The retired Bishop of Ibadan Diocese, Anglican Church, Most Rev Joseph Akinfenwa, has charged the four newly consecrated bishops of the Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, to protect the dignity of the episcopate and make their lives a reflection of the gospel.
Akinfenwa also decried the level of hunger, insecurity and other forms of hardship ravaging the country, saying church leaders must never shy away from speaking truth to power and putting the country’s leaders on their toes at all times.
The retired bishop said he was not sure the nation’s handlers were reading the news coming out from the country’s array of media every day; otherwise, the situation in the nation should have been a lot better.
Akinfenwa stated this on Tuesday while speaking at the ongoing 15th General Synod of the Church of Nigeria and the consecration of four new bishops at Our Saviour’s Anglican Church, Ikenne Remo, Ogun State.
The clergyman said that, in addition to praying for the nation, church leaders must always be ready to speak up to ensure that those in power are checked and prioritise good governance above any other interest.
The newly consecrated bishops are Ven Godwin Terso Yakela, Bishop of Makurdi Diocese; Ven Kingsley Ogbonda, Bishop of Uyo; Ven Julius Oyediran, Bishop of Ekiti-Oke Diocese; and Ven Oluyemi Fatusi, Bishop of Awori Diocese, Ogun State.
He explained, “Beloved, the church must continue to pray for this great nation. Prayer does not mean abandoning our responsibility as citizens. The church must pray, the church must think, and when necessary, the church must speak truth to power. I was elated when our Primate voiced out about what was being done some months ago about a state where an election was to take place. I felt proud as an Anglican; our leader has spoken, he’s fearless.
“We must speak! In your various locations, speak against ills, call the attention of people to what they should be doing. Whatever happens, our democracy depends upon citizens who are willing to speak. Freedom of speech matters. Freedom of association matters. Freedom of religion matters. Freedom of thought matters.
“The church must not become zombie or be afraid. God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind. We must be able to tell those in authority when they are doing well and when they are doing wrong. We must also be able to tell them when things are not what they should be.
“That is part of our prophetic calling. Nigeria is a nation of extraordinary resilience. We endure, we improvise, we survive, we keep moving. But resilience must never be used as an excuse to ignore suffering. There’s hardship in the land. There’s hunger in the land. There’s unemployment in the land, and talk about insecurity; there is so much in the land. There’s anxiety about the future. Many families are struggling to meet basic needs. When people tell us that they are suffering, we must not dismiss their testimony. The church must listen to the cry of the people, and the church must speak on behalf of the people.
“When the people cry, the church must not merely say, ‘Let us pray.’ Yes, let us pray, but after we pray, let us ask, ‘Lord, what do You want us to do?’ Prayers must lead to action. Faith must produce works. That is why James says, ‘Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers alone.’ Let us say this with respect to those who lead our nation, even at this time. Look, every leader needs people who will tell them the truth, not people who will tell them only what they want to hear, not people who will deny reality in order to protect their position.”
Akinfenwa added, “And my mind tells me that it seems that with what is happening in our nation, most of our leaders may, or are not allowed to read the national dailies. For if they read it, they will be touched. Most of them, I believe, are not available—all electronic media is not available to them, they ignore it.
“The stories are there always every day, but how many of our leaders have time to listen to such things? In fact, those who surround them debar them from having such information. The truth may be uncomfortable, but knowing the truth gives leadership the opportunity to correct what needs to be corrected. Please, let us continue to pray for those in authority, that God will surround them not with merely loyalists, but with truth-tellers.”
He urged the new bishops to see their elevation not as a reward or status symbol but as a call to greater service, responsibility and stewardship. Quoting John 9:4, he said, “I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.”
The retired bishop said the church must celebrate its past achievements while remaining focused on the future. “Thank God for yesterday. We celebrate what God has done, but we must press forward into what God wants to do next. The church must march on with renewed vigour and enthusiasm,” he said.
Akinfenwa congratulated the newly consecrated bishops—Godwin, Kingsley, Julius and Fatusi—saying their journey to the episcopate, which began with their election at the Episcopal Synod at the University of Port Harcourt in July, had reached its culmination. “From today, dear brothers, you are no longer simply Archdeacons or members of the clergy. You are bishops of the Church of God. Consecration means that something has been set apart for God. You are not being consecrated for personal honour. You are not being consecrated for ecclesiastical status. You are not being consecrated so that people can add ‘My Lord’ to your name. You are being consecrated for the service of God and His church,” he said.
