Thursday, 28th March 2024
To guardian.ng
Search
Breaking News:

What we want from new CAN president, by Christian leaders

By Chris Irekamba
19 June 2016   |   4:28 am
With the election last Tuesday of Rev. (Dr.) Samson Supo Ayokunle to steer the affairs of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) for the next four years, the search for a successor to the Christian organisation has ended.
Ayokunle

Ayokunle

• ‘In fact, i’m just hearing it from you that they’ve elected somebody to head the body’
• ‘We all know he was the former vice, so he should avoid the errors that characterised the former administration’

With the election last Tuesday of Rev. (Dr.) Samson Supo Ayokunle to steer the affairs of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) for the next four years, the search for a successor to the Christian organisation has ended. Ayokunle, who is the President, Nigerian Baptist Convention, was the Vice President to Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, the immediate past president of the body. He polled over 58 votes to defeat the other candidate, Prof. Joseph Otubu of the Organisation of African Instituted Churches (OAIC), who got 28 votes to emerge the Vice President. Rev. (Dr.) Musa Asake, Secretary General of CAN said the election was free, fair and transparent. So now that the baton has been passed on, what should Nigerians, especially Christians, expect from the new administration by way of agenda setting? CHRIS IREKAMBA reports.

‘He should give the church a good image
(Rev. (Dr.) Felix Omobude, National President of Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, PFN)
I WOULD ask him to work on the unity of the entire body of Christians. He should allow every stakeholder to treat CAN as a big family. He should endeavour to give the church a good image in members’ relationship with one another and the outside world. Dr. Ayokunle should endeavour to refine CAN politics and understand that it’s a Christian body, just as he should endeavour to improve the body’s spirituality. CAN is a big organisation and therefore, he should see himself not as a leader of just a few or a segment, but the leader of all. He should have a large heart to deal with issues that arise.

Raphael Madu

Raphael Madu

‘I don’t know CAN has elected a wew president’
(Rev. Father Raphael Madu, Secretary General, Catholic Secretariat, Abuja)
I don’t know what you are talking about. In the first place, the Catholic Church wrote to Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) to stop or postpone the electoral process because of the problems on ground. They said that things should be done properly. So, we were not part of that election. In fact, I’m just hearing it from you that they’ve elected somebody to head the body.

There was the issue of candidature, when ECWA wanted to present a candidate and they were alleging that their candidate was not accepted. This was causing a lot of trouble.

There were also all sorts of injunctions pending before it, which they have not resolved. How can I set an agenda for him, when I don’t know his own agenda? CAN has no other agenda than the unification of Christian bodies. So, he has no other work than sustaining the unity of the Christian body. Every other thing is a mere footnote.

Bishop Wale

Bishop Wale

‘CAN should be a credible body and not government’s errand boy’
(Bishop Francis Wale Oke, President, Sword of the Spirit Ministries, Worldwide)
I want to congratulate Dr. Supo Ayokunle, President, Nigerian Baptist Convention on his emergence as the National President of Christian Association of Nigeria. May his tenure be very successful in Jesus name. First, I want to suggest that he should focus his attention on the unification of the body of Christ in Nigeria. The last general elections polarised CAN severely. It is now time for this man of God to use his God-given wisdom to lead and unify the entire body of Christ by extending the olive branch to people that may be feeling aggrieved. He should work in humility as a servant-leader. He is not the boss of the church; rather, he is the chief-servant. It is the servant-leadership approach that will mend the cracks in the body.

He should raise a strong prayer mobilisation for our nation at this time. The task of believers is not to tear the nation apart, but to pray for the nation because it needs prayer.

We haven’t finished with Boko Haram in the north, the Niger-Delta crisis has taken a new dimension, and then there is the cattle-rustlers’ challenge, as well as the kidnappers, coupled with the economic downturn. The price of oil has plummeted terribly and the naira’s value has gone down. In short, the economy is under serious pressure. Many states are unable to pay their staff, while some of them owe up to five or six months. There are so many challenges.

So now, the mobilisation of CAN to pray for the nation is very urgent. I advise him to use his administration to give strong and constructive advice to the government, and not stand as opposition. CAN shouldn’t be in the opposition because it is not an opposition party. At the same time, CAN shouldn’t be in government’s pocket. CAN is not government’s errand boy. The body should be a credible one representing the church in Nigeria by giving bold, courageous and positive advice to government on the way forward on various national issues. CAN is made up of the church and the church is made up of many informed and educated people in every aspect of our national life. So, CAN should harness its potentials to give well-informed advice to government based on facts and figures in order to solve the myriad of problems confronting Nigeria.

Confronting the government like an opposition party doesn’t make any sense. Playing to the gallery is a betrayal of the trust of the church. But standing as the church’s representative to proffer practical solutions is a good role for CAN at this time and a good service to our nation. I am praying that he be endowed with wisdom, courage, good counsel and strength. I pray that the good Lord help and lead him to bring a refreshing era to the church in Nigeria.

