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SYNOD PRAYER Heavenly Father, thank you for the power you gave us over the evil forces militating against us. You ord

. quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. Increase our faith in you. Give us power that goes beyond every power in the world that your Holy Spirit may always give us victory over our bad past. ?Through Jesus Christ our LORD. Amen. . . Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion)The Diocese of Owo?Presidential AddressDelivered to?The Second Session of the Tenth Synod?Held at?St Andrew's Cathedral, Imola Street, Owo on Friday, July 29, 2011.

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SYNOD PRAYER Heavenly Father, thank you for the power you gave us over the evil forces militating against us. You ord

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    1. SYNOD PRAYER   Heavenly Father, thank you for the power you gave us over the evil forces militating against us. You ordered us to make the shield of faith so that we will be able to

    2. quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. Increase our faith in you. Give us power that goes beyond every power in the world that your Holy Spirit may always give us victory over our bad past.   Through Jesus Christ our LORD. Amen.

    3. Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) The Diocese of Owo   Presidential Address Delivered to   The Second Session of the Tenth Synod   Held at   St Andrew’s Cathedral, Imola Street, Owo on Friday, July 29, 2011

    4. Your Excellency, the Executive Governor of Ondo State, Your Excellency, the Deputy Governor of Ondo State, Your Royal Majesty, the Olowo of Owo, Our Other Royal Fathers, Here Present Our Hosts, The Cathedral Church of St Andrew, The Chancellor of Owo Diocese, The Deputy Chancellor of Owo Diocese, The Registrar of Owo Diocese,

    5. The Chairman, Owo Local Government, The Chairman, Ose Local Government, The President, Women’s Organisations, Mrs Olanrewaju Oladunjoye, My Lords Temporal, Brother Members of the House of Clergy, Brothers and Sisters of the House of Laity, Gentlemen of the Press, Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen.

    6. This is the second time of holding the Synod meeting at the Cathedral Church of St. Andrew, Imola Street, Owo, since our enthronement in this same Cathedral in the year 2000. However, we place it on record that the fire of this good thing we are witnessing in the Diocese was ignited in the Cathedral here in the year 2004. Then, we challenged the whole Diocese:

    7. If one person can sponsor the Diocesan Synod session in other dioceses, Owo can do better. We need an individual to sponsor the Diocesan Synod meeting and use the occasion to raise funds through his/her friends. (Bishop's Charge, 2004, p.50)

    8. Our Chancellor, Hon. Justice Ade Alabi challenged two of our fathers and they accepted hosting us. The end result was Dr Bode Olajumoke hosting the Synod for 2005, while Engr 'Funso Kupolokun hosted us in 2006. We don't have to report the obvious here again. The glamour of our annual synod meeting started from that year 2005. And another dimension added to this was the physical development on the Church ground, which has been demonstrated by the Cathedral even here now.

    9. The Cathedral has done it more than others. We have two bungalows and the Cathedral Hall (Ground Floor) put in place for dedication at this Synod meeting. There are some other projects donated as mentioned below. We thank God for giving us the grace to dedicate these structures yesterday before the synod meeting took off.

    10. On your behalf, we congratulate the Cathedral on this achievement of putting in place these structures and pray that God will give them the grace to complete the Cathedral Hall, so that we can dedicate it once and for all. We hope that they have invited their friends to raise the finances of the Diocese so that we will become more economically viable in the near future.   Again, we thank our father, Hon. Justice Ade Alabi for the role he played that day, July 30, 2004 in this crusade and we thank all those that God had used to bless us financially. We are sure that joy is going to be repeated here today.

    11. As the Cathedral is hosting us this year, next year, it will be the turn of St Paul's Church, Ijagba while St Andrew's Church, Uso will host the Synod in the year 2013. We appeal to our people to stop the habit of Churches requesting to host the Synod. We need individuals who will be glad to invite their friends to assist the Diocese financially.

    12. The Cathedral had been wonderfully ‘greedy’ for the Lord this year. The Bishop had referred to the Chairman of the Synod’s Planning Committee of the Cathedral, Mr. Lanre Famakinwa, as a ‘greedy’ man because he wants all things for the Lord in this Cathedral. He carried members of his committee to many places, sourcing for funds and pleading for members and non-members of the Cathedral to assist. Thank God that their efforts have not been fruitless –  

    13. (a) A family, through one of their sons donated a bungalow for the vicarage. This family did it anonymously, even though God knows them. This young man donated the money without informing any member of his family.

    14. (b) Another family has also accepted to help us build the Cathedral Hall/Office Complex. They gave us an initial donation which was spent on building the structure for the ground floor of the Cathedral Hall. This is being put in place for our use as Synod meeting venue and the building will be completed and dedicated later. They have spent over twenty million naira (x20m) so far.

    15. (c) As these were going on, the Committee challenged the Cathedral congregation to do something. The result of this is another vicarage.   The two vicarages were dedicated yesterday before the take-off of the Synod meeting. On your behalf, we thank all these people of God for all their efforts. We thank Mr. 'Lanre Famakinwa, his Committee and all donors.

    16. These people of God have been invited to this formal opening so that we can thank them through awards from the Cathedral.   List of Episcopal Awardees 1. The Rt. Rev. A.O. Awosan - Former Bishop of Owo 2. The Rt. Rev. Dr. P.A. Adebiyi - Former Bishop of Owo 3. The Very Rev. F.A. Adebusoye - Former Provost 4. The Rt. Rev. S.S. Olayanju - Former Provost 5. The Ven. E.A.O. Olodun - Former Provost

    17. 6. Mr. & Mrs. John Momoh 7. The Ajasin Family 8. JOF Nigeria Limited 9. The Falaye Family 10 Mr. Adekunle Adedayo 11 Hon. Rotimi Ibidapo 12 Mrs. Bola Nakpodia 13 Mrs. Olajumoke Gbadebo

    18. We have received requests from many people as to how much the Diocese has realised so far from donations towards the investment for the Diocese. They challenged the Bishop last year and the details of all the monies recieved were presented to the Synod meeting last year and the Treasurer will again do the same this year.

    19. The Bishop has not embezzled your money. If he does embezzle your money, the LORD knows how to visit him for this sin. To be able to use your money judiciously, we have put in place an Investment Committee and appointed as Chairman. Mr. Adedapo Adelegan, who has volunteered to speak to us at this Synod meeting.

    20. Our New Law Officers   After a long search, we have been able to arrive at destination at last. The new Chancellor, Barrister Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN) and the new Deputy Chancellor, Barrister Oladipo Okpeseyi (SAN), were presented to the Diocese at a colourful ordination service held at St Peter's Church, Rainbow, Owo on Sunday, June 26, 2011. This was one of the happiest days for your Bishop. The attendance was very heavy and the calibre of people in the service was wonderful.  

    21. Our Chancellor   Oluwarotimi Odunayo AKEREDOLU Esq. (SAN) is a Levite, born to the Rev. and Mrs J. Ola Akeredolu of this Cathedral Church.

    22. Young 'Rotimi attended Government School, Owo, the famous Loyola College, Ibadan and then Comprehensive High School, Aiyetoro for his Higher School Certificate. He had his LLB degree at the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife) and proceeded to the Nigerian Law School, Lagos for his BL. He was called to Bar in 1978 and conferred with the prestigious award of Senior Advocate of Nigeria in 1998.  

    23. Our Chancellor is a man with many feathers in his cap as he had held/holds many important positions in our community, such as:   (i) Vice President, Students' Union, University of Ife, 1975/76; (ii) Secretary, Nigerian Bar Association, Ibadan Branch, 1985/86; (iii) Member, National Executive Committee, Nigerian Bar Association, 1985-date;

    24. (iv) National Publicity Secretary, Nigerian Bar Association, 1988/89; (v) Vice-Chairman, Nigerian Bar Association, Ibadan Branch, 1991; (vi) Chairman, Nigerian Bar Association, Ibadan Branch, 1992-1994; (vii) National Secretary-General, Loyola College Old Boys' Association, 1995-1999; (viii) Attorney-General & Commissioner for Justice, Ondo State, 1997-1999; (ix) Member, Ondo State Judicial Service Commission, 1997-1999; (x) Member, Council of Legal Education, 1997-1999; (xi) Member, Body of Benchers, 1997-1999, 2006-Date; 

    25. (xii) Chairman, Legal Aid Council of Nigeria, 2005; (xiii) Member, Council of Legal Education, 2008-2010; (xiv) Member, Governing Council, Nigerian Instutute of Advanced Legal Studies , 200-2010; (xv) Council Member, International Bar Association, 2008-2010; (xvi) Council Member, Pan-African Lawyers' Union, 2008-2010; (xvii) President, Nigerian Bar Association, 2008-2010; (xviii) Member, National Judicial Council, 2010-Date.

    26. Awards   (1) Obafemi Awolowo University Alumni Association, Ibadan Branch, Merit Award, 1994; (2) Sports Writers' Association of Nigeria, Oyo State Chapter, Legal Adviser's Award, 1995; (3) Law Students' Society, OAU, Distinguished Ife Law Alumnus Award; (4) Nigeran Bar Association Award, in Recognition of the Conferment of the Rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria, 1998; (5) Loyola College, Ibadan, Old Boys' Association Alumni Merit Award, 1999; (6) Sports Writers' Association of Nigeria, Oyo State Chapter, Patronship Award, 2003; (7) Law Students' Society, Adekunle Ajasin University, Award as Patron; (8) Law Students' Society, OAU, Award of Merit as Advocate of Repute, 2005. 

    27. Hobbies   His hobbies are lawn tennis, footballing and singing. He is blessed with a good wife, Mrs. Betty Akeredolu and good children.

    28. Our Deputy Chancellor   Oladipo Okpeseyi Esq., SAN, FCIArb. (UK) Young 'Dipo attended St Patrick's Primary School, Ijebu-Owo and Owo High School. He later attended Immaculate Conception College, Benin-City and Ondo State School of Basic Studies, Ikare-Akoko from where he paseed out in 1979.  

