Church Of Nigeria, Anglican Communion Consecrates Three Bishops

TODAY, all roads lead to All Saints Cathedral Church Onitsha in Anambra State for the consecration of three new Bishops for the Church of Nigeria, (Anglican Communion). It is heartwarming to note that the incumbent Bishop and the host of the consecration service, Rt. Rev. Owen Nwokolo was also consecrated in this Cathedral in 2011. The chief host of this service is the new Dean of Church of Nigeria, the Archbishop of the Ecclesiastical Province on the Niger and the Bishop of Aguata Diocese, Most Rev. Christian Efobi together with the incumbent Bishop will welcome the Primate of All Nigeria, Most Rev. Nicholas D. Okoh and his brother Bishops to this all-important consecration service.

The service of consecration proper will be led by the Primate and to be assisted by his brother Bishops. This will come shortly after the Registrar of Church of Nigeria, Barrister Abraham Yisa, has successfully administered various oaths, as prescribed by the Canons and Constitution of the Church of Nigeria, (Anglican Communion) to the new Bishops. It would be recalled that the persons to be consecrated at the service namely: Ven. Captain Johnson Ekwe, Ven. Moses Tabwaye and Ven. Isaac Oluyamo were elected as Bishops during the 2015 Bishops retreat in January held in Ibru Centre. As it is and confirmed from the office of the Primate, Ven. Captain Johnson will succeed Rt. Rev. Prof. Anthony Nkwoka of Niger West Diocese, Ven. Moses will take over from Rt. Rev. Philip Aduda of Gwagwalada Diocese, while Ven. Isaac will succeed Rt. Rev. Titus Fajemirokun of Ijesha-North Diocese.

Prayerfully, the retreatant and preacher chosen by the Primate is the Lord Bishop of Akoko Diocese, Rt. Rev. Gabriel Akinbiyi. He is the one the Lord will use to prepare these new servants of God. We need to specially thank God for what He is doing in His Church by selecting men of good report, who are filled with the Holy Spirit, to lead His people in this part of the world at this time. There is no doubt that the Church in every age needs men who are well bred and lettered to divine rightly the word of truth.

In Nigeria, we have been broken in various ways ranging from hardship, unemployment, insecurity, poverty and environmental degradation among others. So, we need men of God with the right word to help console and heal the wounds in the minds of our people. It is hoped that the Church of Nigeria, by this consecration service, has made a monumental contribution by choosing the right persons to help bring the needed succour. As men and women of goodwill gather from all nooks and crannies of this nation to witness this consecration service, it is hoped that they will help to uphold these new Bishops in their prayers. The bishopric office is an enormous one that is very involving and demanding, too. It is one in which the family of the Bishop (wife and children) are not left out. But invariably, they are expected to play a significant role for success to be achieved. The age-long sociological feeling is true that the family is the nucleus of society. Implying that if we get it right at the family level, there is a tendency it will impact positively in the wider society. For this new assignment, it is required that the Church should pray earnestly for these new Bishops, their wives and children, as they lead the Church of God in this new era.

We, therefore, sincerely congratulate the new Bishops with their families and do wish them well in this new path.

Ven. Ernest Onuoha
Rector, Ibru International Ecumenical Centre,
Agbarha-Otor, Delta State.
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