Bishop challenges colleagues ... Be trustworthy read-just your vision

Anglican Bishops in Nigeria ended their retreat recently at the Ibru Centre, Agbarha-Otor, Delta State, where they were challenged to be trustworthy and to readjust their vision and style to reflect authority from God.
At the flag-off of the retreat, Archbishop of Ecclesiastical Province of Ondo and Bishop of Ondo, the Most Rev. Dr. George Lasebikan, identified the need for bishops and leaders of the church to readjust their vision and style to reflect people given authority by God in trust.

Preaching on the theme of the retreat, which is “The Episcopate and the future of church of Nigeria', the archbishop urged leaders of the church to follow the Apostolic examples and avoid those he desire as enemies of the cross of Christ.

Leaders of the church, he said, must give constant training and retraining to the clergy and pay serious attention to them since they are closer to the people.

For this reason, he recommended a revised syllabus for theological institutions.

He, however, gave kudos to the Anglican Church for clergy training which, he said, enhances the Anglican orthodoxy and practice.

While commending Primate of all Nigeria Anglican Communion, Archbishop Nicholas Okoh, for enhancing the image of the church with his landmark achievements, he warned against handing over affairs of the church to a mediocre successor, an action which would jeopardise the future of the church.

The preacher, who quoted profusely from the Bible, called on church leaders to be purposeful, visionary and strategically influential as teachers and preaches.

Bishop of Kano, the Rt. Rev. Zakka Nyam, who talked extensively on the 14 qualifications of a bishop, according to 1 Timothy 3:1-7, called on his colleagues to be trustworthy and not to be “flippant or flimsy-minded” as the job is not for novices.

He said that only the grace of God would enable them to scale through the 14 qualifications and be a true conscience of the church and society.

Bishop Nyam laid emphasis on the future of the church, saying that to place the church on a higher pedestal requires wisdom, knowledge, honesty and loyalty.

He observed that the Primate of all Nigeria Anglican Communion Most Rev. Nicholas Okoh, has been in the fight for justice and has cautiously preached the undiluted word of God and, therefore, assured him of the prayers, loyalty and support of his immediate constituency.

(c) Christian voice newspaper