    29. After his education at Ikare, he had the grace to teach at his alma mater, Owo High School from 1979 to 1981. From there he proceeded to read Law at the University of Benin and graduated with an LLB (Hons.) in 1985 after which he attended the Nigerian Law School in Lagos and bagged the BL in 1986.

    30. The young man had his National Service (NYSC) in Enugu where he served with Okunna and Associates and later with Gboyega Famadu & Co as a legal practitioner before he set up his own firm in 1988. He is now the Principal Counsel of 'Dipo Okpeseyi (SAN) & Co. Of course, he is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), the highest level of lawyer practice in Nigeria.

    31. Our Deputy Chancellor is a member of many professional, trade and social fellowships, such as: (1) Nigerian Bar Association; (2) International Bar Association; (3) Nigerian Institute of Management;

    32. 4) Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria; (5) Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (Nigeria); (6) Notary Public of Federal Republic of Nigeria; (7) International Trademark Association (USA); (8) Negotiation & Conflict Management Group (Nigeria); (9) European Community Trademark Association (UK); (10) Chartered Institute of Arbitrators,

    33. (11) Asia Patent & Trademark Attorneys' Association, Japan (Observer); (12) Lagos Chamber of Commerce & Industry; (13) Nigerian American Chamber of Commerce; (14) Island Club; (15) Ikoyi Club 1938; (16) Grand Assembly Club.

    34. He is married to a good wife and they are blessed with good children.   In the name of Christ and on behalf of our Diocesan family, we welcome our fathers, our brothers, the chancellor and the Deputy Chancellor.   Kindly pray for these our fathers in the Lord that God will use them mightily in this Diocese and for the Diocese. They are prepared to work for the Lord and we need to join hands with them so that God will accomplish His work in their hands.   You are welcome.

    35. Our Guests   Because the Synod this year is a special one, we have invited two of our fathers in the Lord to join us in our ministration. They are the Venerable I.O. Alegbe from the Diocese of Etsako and the Rev. 'Wale Adekoya from the Diocese of Lagos West. The two of them have something in common – the ministry of DELIVERANCE.

    36. The Venerable Omogbai O. Alegbe   The Ven. Alegbe was born at Otuo in Edo State of Nigeria. He attended both elementary and modern schools at Otuo. At the age of 171/2 he joined the Nigerian Army during the civil war in 1969 and served till 1979. He narrowly escaped death at the warfront by the grace of God.

    37. After his discharge from the Army, he went to Borno State College of Education, Potiskum, where he obtained the NCE in 1983. He bagged the Dip. Th. from Vining College of Theology, Akure after a study from 1999 to 2004.   After his NYSC in 1984, he joined Ondo State Teaching Service and served in Ikale LGA and Owo before retiring from teaching in 2007.

    38. He was made a deacon in 1996 and priested in 1997 by the Rt Rev. Dr P. A. Adebiyi. He served as Chaplain in St John's/Mary Chapel and later at St Catherine's Chapel in Owo before he was released to Etsako Diocese in 2007.   He was preferred Canon at the Synod in Imeri in 2005 by the Rt Rev. Dr J. A. Oladunjoye and preferred Archdeacon in Etsako in 2009. He is happily married with children.

    39. The Rev. 'Wale Adekoya   'Wale is a born evangelist and a humble young man. He is a product of Immanuel College of Theology, Ibadan. After his ministerial training, he was posted to Oke-Osun Diocese where he was deaconed and priested by the Rt Rev. Nathaniel Fasogbon. He thereafter became the Chaplain to the Bishop. He was loved and treated like a son by the Bishop but was released to the Diocese of Lagos West.

    40. He had his first degree in Psychology from Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba and later bagged an MSc. in Counselling/Personnel Psychology at the University of Lagos.

    41. The Rev. Emmanuel Olawale Adekoya has been useful to the Lord in many ways in the Church, such as :   (a) He was Youth/Campus Chaplain to the Anglican Students' Fellowship of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba. (b) (As mentioned above) He was a former Chaplain to the Rt Rev.N.O. Fasogbon (rtd.) of Oke-Osun Diocese. (c) He is a vibrant prophetic minister Interested in youth work, counselling and deliverance ministries. (d) He is the current Evangelism Chaplain to the Diocese of Lagos West. (e) He has served in many parishes and ministries and is now a priest in St John's Anglican Church, Satellite Town, Lagos in the Diocese of Lagos West.   The Rev. 'Wale Adekoya is happily married.

    42. We welcome our fathers in the Lord. We are confident that the ministry God has given to both of them will complement each other and none of us will ever remain the same again after they have ministered to us. Our Synod Theme:   “The Situation of This City is Good...” II Kings 2: 19 Scholars have agreed that Jericho must be about the oldest city in the world. It used to be a city many people wanted and the date palm there was a great source of income for the city. It is noted that today there are many banana groves and the springs of water was a means of making the city always on green vegetation - "a green oasis in the middle of the dry Jordan rift area." The city was situated on the site controlling the ancient trade routes from the east.  

    43. The first mention of Jericho in the Bible was on the journey of the people of Israel back to the Promised Land. The city was an obstacle on the way of the Israelites under the captainship of Joshua. In Joshua 6, the people saw them as an impossible obstacle that could only be subdued with divine intervention. Joshua sent two spies to Jericho but the inhabitants saw the spies as enemies to capture and eliminate.

    44. Eventually, Joshua was mandated by God to attack the city without using any weapons. All they had to do was to march round the city daily for six days. They went round seven times on the seventh day and, at the end, sounded their trumpets –

    45. So the priests blew the trumpets. As soon as the people heard it, they gave a loud shout, and the walls collapsed. Then all the army went straight up the hill into the city and captured it. With their swords they killed everyone in the city, men and women, young and old. They also killed the cattle, sheep and donkeys. (Joshua 6:20-21) In ancient tradition, the city was devoted to God, to be totally destroyed and burnt as offering to God. It was a holocaust.

    46. Metal objects found in the city were taken to the house of God and the family of Rahab was spared because of the vow made to her by the spies who came to spy the land. At the end, Joshua placed a curse on the city -

    47. At that time Joshua invoked this curse:   May the curse of the LORD fall on anyone who tries to rebuild the city of Jericho. At the cost of his first born son he will lay its foundation. At the cost of his youngest son he will set up its gates. (Joshua 6:26)   The site remained in ruins for centuries.   Unfortunately for later generations, maybe ignorantly, they took it up to rebuild the city. In C. 850 B C. Hiel the Bethelite took it upon himself to rebuild this ruined city in the days of Ahab king of Israel (the northern Kingdom).  

    48. In Ahab's time, Hiel of Bethel rebuilt Jericho. He laid its foundations at the cost of his firstborn son Abiram, and he set up its gates at the cost of his youngest son, Segub, in accordance with the word of the LORD spoken by Joshua son of Nun. (1Kings 16:34).   However, the city became prominent again in the days of the divided kingdom, especially the days of Elisha the prophet.  

    49. Our brother, Dr. Abraham Chigbundu is a good deliverance minister and has written some books on this ministry. In one of his books titled Discover to Recover, first published in 1993 and revised 2004, he pleads with every person to discover what is wrong with the past so that there may be solution about the present.

    50. "Until you are in the know, you will not be in the flow." Until you discover, you may never recover. Yes, unless you discover your potentials, you may never realise how much impact you can make in your society or your immediate environment. It is a well-known fact that until a man discovers what is wrong with him in a given situation, he will have an uphill task finding a solution to his problem (p.x).

    51. He therefore calls our attention to the problem of curses in the life of a person or a community. We had earlier led the city of Jericho to the problem of the curse on them through Joshua, the man of God. Of course, it had an effect on them by the time the city was being rebuilt again. So Abraham Chigbundu (2004) says:

    52. Blessings are words charged with supernatural power for good, while curses, on the other hand, are words charged with supernatural power for evil. Once any is released, they would continue to have effect from generation to generation, unless and until they are revoked or cancelled by a higher authority (p. 59).   The word of God is very clear about this in Deuteronomy chapter 28, where the LORD put some conditions on the way of His people Israel. He said-   If you will obey diligently the voice of the LORD your God, to observe and do all His commandments which I command you this day, that the LORD your God will set you on high above all nations of the earth: And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you will listen to the voice of the LORD your God. – (Deuteronomy. 28:1-2).  

    53. On the other hand, the LORD said-   But if you will not listen to the voice of the LORD your God, to observe to do all His commandments and His statutes which I command you this day, that all these curses shall come upon you, and overtake you (v. 15)   The conditions are there, placed by the LORD – if you or if you will not. But unfortunately we want blessings, even when we are disobedient to the law of God. God is not just asking us to obey Him halfway but totally. But in the case of Jericho, it was not the people in the days of Elisha that had the problems but it was a generational curse.   Abraham Chigbundu cites some examples by which a person may observe that he has generational curses or problems:

    54. (1) Mental or emotional breakdown; (2) Repeated or chronic sicknesses, especially if they are hereditary or without clear medical diagnosis; (3) Repeated miscarriages or related female problems or barrenness in the family; (4) Divorce or remarriage cases among members of the some family; (5) Inability of the female or the male members in a family to get married, despite good educational backgrounds, wealth, beauty, etc; (6) Perennial financial insufficiency, especially where the income appears not to be enough to meet immediate needs; (7) Inability to achieve success in life in spite of hard work and good prospects; (8) Poverty and unfruitfulness in the life of the entire family members; (9) Inability to reach set goals, despite available human and material resources; (10) Recurring stories of suicide and unnatural deaths in the family; (11) Inability to gain obvious favour with men and women.  

    55. The curse placed on Jericho caused the bitterness of their water and barrenness in the land to human beings and their animals. Some of these curses are addressed by the word of God. The Law of God says:   Cursed is the man that makes any graven image an abomination to the LORD, the works of the hands of the craftsman, and puts it in a secret place. – (Deuteronomy 27:15).   This is the law of God against idolatry. Our land and our lives received curses of God when we allowed idol worship to take the place of God in us. The word of God also says that the land on which blood is shed is cursed and polluted:  

    56. So you must not pollute the land where you occupy, because blood pollutes the land and the land cannot be cleansed of the blood shed except by the blood of the man who sheds the blood. Therefore do not defile the land which you inhabit, where I dwell, because I the LORD dwell among the children of Israel. (Numbers. 35:33-34)   The word of God is very clear. Once it goes out, it does not come back void. The city of Jericho was cursed and remained in ruins for centuries because of the curse. When the city was rebuilt, the curse was revisited on the rebuilder who did not know anything about the past of the city. But even when it bounced back in importance, the water remained bitter and caused barrenness.  

