Primates to soldier on this loyalty by ensuring sound theological and biblical teachings in all our Provinces.
2. We are committed to and reaffirm that Africa has come of age. We need to empower our people economically and we commend those Provinces that have already employed their Economic Officers. Those who are yet to do so are implored to do so quickly.
3. We note with gratitude the commendable work being done by our HIV/AIDS TB & Malaria Board through its Programme Coordinator.
4. We commend the fight against corruption and call on African governments not to relent in its effort until this cankerworm is defeated.
5. We note that General Elections are being held and will be held between now and the end of year 2007 in several African Countries. We urge political leadership in these countries to ensure level playing grounds for all participants, eschew bitterness, and avoid violence and blood shed. We pray that peace will prevail during the electioneering and outcome of the elections will be free and fair.

Signed
The Most Rev. Peter J. Akinola
ON BEHALF OF CAPA STANDING COMMITTEE

Sermon -Contend for the faith.

Sermon -Contend for the faith.
A sermon delivered by the Most Rev. Nicholas O. Okoh, Bishop of Asaba and Archbishop of Bendel Province at the Consecration Service for for new Bishops in Abuja on Sunday 20th August, 2006.
CONN/0550806

Text : Jude verse 3: ‘Dear friends, although I was very eager to write you about the salvation we share: I felt I have to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints.’

INTRODUCTION This short epistle was written by Jude identified out of the five people bearing that name in the New Testament to be the brother of the Apostle James and Jesus. It was written about A.D 65. From as early as the first century A.D; the church has been threatened by major or minor heresies and false teachings.
It noteworthy that there was one type of warning or reference to false teaching in many books of the New Testament. You find it in the Gospels, in the Acts of the Apostles, Romans, Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Colossians, 1st and 2nd Timothy, 2nd Peter, 2nd John and Jude.
Long ago, Jude realized the important connection between right belief and right practice. He realized the importance of maintaining orthodoxy and using the faith handed down by the apostles as a doctrinal guideline. Jude’s letter therefore was a clarion call to summon the church to maintain vigilance and keep the faith pure and strong, to defend the faith and oppose false teaching.
HERESY DENOUNCED BY JUDE The letter of Jude denounced the heresy, which has three parts.
The first part has to do with turning the grace of God into an excuse for immoral living. If you look at Romans 6:1, there is a reflection of it there, in other words: perverted grace. These were antinomians, for them the law is dead, you can do what you like, the grace of God can forgive any sin, so no matter what you do, it is okay. For them, the more you sin, the more the opportunity for grace to abound. When you sin, you give the grace of God opportunity to do its work is their emphasis. What matters according to them, is the inward part of man. Consequently, they practice all manners of sin. In verse 4 of that book, Jude wrote; “..they are godless men, who changed the grace of God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ, our only Sovereign and Lord.”
They even practiced homosexuality as the people of Sodom and Gomorrah did. These antinomians and their doctrine appeared in a fresh way again in the 17th century in a group known as the Ranters. The Ranters were pantheists, who believed that God is everything. John Wesley accused them of preaching a gospel of the flesh. For them adultery, drunkenness, theft are not sinful unless the person guilty of them understand them to be so, they lived filthy lives.
The second aspect of the heresy has to do with the Gnostics. The Gnostics denied the oneness of God and they taught that the God of creation is different from the God of redemption. The God of the Old Testament to them is different from the God of the New Testament. But Jude countered and insisted that we have only one God and that is why in verse 25 he wrote about the only God. These heretics also denied the uniqueness of Jesus Christ, they regarded Jesus Christ as one of the aeons or reincarnation and that he was in no way unique. But Jude countered them and insisted that Jesus Christ is our only master and Lord as you can find in verse 4.
The third aspect of this heresy Jude addressed was that they spoke ill of the angels. They denied and despised the angels and discouraged people from honoring or having anything to do with angels. Jude, the man of God spoke of them as spiritually careless as Cain motivated by material gain as Balaam and rebellious to authority as Korah. Jude in verses 5-7 concluded that these false teachers would be punished by God like disobedient Israelites in the desert, falling angels, the city of Sodom and Gomorrah and other towns who had their influence.
Brothers and sisters, new Bishops, men and women, boys and girls who have assembled in this edifice; how does Jude’s teachings concern our Christian ministry and us today? The church of Nigeria under whose umbrella you are going to serve is emphatically Bible-based and evangelical and I make no apology for that position.
There are many false teachers today everywhere within and outside our denomination, in Warri you will find them, in Bauchi you will find them, in Lagos you will find them, in the United States of America you will find them, where you are going to serve, you will find them.
It is known that one of our prominent leaders no longer believe in the uniqueness of Jesus Christ. Today it is very easy to find Bishops who believe less and less and less. They are more known for what they disbelieve than what they believe making one to wonder whether they were forced into the ministry of the church of God
These false teachers seek to destroy the credibility of God’s work, in everything they do. They try to destroy the credibility of the word of God. They do it through their false interpretations; they rationalize everything and apply the principle of relativism. They make their culture and experience superior to the Word of God instead of allowing it to act as a judge and to transform culture. With sophistry, they subtly minimize the sinfulness of sin. They indulge the grace of God, continuing in sin, living immoral lives yet expecting the grace of God to abound contrary to scriptures. They cleverly undermine obedience to the Lord Jesus in their daily lives.
Brothers, like Jude, I urge you to contend for the faith of the saints: Bishops-elect Christian Ide, Musa Tula, Adebayo Akinde and Martyn Minns; contend for the faith of the saints; be the Jude in Warri, be the Jude in Bauchi, be the Jude in Lagos and be the Jude in the United States. You should have nothing to do with the heresy and the lifestyle inspired by it. Instead with humility and love, rebuke them and correct their errors with the glory of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Furthermore, there are some among us who have the attitude of the heretics in 1st Timothy 6: 5-10. They believe that religion is all about gain? This is the mercenary motive in the church ministry that is so clear in the church today. What was the end of those people? 1st Timothy 6 : 10 says:“For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. Some people eager for money have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.”