Most-SNR-Evang-Kunle-Jacob‘He should do away with the team that served former CAN president’
(Most Senior Evang. Kunle Jacob, Celestial Church of Christ, Oshodi Parish 1, Lagos)
Now that we have Rev. Dr. Samson Ayokunle as head of the Christian body, I want him to ensure that all Christians are carried along. As the head, Nigerians, especially Christians, expect so much from him. We all know he was the former vice, so he should avoid the errors that characterised the former administration. We are going to judge him and his team as a completely new team. We want to believe that errors committed by the past regime have gone with it. We want to see the real CAN that is devoid of rancour. Let’s see what he is going to do now that the onus is on him to steer CAN’s affairs.

They should not concentrate on material things, as this is a usual error with many people, who believe that acquiring private jets and hobnobbing with government are the sole reasons they are placed in such privileged positions. We want to see a team comprising heaven-conscious people; Christians that are ready to take CAN to a new height. He should ensure that Christians nationwide are not cheated in whatever form, they should defend the cause of Christians.

He is not there for the Baptist or the Pentecostals alone; rather, he is representing all churches. Therefore, together with his team, they should avoid discrimination among the body of Christ. They should follow due process and appoint qualified people and not people with questionable character. I also want to counsel that they should not rush; after all, President Muhammadu Buhari took time before forming his cabinet. So, CAN president and his vice should also not be in a hurry in their selection of people to work with. They should do away with the team that served the former CAN president. I advise that they appoint a new set of people entirely. These should be people that are ready to work for Jesus and with heaven in view. And of course, we have so many Christians that can fit into those positions. They should not base their appointment on age or tribe, but on merit and my prayer is that he and his team will not disappoint the teeming Christian population because the world is watching.

ArchBp--JOHN-OSA-ONI‘It should not be a political office’
(Archbishop John Osa-Oni, Presiding Bishop, Vineyard Christian Ministries, Worldwide)
He should ensure that he brings the body of Christ together. The church of God should be fully united under his leadership. And we are glad it has gone to the Baptist this time around. I’m not sure they’ve ever had it and so, I do believe he will bind the whole body of Christ together. Everyone should stand behind them and pray that they succeed because the Bible enjoins us to pray for our leaders. Beyond their praying for us and doing great things, we need to also pray for them. We believe it should not be a political office. Rather, it should be a binding together of the body of Christ. I wish him the best and pray that his tenure will be great.

‘He should stay away from things that could stain him’
(Rev. Yomi Kasali, Senior Pastor, Foundation of Truth Assembly, Lagos)
First and foremost, I want to congratulate him for emerging as CAN president, regardless of the acrimony behind it because we have been hearing quite a lot. In my own opinion, his primary assignment should be to repair and rebrand the image of the Christian Association of Nigeria’s reputation, which was destroyed in the public perception. And so, there is need to rebuild it around integrity, credibility and accountability. We must be apolitical and not exhibit a strong political inclination, as partisan politics messed up the former leadership and image of CAN.

So, in my opinion, the agenda should be to rebuild the image so that we can have a strong Christian organisation and a voice of moral compass for our nation. They must speak the truth to power and not necessarily try to court the powers that be. How is he going to do that? By forming a credible team around him and staying away from things that could stain him. That is how to build a good reputation. He should not shy away from speaking the truth to power and must not reflect any tribal sentiment. He should set a moral tone for the nation.

‘It is imperative to work on the unity of the body’
(Pastor Wale Adefarasin, Senior Pastor, Guiding Light Assembly, Ikoyi, Lagos/former General Secretary, PFN)
I THINK the first thing he needs to do is to bring the church together. If he succeeds in this, then he has done very well. Now talking about those that are aggrieved, I believe that God will work it out, if he places unity above every other thing else. God will be for him and He will touch all the hearts that He needs to touch.

Udofia

Udofia

“They should engage in godly ventures and exhibit servant-hood’
(His Grace, Most Revd. Emmanuel Josiah Udofia, Primate of the African Church/President, Christian Council of Nigeria)
Our President and his team should look up to God and seek Him for guidance and direction in whatever they look forward to doing. They should constantly pray for the success of government and peace in Nigeria.

They should bear in mind what Chronicles 26:5 says. They must lead the church with the fear of God and by example. They should dialogue with others for peaceful reconciliations. They must not deviate from CAN’s goals and objectives and implement policies that will be for the church’s wellbeing.

We expect to see an administration that is centred on God’s love, protect the church’s interest and establish a peaceful relationship with others, irrespective of their religious or political affiliations.

Our leaders must be seen as the light of the world, engage in Godly ventures and exhibit servant-hood – leadership qualities (Matthew 5:16).

‘I pray he surpasses his predecessors’
(Pastor Taiwo Odukoya, Senior Pastor, Fountain of Life Church, Ilupeju, Lagos.)
OH, that’s news to me. I pray he surpasses his predecessors in Jesus name. On the issue of aggrieved members in the body, the body of Christ has a way of healing itself. In a short while, they will solve it. I can assure you.

0 Comments