    57. Owo is an ancient city in Yorubaland. This ancient city had its own problems, especially of wars from all angles but had been able to stay and overcome the problems of wars, external and internal. The city is said to have been founded in the 11th century and has since been ruled by the Olowo. Like any Yoruba community, the Olowo is regarded as iku baba yeye, igbakeji orisa (i.e next in rank to the gods). There are some other high chiefs appointed from the chief quarters in the town. They are the Ojumu (Igboroko), the Ajana (Isaipen), the Akowa (Iloro) the Osere (Ehin Ogbe) and the Ojomo (Ijebu). All these chiefs have their rank in Owo while the Ojomu is said to be the head of the kingmakers in Owo, being a blood brother to the Olowo.

    58. However, the saying is very true of every Olowo that "uneasy lies the head that wears the crown." Reliance on God gave them victory over the problems. But the violence that broke out in the year 2000 was nothing to write home about. In the words of P.M. Usman, "It was in this confusion that Owo people woke up on 5 June, 2000 to witness what could be described as the most horrendous violence and destruction in Owo. When the dust settled, many lives were lost, houses and property were either destroyed or vandalized." (Nigerian Heritage, Vol. 11, 2002, p.112).   "The situation of this city is good."  

    59. As an ancient city in Yorubaland, Owo must have its own festivals, common to Yoruba people. Prominent among the festivals are Egungun, Ogun, etc. But the most prominent is the Oronsen or Igogo festival.   It all started with Olowo Rerengenjen (1340-1346). The Olowo was a great hunter who was a lover of beauty. On one of his expeditions he met a beautiful woman named Oronsen, a princess of Afo. It was said of this woman that she was not an ordinary woman but a goddess. Therefore, as a goddess. she had three taboos that were revealed only to her husband the Olowo. She was well loved by her husband, and this led to jealousy among the other Oloris in the palace. She was even given a separate apartment and this led to further jealousy.

    60. The other Oloris discovered the taboos and, when the Olowo went for an expedition one day, the women broke the taboos in the presence of Oronsen and she escaped into the bush. The Olowo was sad on his return and sent messengers. It was said that on her way she got to Chief Olisagho's house and slapped the wall of that house to bid the owner goodbye. It was there her ring slipped off her finger and en route her head pin was found at Ugbo-Ogwata and later her head gear dropped at Ugbo Ulaja. "For all these to have dropped, whether by accident or design one cannot say. However, these serve as important landmarks during the annual Igogo festival celebrations" (p. 113).  

    61. The Olowo was disturbed and sent out a search party now known as Ayoyo – a group of eighty-one strong and able-bodied men. The first party could not trace anything about the "lost" woman and another party was sent out on the same mission. This party was able to locate her ring and the pin and got the head tie where she was said to have rested. They met her at Ugbo-Oluwa and pleaded with her to return with them but she refused. She however demanded that they should ask the Olowo for the head of Oluwa, the brain behind the plot that sent her away. The Olowo felt for the quest to behead his wife, so he sent a substitute. This deceit infuriated Oronsen the more and she placed a pronouncement on the town demanding:

    62. To ward off annual epidemic, calamities and deadly pestilence in Owo, a similar sacrifice must be brought to that spot annually. This and other demands which include a request that Olowo must dress, plait his head and behave like a woman during Igogo festival were made before she departed the place mysteriously. The practices are being observed up till this time during the Igogo festival. This incident took place in the season of the Ore festival (new yam festival) a period of pump and pageantry, when drumming, dancing and feasting were the order of the day. However, this incident threw the Olowo and the entire community into a state of mourning hence, the Olowo banned the beating of drums and the like to mark the departure of his beloved Oronsen. A festival was then built around the annual sacrifice demanded by Oronsen and thus superimposed on Ore festival. – (Nigerian Heritage, Vol. 11, pp. 113-114)

    63. The annual drummings and festivities and rejoicing were all replaced with beating of agogo (igogo in Owo dialect) and the festival is celebrated for seventeen days annually without any beating of drums.   "The situation of this city is pleasant."   The people of Jericho did not know the origin of their problem, especially the curse placed on them by Joshua. Even the king that rebuilt the city would possibly not have done it if he knew the implication. But they came to Elisha, the man of God.   And the men of the city said unto Elisha, Behold, I pray thee, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord can see: but the water is bitter and the ground barren. And he said, Bring me a new cruse, and put salt

    64. therein. And they brought it to him. And he went to the spring of the waters, and cast the salt in there, and said, Thus says the LORD, I have healed these waters; there shall not be from thence any more death or barren land. – (II Kings 2:19-21)   The comment that followed was that the water was healed "unto this day" and there was no more barrenness for the land.   "The situation of this city is pleasant," says the word of God. The same God who healed the land of Jericho is here today to heal the land of Owo of all the curses that have been placed on her. The healing of the city will start from our Cathedral here. So, we have invited our ministers who specialise in deliverance and the curse that has been placed on you will be broken at this Synod meeting, in Jesus' name.  

    65. Christians in Owo have always been appealing to the rulers of the ancient city every year when there is Igogo festival to allow Christians beat their drums within the church. The appeal has always fallen on deaf ears. We have however discovered that many of those who oppose our demand do so because they have something to gain materially from the festival. The Ayoyo will never want what they gain from the Olowo every year taken away from them; so it is with chiefs who collect gifts from the Kabiyesi annually. The Psalmist declares:   The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; For He founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters (Psalm 24:1-2).

    66. Genesis 1:1 states that God created the earth and so it legally belongs to Him. Unfortunately, Satan now wants to dominate what does not belong to him and put it under the control of evil spirit forces. But this is the time for God to take back His possession. Christ has been sent to free the world of the oppression of Satan. In addressing the household of Cornelius, Peter said:   You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, telling the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. You know what has happened throughput Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached – how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil because God was with Him. – (Acts 10:36-38)

    67.   It seems our problems in Nigeria defy solution. The more we pray, the more the problems are multiplied. In our Charge in the year 2007 we tried to highlight the ways by which we pollute our land. These include corruption and bloodshed, which have continued to grow in Nigeria as we shall mention later in this charge. We said (inter alia).   The greatest ways by which the land was polluted and for which the land became cursed was by bloodshed. God said to Adam: "cursed is the ground because of you…" (Genesis 3:17) but to the first murderer on earth: … you are cursed and driven from the Ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand. – (Genesis 4:10-12)

    68. The word of God says further that bloodshed pollutes the land (Numbers 35:33) and until we have atonement performed on the land, it remains cursed.   Owo must be delivered and all the bloodshed and bickerings in our communities must be put behind us. Tomorrow evening has been set aside as DELIVERANCE NIGHT and we have invited some of our brothers who are deliverance ministers. It is not only Owo land, you will claim deliverance for your own community from all over this Diocese (and even beyond) and you will personally come for your own deliverance. We mentioned above some eleven (even though we have more) problems that generational curses bring to us as human beings. If you have observed any in your life, you may believe that God will put an end to them.  

    69. We know that some people will not be happy that we are interested in the deliverance of Owo. They believe that the land should continue to "devour its inhabitants" (Numbers 13:32). But the LORD is ready to reclaim His land. He wants us to possess our possession. The paradise God promised has come to us. Elisha ordered the people to bring a new bowl and put salt in it. He went to the spring of the river and threw the salt and he said:   This is what the LORD says: 'I have healed this water. Never again will it cause death or make the land barren. 'And the water remained wholesome to this day, according to the word Elisha had spoken. – (II Kings. 2:21-22).   It was not Elisha that delivered the land, but God did it. The same God lives forever. He said in His word through John the Divine.

    70. Then the angel showed me the pure river with the water of life, clear and crystal, flowing from the centre of the main street. On each side of the river grew a tree of life bearing twelve crops of fruit with a fresh crop each month. The leaves were used for medicine to heal the nations. No longer will anything be cursed. For the throne of God and the Lamb will be there, and His servants will worship Him. And they will see His face, and His name will be written on their foreheads. And there will be no night there - no need for lamps or sun - for the Lord God will shine on them. And they will reign forever and ever. (Revelation 22:1-5)   You are delivered.

    71.   Our Nation Nigeria   2011 Elections   We prophesied at the last Synod meeting that God had sent GOODLUCK to Nigeria through the new president. We all have to join hands in thanking God for him and for what he has done so far. His faithfulness to God made him appoint as Chairman of INEC, Prof. Atahiru Jega, who had done the work very beautifully.  

    72. One of our brothers predicted recently that God was planning to save Nigeria through the academia. The President is from the university set-up; the INEC Chairman is a Professor from the university and most of the men/women that assisted the Chairman in conducting the elections were vice-chancellors of universities and retired vice chancellors from all over Nigeria. Foreign observer teams have commended Nigeria that they are now convinced that we are capable of doing good if we so desire. The elections have been free and fair.   However, in spite of the good aims of the President and the good plans of INEC, there were a lot of irregularities, viz:

    73. (1) Minors were registered in some states in northern Nigeria and they were allowed to vote. (2) There were complaints of rigging in some parts of the country. (3) Law enforcement agents were seen to be collaborators at polling centres. (4) There was exchange of naira notes at polling centres all over the country and there was no way to control this. (5) The money spent on electioneering campaign was colossal. One candidate could spend as much as billions of naira to secure his election into the House of Representatives or Senate. Where did they get this money. Much of the

    74. money must have been stolen from government coffers. One governor lost the election but at his campaign he was reported to always fond of throwing bales of x1,000.00 notes. We believe no reasonable person, especially one who worked for the money with his own sweat, could have spent so much. At the end of the day he left the state in debt with some workers' entitlements unpaid. This is criminal and leads to the question, "What is the nation doing to probe the stewardship of past governors." (6) The post-election violence is another crime committed by this country. It is now very clear that the violence was planned and well executed

    75. Unfortunately, the President seems too soft in handling the problem. All the political leaders fuelling the violence need to be arrested and tried. For his role in the violence, we recommend that the Governor of Bauchi State, Alhaji Isa Yuguda, be arrested (stripped of his immunity) and tried summarily for his unguarded utterances after the violence :   (a) That he too was attacked at Ibadan during his NYSC service there; (b) That his son was nearly killed recently; and (c) That the youth corpers killed (murdered premeditatedly) at the scene of violence were only destined to die in Bauchi State.   If these young people were so gruesomely murdered by the agents of the State Governor, he too must be made to face the music.