So as you go, you will find people like these whose main interest in the ministry of God and the church is gain. Rebuke them; correct them in humility so that they do not destroy the faith handed over by the saints.
Another heresy that you need to contend with in our midst is nominal Christianity. Nominal Christianity is a heresy because it presents a deformed Jesus, it represents the type of Jesus that is incapable of doing anything supernatural or living an upright life. These people misrepresent Christ and his Church to the world.
They have Christianity that lack moral powers like the 8th century B.C Israelites in the days of Amos, Micah and Isaiah. They were very good at coming to worship, they paid their tithes and offered fabulous offerings. They observed religious feasts, sang religious songs and danced very well; they offered sacrifices yet they took bribes, oppressed the poor, perverted justice and lived immoral lives. In your dioceses contend against these heresies.
Yet another heresy, the power of ethnic factor in the church. The power of ethnic factor in the church has grown to the proportion of becoming a heresy.
When you understand ethnicity to mean only my tribe is good and capable. Right or wrong, only my tribesman or woman is good. No good can come from another tribe. When you become inconsiderable toward people of other tribes then it has become your doctrine, a heresy which you proclaim. There is need for repentance, otherwise we present a wrong Jesus to the world. This tendency has grown to a proportion of heresy that distorts the truth of Holy Scripture. As Jude did, we must rebuke the teachers and correct this heresy, we must continue to remind ourselves that in Christ, different tribes and languages met on the Pentecost day, white, black, brown, yellow, red and so on, Jews and Gentiles, Greeks, Romans, men and women, slaves and masters, the rich and the poor, Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo, Nupe, Ijaw, Edo, Uruobo, Isoko, all meet to become one tribe in Jesus.
HOW DO YOU CONTEND FOR THE FAITH? How do you contend with faith in the place you are going to?1. Maintain a good prophetic ministry, preach, teach, write the truth of God. If you preach and teach and write the truth of God, then you will refute the ignorance of people who are spreading falsehood. Study to show yourself approved unto God a workman that needed not to be ashamed rightly dividing the word of truth. You are to monitor through what you teach, through what you preach and through your proclamation, the truth of the Gospel.
Your Diocese must be Bible-based, we are taught that all Scripture was inspired by God and it is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
So rely on the Holy Scripture, do not allow people to ridicule you out of the bible, because when they take the bible from you, they will give you something that can not stand and they lead you into destruction. No amount of pretence to knowledge by people who do that should ridicule you to abandon your scriptures. Hold it, teach it, preach it and then you will save yourself and those who hear you from error.
2. Live it out in your deadly life. The truth of the Gospel must reflect in your own personal life with you showing examples in personal scarifies and self denial.
Do not live as if the purpose of the Episcopacy is to make money, you have to contradict that notion from the way you conduct yourself and from the way you live your life by the standard you set and everything around you and in your family.
By so doing you will be contending for the faith that has been entrusted to you, because if you live and give the impression that the Episcopacy is all about money, is about success, etc, you will prove right the worldly heretics who think that religion is gain. Those who followed this idea in the past made shipwreck of their faith with eternal consequences.
3. You will promote evangelism. Evangelism is very important for you to spread the faith and contend with the faith that has been handed over to us. Operation 1-1-3 is a double edged sword, one for increasing our members and two for deepening the faith and quality of our members. Inculcating in them christian virtues of honesty, trust worthiness, accountability and social justice so they can stand for the Lord. When you promote evangelism at this level, you will be countering all false notions about the church of Nigeria.
4. Get involve in the ministry of caring and sharing in order to present a holistic gospel to the world. If you do this, you will be contending in a very serious way for the faith that is entrusted to us.
5. Administer your dioceses well, honestly, trusty rigorously and in the self-denial of the Christian leader. Be fair to all parts of the diocese and do not allow any narrow-mindness to block your view because it will lead to evil.
These tasks, my brothers, you must admit is great, but note according to Jude, God is able to keep you from failing. ( verse 24). So if you rely on him, you will not fall. You will be able to carry it out and be able to rebuke the devil and any form of teaching and establish the glory of God in your Diocese. You should also remember 1st Thessalonians 5: 24 God who calls you is faithful he will do it if you rely on him. He who has called you will not let you down but do not let yourself down for our God will keep his own part of the deal.Remember also Jesus’ promise in Matthew 28:20, “Lo, I am with you always, to the close of age.” To do what? To protect you. You may be going to places where you are like sheep among wolves and you need to be careful but the Lord says, I will protect you and I am with you always and he says again, I am with you always to overcome difficulties and to fight your battles.
If you bear all these things in mind, you will be a good servant and a successful minister of the lord Jesus.