    76. He has only tried to retaliate for the attack on him when he served in Ibadan. We do not know the level of the attack, what went wrong, and what was done later by the authorities. However, he should be made to face the law.   Corruption of the Highest Order It is a general belief that there is no country more corrupt than Nigeria all over the world, especially as being demonstrated in the National Assembly.   (1) A Speaker of the House of Representatives was accused of using fake certificate. After much debate and struggle, he had to be relieved of his post. Nothing happened after that. It means those that exposed him did not mean business; after they had done what they wanted, they kept quiet.

    77. (2) Another Speaker of the House of Representatives, a woman for that matter, was accused of inflating the cost of renovating the Speaker's official residence and that of the Deputy Speaker. They also accused her of not following due process. Of course, she could not follow due process because those to be involved in the due process would also want to claim their own share of the booty. She was removed from office and nothing happened until the assembly was winding up. She raised the issue and asked the House to apologise to her. There was indeed an apology from the House and this was an indictment on the House for claiming that the initial accusation of the speaker was an error. She even demanded that the whole nation of Nigeria should apologise to her. What a shame!

    78. (3) The latest from the same House of Representatives is the immediate past Speaker. His predecessor was accused of fraud in handling money matters, but he surpassed the predecessor. Some allegations were levelled against him by the EFCC – but that was after he left office. Some of his colleagues cried out but they were silenced. The House suspended them for crying foul. The case went to court and these members were reinstated. But the loudest man was denied his pay for a long time and the House did nothing about it. That means they all backed the Speaker who was aleged to have been fraudulent. It was not until this man left office that the EFCC was able to prosecute him. Since we know the man does not have any immunity in office, why was he not prosecuted immediately all the problems were discovered? This would have taught others some lessons for the future. But we believe that there are some sacred cows in Nigeria.

    79. (4) Again, the man who took over from him was party to the predecessor's aleged fraud. Yet he has been elected and sworn in. Why was this man not probed before being sworn in? Haba!   There are a lot of things wrong with Nigeria. If the House of law makers is rotten, then what do we expect from the entire country? The problem with many of our legislators is that they think others are fools – they are the only wise. Of course, they have to think and behave as such because many of them bought their ways into the House. Many of them spent billions of naira to get themselves there. Then they are justified for fooling us. If you make a crook the Speaker, what do you expect from the House?

    80. Minimum Wage   Sometime, ago, the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) raised the alarm over the fact that our legislators were earning a jumbo pay which amounted to 22% of Nigeria's budget. With all the loud protest raised by the legislators, none of them has been able to deny this fact. But is this justifiable? It is rumoured that there is no federal legislator that goes home with nothing less than x10m every month. No wonder then that workers are insisting on their demand for a national minimum wage of x18,000.00. But we need to be warned that two wrongs will never make a right. Instead of workers asking for higher pay, they should ask that the legislators' pay be reduced and for our governments to create more jobs. By increasing pay, we make life difficult for people.

    81. There are many people who are jobless, even university graduates. That is why armed robbery accident are rising everyday. The cost of essential commodities will continue to escalate in the market. Nobody will be at peace. It causes unnecessary inflation and the common man will suffer. Especially now that the various governments are planning to remove fuel subsidy to be able to pay this x18,000 minimum wage, life will become more difficult for the average man.   Bomb Blasts The ordinary citizens are tired of the incessant bomb blasts which have turned this country into a terrorist state. While the militants in the south-south of Nigeria seem to have called a truce in their war against the country, the Boko Haram insurgents have taken over. One is not very sure what they are fighting for and who their sponsors are. But they operate as the international terrorist

    82. organisation, al Qaeda. They are possibly using the Islamic religion as cover or fighting because we did not vote in a muslim as President. They may also be freedom fighters who no longer have a sense of belonging to Nigeria for depriving them the right to be governed by Islamic laws. They want shariah law entrenched in our Constitution.   We had suggested earlier that Nigeria is too large to be governed under the present Federal system and state structure, and instead proposed dividing the country into four regions for administrative convenience. This, however, must not be based on religion but on ethnicity and cultural affinity. This again emphasises the need for a sovereign national conference.

    83. However, we are disappointed that Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, the Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, who had done well hitherto in the performance of his duties, seems to have lost his credibility with Nigerians. Why has he allowed himself to be used for the establishment of an Islamic bank in Nigeria ? This demonstrates that he has been planted there to see himself first as a Muslim before realising that he is a Nigerian. We plead with all Christians, especially those in the National Assembly, to resist any pressure in passing a bill that will approve Islamic bank in the country.

    84. Church of Nigeria   GAFCON 2012 We thank God for the doggedness and courage of our former Primate, the Most Rev. Dr Peter Jasper Akinola, and the leadership he gave to us in the Church, not only in Nigeria, but globally. Today, the leadership of the Church of Nigeria is being recognised and we thank our present Primate for maintaining the orthodoxy of the church. He is a tireless leader and the whole world thinks Nigerians are born leaders. On this note, GAFCON is meeting again in Jerusalem. The meeting is to review the life of the Church and how it has maintained its orthodoxy since GAFCON 2008. Unfortunately, the American church is unrepentant. We read in foreign papers recently that they were praying for those who ignorantly fight against the church in America.

    85. Ironically, It is they who ought to repent and the TEC is praying that the members of the global Anglican faith who believe in the Jerusalem Declaration should repent and join them. GAFCON 2012 is to examine the Jerusalem Declaration and how effectively the orthodox members of the church had fared and plan further strategies to help the global Anglican.   Mark you, it is not only the Anglican Church that has this problem of unorthodox teaching from the Western world. But thank God for the Anglican faith which has exposed the work of Satan in our world.

    86. Moratorium on Creation of Diocese   It has come to a stage in the Church of Nigeria that almost everybody wants a diocese. When any part of a diocese disagrees with the bishop, the next thing is for them to ask the Primate to give them their own diocese as a solution. Therefore, the present Primate declared a moratorium on creation of dioceses. That means creation of dioceses is suspended for the next five years. After five years, the moratorium may be lifted and dioceses can be applied for and each application must comply with the stated conditions and regulations. There must be facilities on ground (not borrowed) and there must be nothing less than forty parishes applying for the diocese.  

    87. Retirement of Bishops and Consecration of New Ones   The following Bishops retired within the past year:   (i) The Rt. Rev. Vincent Muoghereh - Ughelli Diocese (ii) The Rt. Rev Ken. Okeke - Diocese on the Niger (iii) The Most Rev. Maxwell Anikwenwa - Awka Diocese, Dean of the Church of Nigeria and Archbishop of the Province of the Niger.   The following new Bishops were consecrated:   (i) The Rt. Rev. Stephen Akobe - Kabba Diocese (ii) The Rt. Rev. Cyril Odutemu - Diocese of Ughelli (iii) The Rt. Rev. Alex Ibezim - Awka Diocese (iv) The Rt. Rev. Owen Nwokolo - Diocese on the Niger.

    88. Also, (1) The Most Rev. Christian Efobi was presented as Archbishop of the Province of the Niger, while (2) The Most Rev. Dr. E. Adebola Ademowo, the Archbishop of the Province of Lagos and Bishop of Lagos was presented as the Dean of the Church of Nigeria.   To those of our fathers who retired (and their wives), we wish them happy retirement and pray for those who have just succeeded them that God will prosper their ministries. Our Own Archbishop Retires   Our Archbishop in Ondo Province, the Most Rev. Dr Adedayo Abe has given notice of his retirement in June 2012 to the Ekiti Diocese. This is when Papa will be seventy. We are therefore giving this notice to our family members in the Owo Diocese so that all of us will be getting ready to give a befitting send-off to Papa and Mama come next year after serving in the Lord's vineyard for over forty years.

    89. Around the Diocese     Diocesan Landed Property   It is necessary to inform the Synod about the aggressive ways in which people are now fighting to take land back from the Diocese. Sometime ago, we received a letter from the Ijebu-Owo community challenging us for using the Okiti-Osorun land for a cemetery. We wrote back to query the source of their information because there was no such plan. Since then, there has been a surveillance from the same set of people on the land. Before our arrival as Bishop, that same land had been given to the Cathedral to develop but some people protested its usage and we had to suspend all activities on the land to avert bloodshed.  

    90. The most recent of our problems now is the land on which we have the defunct "All Saints' Modern School". That is where we have the Nursery/ Primary School and this school is still active. To our surprise, teachers in the school rushed down to us one day (February 2, 2011) informing us that some people who claimed to be from the Ijebu community had driven our children out of their classes. We rushed to the place and confronted them and they claimed that their mission was based on the information that we had commercialized the school. We then rushed to Kabiyesi Ojomo to report the situation.  

    91. By way of a reminder, there had been an encroachment on this land before Bishop Adebiyi left Owo. He had then instructed the Town Planning Authority not to sign any approval of plans that were not backed by letters from the Diocese. But this encroachment did not stop. As your Bishop, the late Ojomo, Oba John Agboola, invited us to install a fence round the remaining part of the land. That was what we did with our proceeds from the celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Diocese in 2003, even though the walls were not high. But to our surprise, the aggression is now very high. They have sold almost anything we can call land around the school and we are left with almost nothing. The judgement is in your hands.  

    92. Diocesan Investment   Those of us who know the history of the Diocese will remember that the Diocese started with almost nothing financially. That was why we had always been living from hand to mouth. We therefore, in 2004, challenged the Diocese and the people felt challenged. That was when Dr Bode Olajumoke and Engr Funso Kupolokun volunteered to host our Synod meetings for the next two years. We thank these our fathers who helped the Diocese to raise fund and we were all encouraged and we gladly went ahead to invest in shares. Unfortunately, our joy crashed with the global collapse of shares. We had told the whole Synod that we would soon heave a sigh of relief, but it was not to be so.

    93. But not all hope was lost. Out of the money left we have been able to buy some property in Port Harcourt while our investment in shares continues to crawl under the heavy load of a global crash. We have also set up an Investment Committee with our brother, Prince Adedapo Adelegan, as Chairman and he will talk to us at this Synod meeting on our property investment and having an Investment Company, with the Bishop as the Chairman of the Board of Directors.  

    94. Priests’ Movements   On your behalf, we welcome our son, the Ven. J.B. Solomi and his family back home. Ven. Solomi is from Oyo Diocese. The people of Akinmoorin, where he came from as pastor were in disagreement with their Bishop over the siting of the Bishopscourt which had been at Akinmoorin since the inception of the Diocese. The Archbishop of Ibadan intervened in this issue but to no avail. The Primate then waded in. When it became impossible to broker any settlement, the Primate then transferred all the priests within the Archdeaconry. That was when the Primate approached your Bishop to take his son back home, and we are happy to have him because he is a person we know. He is a man of integrity and a committed pastor.

    95. However, there had been some priests who left the Diocese since the arrival of the Bishop. There is need to put this on record for your information, especially in order to dispel the ugly rumours which some evil - doers are peddling. The priests who left the Diocese had been in two categories:   (1) Those who had to leave because of the offences they committed, and (2) Those who left because of circumstances beyond our control.   The Priests in the first category included the Rev. Oladiti, the Rev. Olagunju and the Rev. Canon Omoye. Those in the second category included the Rev. M.O. Adebisi, requested by the Bishop of Ilesa South as a forthright minister who would be of tremendous help to him in that Diocese; the Ven. M.O. Atanlogun, who was victimised by some people at St Stephen’s Church, Ipele because he wanted their account audited; the Rev. Sorun, whose wife refused to leave Lagos after her husband passed out from the university.

    96. There is a case involving another priest who does not fall into any of the two categories above. On February 27, 2011, the Rev. G.B.O. Alofun telephoned the Bishop that there was a disagreement at their vestry meeting. We invited him the following day and we could not disabuse him against the notion he had in mind. He then told the Bishop that he could no longer work at St Paul’s Church, Ikaro. We advised him to look for another Diocese if he rejected our posting. We gave him up till the end of March 2011 to do this. As we were talking to him he just walked out on the Bishop and his wife. We later learnt that he immediately left to pack his luggage out of the Vicarage at Ikaro and absconded. It took about two weeks later before we knew he had absconded from the Church. Of course, there were some other allegations of financial misappropriation against him from his former Church at Ijagba. So, the Rev. G.B.O. Alofun just chose to disappear from the Diocese.   On account of the allegation of financial misappropriation, we are ruling in the Diocese that, henceforth, all bank accounts must be fully endorsed by three out of three that is, all three signatories to an account must authenticate a cheque so that no two persons can conspire to withdraw church money from the bank without passing through the proper channel.  

    97. Our Assessments   We are aware of the hardship in the country. But people say, “Where there is a will, there will always be a way.” We are aware of the fact that many of our priests and churches care more about their own needs than show concern for the Diocese. Some of our churches have not finished paying their assessments for last year while some have not paid anything at all this year. And our workers have to be paid. To be fair, we must not owe any of our workers at all. The Primate of the Church of Nigeria has even ruled that dioceses that keep owing their workers will either be scrapped or merged with other dioceses. May that not happen to us.  

    98. A Call for Help   (1) There is a woman who is sponsoring three children in our Diocesan Grammar School, Ipele. One of the children belonged to her sister who died and she took it upon herself to help this child. The father of the child did not care for him and so this woman took up the responsibility of educating the three children. Unfortunately, her own husband also died. When she was no more able to cope with the education of the three children, she had to withdraw them from the Diocesan Grammar School. All the students wept for them the day they were leaving and we later asked the school authorities to bring the children back. We are therefore appealing for your kindness in assisting your Bishop to train these three children at the Diocesan Grammar School. Your Bishop does not know their parents.

    99. (2) Water at St. John/Mary Unity School: This school belongs to the Anglican Church and we must not abandon it because the Ondo State government has taken it over. The school is always facing the problem of water scarcity. The Diocese is thinking of giving them a borehole but the funds are not there. Can we get some people to assist in providing for these our children? They belong to us and we cannot neglect them. Women’s Work   We thank God for our mothers in the Diocese, under our dear mother of the Diocese, Mrs Olanrewaju Oladunjoye who has been leading us all in everything spiritual. Even in physical and social matters they are always in the forefront. Their prayer warriors do not fail to pray for the Diocese. We appreciate them. The project at Ifon is about to be completed. There are ready users and the plan of the Diocesan Fund-Raising Committee under Senator Chief Olupitan will facilitate the use of the women’s project at this retreat ground.  

    100. Church Chieftaincy   Sometime ago, we suspended the installation of chiefs in the Diocese. This was because many of the chiefs so installed became arrogant and equated themselves with the PCC, and consequently could not be subject to the authorities of the church.   Now the elders of the church in the Diocese have appealed passionately to the Diocese to lift the embargo placed on the installation. We have agreed to lift the ban. However, we agreed with the archdeacons and canons in the Diocese to limit ourselves to only these tittles:

    101. Male Female 1. Baba Ijo 1. Iya Ijo 2. Balogun Ijo 2. Otun Iya Ijo 3. Otun Ijo 3. Iya Ewe 4. Baba Egbe Aya Bisobu 4. Iya Egbe Aya Bisobu 5. Baba Ewe 5. Majeobaje Obirin 6. Majeobaje 6. Alatunse Obirin 7. Alatunse Ijo 7. Asiwaju Obirin 8. Asiwaju Ijo 8. Iya Egbe Afadura Jagun 9. Baba Egbe Ajumogbadura 9. Iya Egbe Akorin 10.Baba Egbe Ajihinrere 10.Iya Egbe Ajihinrere 11.Baba Egbe Akorin  

    102. Ven. Olupona Memorial Church   We reported to Synod on the foundation of a church laid by the Olupona family on the land at the “Village of Faith”. The church building was donated by the children of the Ven. Michael Alatake Olupona of Ute in memory of their late father, mother and grandmother. The building cost a lot of money and was completed and dedicated on Thursday, July 14, 2011. We have dedicated the Church to the use of the youth and appointed the Rev. Bayode Arotiowa as the Vicar, under Owo West Archdeaconry.   On behalf of the Diocesan family, we express our sincere appreciation to the Olupona children and the entire Olupona family for this kind gesture. The good Lord will continue to bless you abundantly. You will not lack any good thing.  

    103. Diocesan Constitution   The legal team and the committee appointed for it at the Iyere Synod meeting is working hard to ensure that the Constitution comes out very soon. Now that we have our Chancellor and Deputy Chancellor, we are sure that action will be expedited on this. We will discuss the Constitution next year.   Diocesan Anniversary 2013   We notified Synod 2010 that the Diocese would clock 30 in the year 2013 and the anniversary would be celebrated in a grand style. We have appointed the Ven. S.O. Obanla and the Ven. E.O. Aladegbami to help co-ordinate the history of the Diocese. We are going to appoint those who will work with them at this Synod meeting and also inaugurate a committee to plan for this celebration. They have almost two years for this assignment.

    104. Ordination The following were ordained at our Ordination service held at St Peter’s Church, Rainbow, Owo, on June 26, 2011:   Priest (1) The Rev. Samuel Olakorede Bosede   Deacons (1) The Rev. Ayodele Akinyemi Samson (2) The Rev. Folarin Adebunmi Olateju  

    105. We congratulate these men of God and members of their families. We welcome them to the family of God in this Diocese and wish them God’s blessings.   Conclusion   May we be reminded that God cares about us and the generations to come. What we do today becomes a legacy for future generations. Every pronouncement from of old must not be taken lightly. Many of our elders were not ordinary in their days; they were gods and we need to examine what they were. We also need to look at the past records of our immediate family when there are occurrences that do not make us happy.  

    106. Do not forget to Recover to Discover. It is not decent to just overlook the situation. We can pray over our situation and we will be delivered. It is also good for each community to examine its past. We have seen occasions where a whole community had to relocate to another town when they discovered that a curse had been placed on them in the past.   When a people who had been living live in peace for some time suddenly find that the peace is shattered and there is bloodshed, they need to look into their past, especially when it becomes a frequent occurrence. The people of Jericho did not examine their past but, thank God, they were observant enough to notice some unusual things in their community. For instance, their water was bitter and this bitter water caused barrenness to human beings, animals and trees. They cried for help to the man of God, Elisha, and were delivered.

    107. You are all delivered in Jesus’ name. We then have the confidence to sing:   1. Thine for ever! Thine for ever! 2. Thine for ever! Thine for ever! May Thy Face upon us shine. Thine for ever may we be, Help, oh, help our weak endeavour May no sin nor sorrow sever LORD, to be for ever Thine. Us from union, LORD, with Thee.   3. Thine for ever! Thine for ever! 4. Daily in the grace increasing Armed with faith, and strong in Thee, Of Thy SPIRIT, more and more Even fighting, fainting never, Watching, praying without ceasing, May we march to victory! May we reach the Heavenly shore.

    108. 5. Hard the conflict; but what glory 6.“Thineforever,”weare singing Is revealed to our eyes Here on earth; and while we sing While we read the Heavenly story Voices in our ears are ringing, Of our home beyond the skies. Hymns of Angels to our King.   7. Thine for ever! Thine for ever! 8. Glory be to God the FATHER Let Thy Face upon us shine. Glory be to GOD the SON, Help, oh, help our weak endeavour, Glory to the HOLY SPIRIT, LORD, to be for ever Thine. Glory to the THREE in ONE. (Amen.) – Bishop Christopher Wordsworth (1869)   Yours, + Adedayo, Owo Your brother & Bishop.