NIGERIAN POLITICAL SITUATION
In this national edifice, we can not forget our all important project for 2007, the general elections. Some politicians have tasted the privileges of being in power and like to remain there. Some others feel left out of power and would like to come in, some who have seen in the corridors of power would like to move in to the sitting room of power to take over.
May God help Nigeria?
As a church, we call upon all Nigerians to support with their prayers, the project of 2007. God has always heard our prayers, when things are very difficult, when we pray, when Nigerians cry and come down on their kneels, he hears our prayers. Please pray for Nigeria, pray for 2007.
Let it be known that sincere leadership is spiritual, calling for virtues of self sacrifice, self denial, total commitment and justice. This is why, nobody can really be a statesman or serve the people very well who has no God in him.
If you want to be a leader, then you have to first of all submit yourself, your will, your ambition, your understanding of life to the power of God.
Then God will lead you before you lead the people. You must avoid the struggle and indeed the intense rivalry in this political dispensation we are about entering. We must avoid violence. Power belongs to God and he gives it to who he wants. We must avoid a situation where people like Bola Ige, Dikibo, Funsho Williams , etc have lost their lives.
It is not normal, God will judge because all lives belong to God.
Whatever you do in other to get into power, if God is not with you, you will not get there. If you like rig the election, you will not be there, if you like spend heavy amounts of money you will not be there, if you like kill your opponents, you will not be there, if you like, change your parties, you will not be there.
Without God you can not make it. For the scripture tells us except the Lord builds the house, the labourers labour in vain. Except the lord keep the city, the watchman is awake in vain. So brothers and sisters, fellow people of God, we have a duty to our country. Our Christian lives must be brought to bear upon the 2007 project and when we do this, then we will be helping our country to move forward.
But we will be a people practicing worthless religion if our moral lives continued to be a scandal to the people.So I challenge you this day, to go home and contend for the true faith that was entrusted to us. As you do that, as I do that, may the Lord bless us and hear our prayer.