    109.   January 9, 2011   My Dear People of God,   Pastoral Letter   Praise and thanks be to our Eternal God for sparing our lives to see this New Year 2011. May His grace enable us to be fruitful as we serve Him in holiness and righteousness all our days.   The annual Bishops’ Retreat came up at our usual venue, Trinity Foundation’s Retreat Centre, Agbarha-Otor, Delta state, January 3-9, 2011 with a focus on the theme, A LIVING SACRIFICE (Romans 12:1).  

    110. The theme was addresed in various ways, including a series of Bible studies led by our guest speaker, the Rt Rev. Dr Zac Niringiye from the Church of Uganda. There were also sermons, discussions and presentations by other resource persons from our own bishops of the Church of Nigeria. We re-examined our attitude as a church to the use of spiritual gifts for growth of God’s Church committed to our charge. We have found our times of fellowship quite refreshing and soul-searching as they have brought treasured insights and reminders about the enormous challenges and dimensions of our ministry as shepherd of God’s people. We have surrendered ourselves afresh to excellence in this calling for which we have been consecrated.   We are thankful to the Ibru family for their continued hospitality during our times of retreat here.

    111. We discussed and prayed about the recent bomb blasts in Jos and Abuja as well as the religious killings in Maiduguri all at a time of celebration for the Christian world. We share the pains and heartbreak brought upon innocent citizens (including little children, pregnant women, and other common people going about their legitimate pursuits) by sadists who chose this bizarre medium of making whatever point they should make. We totally denounce this, and have called on our national leadership to do everything to arrest this dangerous trend which is capable of blowing our nation apart. Whether these bombings are politically or religiously motivated, those behind them should be dealt with under the appropriate laws: Ecclesiastes 8:11 says, “Because sentence against an evil work in not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.”  

    112. We give thanks to God for the testimonies of growth through the creation of missionary dioceses. We thank God for those whom He has used to support and sustain His work in these new frontiers. Yet we are concerned about the missionary dioceses that are breaking new grounds but cannot afford the associated expenses to sustain the growth. This is why the Standing Committee of our Church decided at the September Mathias’ Day (usually February 24, being the birthday of the Church of Nigeria) as a day to raise financial support for missionary dioceses. A letter has gone out from the Primate’s Office that all offerings (tithes, Sunday Collection, Primate’s churching, any special thanksgiving, building collections, or any other income under any description) taken on Sunday, February 27, 2011 (being the Sunday nearest to St Mathias Day this year), be remitted to the Church of Nigeria National Headquarters (through the diocesan headquarters) for the purpose of assisting the ongoing work of the missionary diocese. If we faithfully do this, we will indeed be able to conserve the great harvest the Lord is giving to us. We urge you to set aside generous offerings for this purpose.

    113. The registration of voters is a critical stage in the march towards the next political dispensation. We strongly encourage our members to fulfil this important civic responsibility as a first step to ensuring credible election results. We urge that earnest prayers should be made before the days of election and not so close to the election dates. We do not advise that vigils precede general election dates, as this will affect the involvement of those who have kept those prayer vigils. May the Lord be pleased to raise up God-fearing leaders who will ensure peaceful atmosphere, social welfare, development and, above all, freedom of worship.   We are glad to introduce the maiden edition of the Church of Nigeria devotional, The Daily Fountain, and commend it for your patronage. It is prepared with the Anglican Church in mind. The days in which we live are becoming more evil. The Lord Jesus said in Matthew 24:12, “Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold.” We must therefore heed Apostle Peter’s counsel in 1 Peter 4:7-8: “The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear-minded and self-controlled so that you can pray. Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.”

    114. To Him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before His glorious presence without fault and with great joy, to the only God our Saviour be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.   Yours in His Service,   The Most Rev. Dr Nicholas D. Okoh Archbishop, Metropolitan and Primate of All Nigeria.

    115. Appendix II   Communique   From the House of Bishops of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) Meeting at the Ibru Centre, Agbarha-Otor, Delta State, January 3 - 9, 2011.   (1) The House of Bishops of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) met under the guidance of the Holy Spirit and the leadership of the Most Rev. Nicholas D. Okoh, Archbishop, Metropolitan and Primate of All Nigeria, for our annual retreat at the Ibru Centre. Bishops were present. We were blessed by the opportunity to spend time together for prayer, worship and teaching at this beginning of a New Year filled with opportunities and challenges.  

    116. (2) The theme of our retreat was ‘A Living Sacrifice’ (Romans 12:1). The Bible study, led by Bishop Zac Niringiye from the Anglican Church of Uganda, and the various teaching sessions, all emphasised the critical importance of surrendering ourselves fully to God’s will and purpose if we are to show the world the power of transformed and dedicated men and women of God. We were challenged to see that so often our failure to live sacrificial life robs the world of the witness and presence of a church that is able to offer genuine hope who are desperately in need of such a testimony. We were reminded again that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is a total commitment and affects every aspect of the resources entrusted to us, and attitude towards those in authority and those who are in need.

    117. 3) Meeting together as bishops of the Church of Nigeria in Delta State during the rerun of the contested election for Governor of the State, we were very conscious of living at a time of great tension in our nation. The ability to conduct a free and fair election, an essential and necessary condition for the future of democracy in our nation, has been seriously compromised by the breakdown in basic security on the roads and in our communities. We are concerned that those who have no credible or hopeful project for our beloved nation may have engineered this breakdown and we urge federal and state officials to be on ‘red’ alert and be in firm control to ensure a peaceful transition.   (4) The Christmas time bombing in Jos and Abuja and the recent killings in Maiduguri are further examples that we are in the middle of a deadly struggle for the soul and survival of our nation. We condemn these terrible acts of violence. We commend the Federal Government’s first moves to offer comfort and assistance to those who were hurt and we urge that all steps be taken to ensure that everything is done to bring the culprits to book immediately to forestall a further deterioration situation.

    118. 5) The meeting in Delta State also reminded us that the inequities and abuses that have led to the rise of militant groups in this region that have committed numerous violent acts remain a present reality. We are grateful for the national initiative that sought to bring reconciliation and peace but are concerned that many of these programmes are not reaching the people for whom they were planned. Too often, local government authorities fail to utilise the resources as intended and instead redirect the funds to other uses. We urge all local government officials to be true to their responsibilities and transparent in their dealings.   (6) We remind the Federal Government of its repeated promises to improve the power sector and road network since these are the bedrock of industrialisation and an essential component of Vision 20-2020. Now is the time to match words with action.   (7) We commend the steps taken by the Central Bank reform policies and urge all concerned to implement the budget transparently so that hope can be restored for ordinary citizens.

    119. (8) We are disappointed and worried over the protracted closure of universities in the south-eastern zone of the country following the industrial action by university staff. We appeal to the governors to ensure that their differences with the staff are resolved quickly to enable the students resume studies. Further delay could be dangerous.   (9) We note with interest the expedited decision and action by the Federal Government of Nigeria to educate the Almajiri children in the country. This is a laudable project to address the education needs of the underprivileged section of the society. However, we believe that instead of an entire new school structure, the Almajiris could be accommodated in an already existing structure, the UBE. The main reason for this view is that the Almajiris need to be reintegrated into society and socialised with other children of different backgrounds, in order to acquire a broader view of life, and appreciate the interdendence we enjoy in a multicultural and religiously plural society such as ours. Besides, the government will have to pay attention to the special needs of other religious bodies. Is there still any justification for forbidding the teaching of Religious knowledge in public schools in some parts of the country? What about the vexed issue of return of schools to the missions?

    120. (10) As the dates for national elections rapidly approach, we are also concerned that preparations are far from adequate. We call on INEC (Independent National Electoral Commission) to redouble its efforts and communicate fully its plans for this crucial event in our national life. We urge all politicians to bring an end to political assassination and violence, and demonstrate godly restraint in the course of electioneering.   (11) The recent disclosure by the Governor of the Central Bank that twenty-five per cent (25%) of our overhead expenditure was being spent on the National Assembly is an outrage. At a time when all aspects of our national infrastructure cry out for adequate funding and many of our people live in abject poverty, the news that government officials were swelling their own accounts is unconscionable. We call on our political leaders to seek the common good instead of their own comfort and be sacrificial in their service to this nation.  

    121. (12) This catalogue of concerns reflects not only for our nation and all its people but also our conviction that strong, honest, visionary leadership is vital if we are to give our people the hope that they deserve. We are a gifted and blessed nation with enormous potential. We have amazing God-given resources and talented people capable of exercising not only national leadership but also taking their rightful place on the global stage. We continue to trust in God who has promised that He will lead us into a glorious future.   Now … to Him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before His glorious presence without fault and with great joy, to the only God our Saviour be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.     The Most Rev. Dr Nicholas D. Okoh Archbishop, Metropolitan and Primate of All Nigeria.  

    122. Appendix III   Communique From The Standing Committee Meeting of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) Held From 1-5 March, 2011 at the Cathedral of the Transfiguration of Our Lord (Catol), Owerri   1. Introduction   The Standing Committee of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) under the guidance of the Holy Spirit and the leadership of the Most Rev. Nicholas D. Okoh, Archbishop, Metropolitan and Primate of All Nigeria with his wife, Mrs. Nkasiobe Okoh, President of the Mothers’ Union and Women’s Guild, met at the Cathedral of the Transfiguration of our Lord (CATOL), Diocese of Owerri, March 1-5, 2011. One hundred and sixty bishops, one hundred and forty-eight clergymen and ninety-five members of the house of laity were present.

    123. The Most Reverend Bennett Okoro, Archbishop of the Ecclesiastical Province of Owerri, welcomed the delegates. Goodwill messages were given by His Excellency Dr Goodluck Jonathan, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, represented by Elder Godsday Orubebe, Minister of Niger Delta Affairs; His Excellency Ikedi Ohakim, the Executive Governor of Imo State; His Excellency Chief (Dr) Ernest Shonekan, former Head of Government; Senator Ike Ekweremadu, the Deputy Senate President, and the Rt Rev. Emmanuel Adekunle on behalf of the Most Rev. Dr Peter J. Akinola, former Primate of The Church of Nigeria.   The theme of the meeting was ‘These Dry Bones Shall Live Again’ (Ezekiel 37:4-6) and at the conclusion, the Standing Committee issued this Communique.  

    124. 2. The Valley of Dry Bones   Prophet Ezekiel’s vision of ‘The Valley of Dry Bones’ (Ezekiel 37:3-6) described the concern and sovereignty of God over the affairs of His seemingly ‘dead and hopeless’. Though basic infrastructure, education, health care, and security are virtually collapsing, God can restore all of these and bring new life to the nation. We call all Nigerians to prayer, righteous living, and heartfelt love for one another and so put themselves in a position to be revived by God.   3. Leadeship in Nation Building   The Standing Committee calls for credible leadership which is the critical issue of the Nigerian nation at every level. Nigeria has immense human and natural endowments and a great passion for God, and yet we often fall far short of our potential. The Standing Committee enjoins all politicians to work for the biblical concept of servant leadership which requires core values such and humility, personal responsibility, transparency, integrity, accountability and hard work.  

    125. 4. Voters’ Registration and the Forthcoming Elections   The Standing Committee notes the commitment of Nigerian people to free, fair and credible elections in 2011. This was demonstrated by the large turnout and resilience shown at the recently concluded voters registration exercise despite its various inadequacies. As we prepare for the crucial forthcoming elections, the political class must stop its wanton display of impunity to matters of security, unity of Nigeria, poverty, unemployment and corruption. Issues, not personalities, must inform its agenda and manifestoes. The Nigerian electorate is charged not to sell its votes nor compromise its conscience in any way, but vote for credible political candidates. In particular, we call on the young people of our nation not to mortgage their future by allowing themselves to be used as thugs or pawns in the hands of desperate politicians.  

    126. 5. Religious/Ethnic/Political Crises   Religious, ethnic and political crises persist in the nation despite repeated efforts to curb them. A situation where the security of lives and property cannot be guaranteed by the state and where a citizen is not safe to live anywhere in the country is unacceptable. Government in all parts of Nigeria are called upon to respect the constitutional and fundamental human rights of every person. They must make maximum use of security forces to protect every Nigerian and to bring to book all perpetrators and sponsors of organized and serial killings for religious, ethnic and political reasons. Nigeria must not be allowed to slide into anarchy. We are a multi-religious and multi-ethnic nation where all citizens’ rights must be protected without compromise.  

    127. 6. Merging Area and Sharia Courts   The Standing Committee observes with dismay the recent merging of the administration of the Area Courts with the Sharia Courts of Appeal in the Federal Capital Territory of Abuja. The implication of this is to make Sharia law applicable to non-Moslems. This is not only unconstitutional but also contrary to policy. We call on the administration of the Federal Capital Territory to rescind the policy as this is likely to undermine the relative peace that exists in the centre of unity of Nigeria. We must all work together across religious and ethnic divides to build a peaceful and progressive nation.

    128. 7. Emergence of Islamic Banking   The Church expresses profound concern over current changes in the banking sector which seek to promote Islamic banking. Based on the Central Bank of Nigeria’s circular dated March 4, 2009 (with Ref. No. BSD/Dir/Gen/Nib/01/008) to sensitive stakeholders on the merits of the institution offering non-interest financial service in Nigeria, and, following the perceived “favourable response from stakeholders,” the CBN released the framework for the regulation and supervision of the institutions offering non-interest financial service in Nigeria, which must be “Sharia-compliant” and excludes non-Muslims from the emerging non-interest banking business. The sharia banking has inbuilt mechanism of collecting interest in the form of various zakat that the borrowers are subjected to pay.  

    129. Also by ‘the proposed plan to establish the CBN Sharia Council, which would obviously comprise only Muslims, (as the members must have skills in the philosophy of Islamic law, good knowledge of written Arabic and exposure in the areas of business of finance, especially in Islam), the CBN Governor unmasked the agenda that non-interest banking is nothing but Islamic banking system. This is definitely unconstitutional as it is contrary to the spirit and letter of the Banking and Other Financial Institutions Act (BOFIA) as well as section 10 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The CBN Governor should be mindful of the fact that Nigeria is a secular state.  

    130. The Church calls on the Federal Government and lawmakers to consider seriously the explosive implications of Islamic Sharia banking: what it portends for the future and the appropriate steps to be taken to protect the fundamental rights of all religious communities in this country.   8. Almajiri Education   The standing Committee notes with concern the recent educational policy in respect of the Almajiris in the northern part of the country. While we are not against solving the social problems created by the Almajiri phenomenon, we reject the creation of a special education system for the

    131. Almajiris, especially in a secular state such as Nigeria. Moreover, the benefit of educating the Almajiri can only come if they are reintegrated into the large Nigerian pluralistic society, through an already existing public educational structure where they can realise the benefit of interdependence, of both North and South, Christian and Muslim.   We call for the integration of the Almajiri education into the already existing Universal Basic Education (UBE) programme from primary to junior secondary school. The government should implement the UBE to the letter. Equals must be treated equally. It is a duty that we owe one another to administer the country on the basis of equality of opportunity, rights and privileges.  

    132. Conclusion   The Church of Nigeria is fervent in prayer for the peace, unity and progress of our nation. It is convinced that if we will turn to God guidance, the fortunes of Nigeria shall be revived unto a better tomorrow where our ‘dry bones’ shall live again.   “Thus says the Lord God unto these bones: Behold I will cause breath to enter into you and you shall live… So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army” (Ezekiel 37:5, 10).   The Most Rev. Dr Nicholas D. Okoh Archbishop, Metropolitan and Primate of All Nigeria.      

    133. Appendix IV   A Pastoral Letter from the Standing Committee Meeting of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) Held 1-5 March, 2011 at the Cathedral of the Transfiguration of Our Lord (Catol), Owerri.   Our Dear People of God,   We send you greetings in the name of Jesus Christ who alone is our crucified, raised, ascended and glorified Lord and Saviour. We thank God for each one of you as we journey together in the way of the Cross, which is the only assurance of true freedom and abiding joy.   The Bishops, Clergy and Lay delegates from all 165 Dioceses of our Church gathered at the Cathedral Church of the Transfiguration of Our Lord, in the Diocese of Owerri for our Standing Committee meeting.

    134. His Excellency, Dr Goodluck Jonathan. President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, represented by Elder Godsday Orubebe, Minister of Niger Delta Affairs; His Excellency Ikedi Ohakim, the Executive Governor of Imo State; His Excellency Chief (Dr) Ernest Shonekan, a former Head of Government, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, Deputy Senator President and Most Rev. Dr Peter J. Akinola, our former Primate, brought goodwill messages and gave us enthusiastic welcome.  

    135. The theme of the meeting was “These Dry Bones shall Live Again…” (Ezekiel 37:4-6) and we were blessed by inspiring Bible studies, sermons and plenary addresses that reminded us that while these prophetic passages speak directly to the crisis endured by the chosen people of God during the Babylonian captivity almost five hundred years before the birth of Christ, they also speak to the issues that we confront today. They reflect the character of our God who takes us in the depth of dryness and death and breathes life and new hope into every aspect of our being. This is also a theme that offers challenge and blessed assurance for our Church and nation. The God whom we serve breathes life into the dead and driest corners of the world and this provides hope in all circumstances.

    136. We have every reason to rejoice in God’s abundant faithfulness these past twelve months as we have served among you as Primate. We thank you, God’s people, for the prayers and encouragement that our family has received. We also call on everyone to offer renewed prayer for the nation as we stand at the threshold of general elections. In particular we must pray for:   * Orderly elections free from manipulation, dishonesty and violence; * Strong participation from all Nigerians and results that would reflect their choices; * Peace, progress, stability and unity for our nation as we move forward.  

    137. We urge every member of the Church to participate fully in the election responsibility.   We are pleased to present to you the Revised Vision for our Church which has now been published in a booklet form. We urge you to ensure its wide distribution and earnest implementation.   As we look to the future, it is vital that we redouble our efforts to engage all of our young people in the life and ministry of the Church. It has been estimated that more than a half of our.

    138. We are again confronted by further steps at islamising Nigeria through the recent machinations to compel Islamic Banking by the Central Bank of Nigeria as well as merging Area Courts with Sharia Courts in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). We call upon all our members and all other churches to protest such discriminatory policies.   We have renewed our call for thorough theological education for our bishops and clergy as well as specialised training for all sections of the laity. We encourage our theological colleges to revise their curricula and their study programmes in line with the resolution passed by the Standing Committee in Lagos 2010. We have

    139. commissioned a group to develop a plan for the implementation of the sponsorship programme by the Primate’s office for members of the clergy pursuing doctoral study programmes in theology and related fields. We ask for the prayers and support of our congregations for this important initiative. We congratulate the Crowther Graduate Theological Seminary, Abeokuta, for the graduation of the first set of fifty-three MDiv students. We also call on all dioceses to give their full support to this vital Provincial institution.

    140. We are grateful for the continued ministry of CANA under the supervision of Bishop Martyn Minns and his wife. This work continues to prosper despite enormous challenges of geographic scope, limited manpower, funds and the continuing legal challenges. CANA remains a vital missionary initiatives of the Church of Nigeria and in close partnership with the Anglican Church in North America in giving hope and encouragement to Anglicans throughout America.  

    141. In our meeting in Lagos, we were mandated to visit the UK to look into the situation of Nigerian Anglicans resident there. We were able to go to various cities, met with Nigerian Anglicans and interacted with them. We heard from them some reasons for the exodus from traditional Church of England parishes. We believe there is an urgent need for Nigerian Anglicans to worship “the Nigerian way” and we are looking into practical ways in which this can be addressed in partnership with local churches.   We are delighted by the enthusiastic response by our Diocese to the St Matthias Day Offering established by the Standing Committee Resolution in September 2010. This is a commendable attitude to the partnership we desire in our efforts to

    142. consolidate the achievements of the missionary Dioceses and help them to overcome some of the attendant challenges.   Confident of our Lord’s declaration that He will build His church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it, we call you to unceasing prayer.   May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all.   Thus says the Lord God unto these bones; Behold I will cause breath to enter into you and you shall live… So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army (Ezekiel 37:5,10).   The Most Rev. Dr Nicholas D. Okoh Archbishop, Metropolitan and Primate of All Nigeria.    

    143.   Appendix V   The Conference Statement of the 2nd All Africa Bishops’ Conference   Preamble   The second All-Africa Bishops’ Conference, organised by the Council of Anglican Provinces of Africa (CAPA), met in Entebbe, Uganda, from 23rd August, 2010. Participants included 398 bishops representing the following Provinces: Burundi, Central Africa, Democratic Republic of Congo, Indian Ocean, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sudah, Southern Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, West Africa and the Diocese of Egypt. Also in attendance were some invited partners and guests.   The Anglican Provinces of Africa would like to express their heartfelt gratitude to our Lord God for His mercy and guidance during this conference; our host Archbishop, Henry Orombi, and the members of the Church of the Province of Uganda for their kind hospitality and warm welcome; to the President of Uganda, His Excellency Yoweri Museveni, and the Right Honourable Professor Apollo Nsibambi, Prime Minister of Uganda, and the Government and people of Uganda;

    144. the leadership of CAPA, especially the Chairman, the Most Rev. Ian Ernest, supported by the Secretariat.   The first conference, with the theme, Africa Has Come of Age, was held in Lagos, Nigeria in October 2004. The theme for our second conference in Uganda was, ‘Securing Our Future: Unlocking Our Potential’ (Hebrews 12:1-2). Its aim was to mobilise bishops to overcome obstacles to their ministry and mission and provide them with the information, skills and tools to accomplish their ministry.   Our meeting was honoured with the presence of the Archbishop of Canterbury and the head of the Anglican Communion, The Most Rev. and Rt Hon. Dr Rowan Williams; the chairman of the Global South, the Most Revered Dr John Chew (Primate of South-East Asia) and the Most Rev. Bob Duncan, Archbishop of the Anglican Church in North America.  

    145. Presentations on the theme included:   (1) Nurturing Family Life and Building Healthy Populations; (2) Nurturing Harmonious and Dignified Communities; (3) Securing our Economic Future; (4) Empowering the Vulnerable; and (5) Making Leadership Work to Secure Our Future and Unlock Our Potential.   Commitments   (1) The Anglican Church in Africa has continued to witness growth so that the centre of gravity of Christianity today appears to be shifting to the continent. Nonetheless, the Church’s relevance and impact on global mission and to social, economic and political transformation of the continent remains a challenge.  

    146. (2) The Anglican Church in Africa will maintain its stand on the protection of Anglican orthodoxy and authority of Scripture as a rule of developing a Christ-centred life to uplift human lives and dignity.   (3) The Anglican Church in Africa recognises its historic contributions to the growth of Christianity right from its inception and propagation of the gospel throughout the continent and, in particular, the role of the African Church fathers and martyrs. We also recall its immense contributions during the missionary era to the provision of social facilities such as education, health care and the production of the resources and the responsibility taken to shape the Christian minds of the church worldwide in the third millennium.   (4) We affirm the biblical standard of the family as having members who would some of whom grow to become the leaders of tomorrow.

    147. 5) Whereas we accept the rationale for an Anglican Covenant, we realise the need for further improvement of the Covenant in order to be an effective tool for unity and mutual accountability.   (6) There is a more urgent need today for bishops to listen to their flock if they are to make this the African century of the Christian Church in terms of energy, growth and vision. To this end, lay participation in the ministry of the Church is to be vigorously enhanced.   (7) While we will always be prepared to listen to voices from other parts of the global Communion, it is pertinent that the rest of the world listens to the unique voice of the Church in Africa. In this context, the Anglican Church in Africa commits itself to a renewed engagement in global mission, recognising that in the 21st Century, mission goes from everywhere to anywhere.

    148. (8) The African continent continues to grapple with the problem of religious intolerance which, in many cases, negatively affects the rights, the ministry and the welfare of the Church. While the conference calls upon Christians in Africa and elsewhere to be tolerant of other faiths, we must stand for the defence of the human and constitutional rights of Christians and Churches in various countries. We will not compromise the commitment of the Church to global mission.   (9) After a long period of Africa’s underdevelopment and misconceptions of African identify, it has become increasingly pertinent for Africans to take their destiny into their own hands. By setting and achieving their own strategic goals, based on the biblical model of Christ’s mission, African Christians can define their own identity, recover their self-esteem and reach their potential under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

    149. (10) We must be actively involved in working with partners at all levels to ensure equal access to medical care, food security and promoting good health practices to prevent the major causes of death on the continent, with particular attention to primary health care for African families, especially mothers, children and the elderly.   (11) We call for, and actively work to bring an end to all forms of abuse and slavery. We demand the protection of our people, particularly our women and children, from human trafficking, sexual immorality, abuse and violence, and structural, cultural and domestic violence.   (12) The successful hosting of the World Cup by South Africa, and other achievements in the continent, demonstrated how Africa’s potential can be

    150. unleashed. This should inspire and motivate the Church as well as political leaders to proactively promote and contribute to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals set for year 2015.   (13) The Anglican Church in Africa must be at the vanguard of the global movement that refuses to stay silent about the current socioeconomic and political state of affairs in the continent. We should stop agonising over the deplorable state of Africa’s underdevelopment and start organizing towards a proactive, pragmatic engagement with good governance and infrastructural development.  

    151. (14) The prevalence of poverty and underdevelopment on the continent is due mainly to mismanagement of resources and lack of effective leadership across the continent. For Africa to take its proper place among the continents of the world, our political leaders are urged to have a hard look at the style of leadership that has so far engendered corruption, poverty, insecurity and underdevelopment, and endeavour to exhibit the charismatic, visionary and patriotic efforts in this direction.  

    152. 15) We will build on our previous commitment to respond to HIV and AIDS realities by reducing stigma, shame, denial, discrimination, inaction and mis-action; and by promoting moral practices such as abstinence and marital faithfulness as well as access and availability of treatment, voluntary testing and empowerment of communities, in addition to other public health measures. (16) The children and the youth are the embodiment of the future and the Church seeks to unlock the inherent potential in this generation. Therefore, the Church in Africa commits itself to providing biblical upbringing of children and youth and give a special attention to their needs and rights.  

    153. (17) Africa is also suffering the devastating impacts of climate change: rivers and lakes are shrinking, animals are dying in large numbers; crops are falling; there are perennial major flooding and an increase in killer diseases. With its reach and influence the Anglican Church in Africa, in collaboration with its partners, will use its resources and energy to mitigate this major threat to our people. It will promote existing successful environmental conservation initiatives, including tree planting and biogas schemes, particularly through establishing ‘knowledge centres at the community level.   (18) The Church has a crucial role to play in developing a theology for the total transformation of African communities. The existing inherited model of theological formation and education is seen to be inadequate in addressing the emerging sociocultural realities of the African church. To this end, the church will develop theological curricula that will empower her leaders to forge ahead in the contemporary society.

    154. 19) The Anglican Church in Africa, guided by the Holy Spirit, will continue to work for unity among members by growing actively in prayer and home fellowship in order to be able to reach out to the unreached and to work for unity with our ecumenical partners. In that manner, we can bear a visible presence of hope and healing among communities.   (20) The Anglican Church in Africa is committed to a transforming servant- compassionate leadership that is determined to work tirelessly and diligently to reduce suffering on our continent by challenging all negative structures and relationships.   (21) The Anglican Church in Africa is grateful for the assistance it has received from its partners worldwide. We encourage the Church at all levels to make efforts to explore the various investment opportunities available so as to be financially self-sustaining in order that it can carry out its holistic mission successfully.

    155. 22) We express deep concern that the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in Sudan could be undermined by unfulfilled commitments. We therefore call upon the international communities, particularly inter-Government Authority on Development (IGAD), the African Union and the United Nations, to put more pressure on the National Congress Party and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement to hold a free, fair and peaceful referendum on the 9th of January and to respect the decision of the people of Southern Sudan as stipulated in the Comprehensive Peace Agreement. We also call upon the various rebel factions in Darfur and the Government of Sudan to return to the negotiating table to agree on a peaceful solution to the conflict.

    156. (23) The Anglican Church in Africa is deeply concerned about the last bomb attack in Kampala, Uganda, which killed many innocent people. We take this opportunity to present our condolences and sympathy to the Government and people of Uganda, and especially to the families of the victims. We condemn in strong terms such criminal acts and will passionately pray against future acts of violence.   (24) The Anglican Church in Africa expresses deep concern over the continued sexual violence against women and children by armed groups operating in the Eastern Congo. We call upon UN forces to do more in protecting civilians and assist the government in stabilising the region.   (25) We are concerned about the problem of insecurity, lack of democracy and freedom in Madagascar and appeal to the international community to support the ongoing peace process undertaken by the Malagasy actors.

    157. 26) Recognising the loss of lives and great pains in Kenya associated with the post-election violence after the 2007 elections, we commend the recent peaceful referendum and the promulgation of the new constitution.   Appreciation   We give thanks to God for the ministry of our retired or retiring fathers: The Most Rev. Barbard Malango, Province of Central Africa; the Most Rev. Peter Akinola, Province of Nigeria; the Most Rev. Njonkulu Ndugane, Province of Southern Africa; the Most Rev. Bernard Mtetemela, Province of Tanzania; the Most Rev. Remi Rabenirina, Province of Indian Ocean; the Most Rev. Fidele Dirokpa Balufuga, Province of the Democratic Republic of Congo; the Most Rev. Robert Okine, Province of West Africa; the Most Rev. Benjamin Nzimbi, Province of Kenya; and the Most Rev. Emmanuel Musaba Kolini, Province of Rwanda. We pray for their continued good health and ministry.  

    158. We also want to express our profound appreciation to the Chairman of CAPA, the Most Rev. Lan Ernest, CAPA’s Secretariat and the Organising Committee and all delegates, facilitators, rapporteurs and other guests.   “Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them saying: Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteouness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you” – Matthew 5:1-11.  

    159. On behalf of the CAPA Primates.   Most Rev. Lan Ernest Most Rev. Emmanuel Kolini Chairman, CAPA Vice Chairman, CAPA    

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