As anyone who has read this column for a while knows, unity in the Church is one of our preoccupations. We talk about it, do what little we can to foster it, and enthusiastically join hands with brethren of similar commitment.
It is for that reason that we consider the Annual Symposium of International Foundation for Christian Unity, which held on Tuesday October 5 as very important. This wasn't because yours sincerely was to be one of the discussants, (grateful for the opportunity though I am), it was because of the timing. It came only a few days after the bomb blasts that shattered the impregnability myth we've unwittingly built around the Nigerian capital city, Abuja.
To appreciate the connection, please, let's look at the state of the nation. Elsewhere in the world, events like the bomb blasts serve to unity the people. United in their grief and outraged by the audacity of the enemy, it usually serves to rally behind their leaders. But what do we have? Thanks to the ongoing divisive debate about rotational presidency within ruling party, Peoples Democratic Party, a divided nation has had its various cleavages exacerbated, not mitigated by the unfortunate tragedy of October 1. The result, brethren, is that Nigeria is today at its most divided ever, since the civil war.
Now, when a nation find itself where we are today, one of the very few insitutions that can rescue her is the Church. But, you can only give what you have! In other words, a divided church has nothing to give to a divided nation.
Therefore, even if it's only from the standpoint of rising to the rescue of the Nigerian nation, the church has to forge unity urgently.
That's what made the symposium and its timing, in my opinion, so important.
Former Senate President, Anyim Pius Anyim who chaired the event, was quite forthright in his address "On the Need for Christian Unity."
He began by reminding his audience that of the six billion people on earth today, only about two billion are Christians.. Although he didn't state how many of the remaining four billion were yet to hear the gospel, Anyim emphasised the need for Christians to go out there and tell them about the saving grace of Jesus.
His words: “I am sure that this duty is as much yours as it is mine, because you already received victory from our Lord Jesus Christ to spread the gospel and professing Christianity as it is in today’s world. We have over two million denominations and, of course, you know the implication. The implication is that every denomination has its own doctrine. Every denomination has its own way of heaven and so, I am sure I do not need to remind us that 'divided will fall and only the united will stand.'"
Referring to the theme of the symposium taken from John 17 where the Lord Jesus prayed for unity in His body, Anyim continued: “If our Lord is not concerned about disunity he wouldn’t have prayed to God in this manner. Let me say at this point that the summary of the vision of International Foundation for Christian Unity, is that this prayer of our Lord Jesus Christ for us shall be fulfilled in our own time."
The President of the Baptist Gospel Conference of Nigeria and Overseas, Archbishop Magnus Atilade, who took the role of Guest Speaker in place of former Primate of the Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, Most Reverend Peter Jasper Akinola, who was unavoidably absent, was no less forthright. He said the topic of the symposium “Repent and return to the things you did at first” was a powerful reminder to Christians and church leaders of some of the things that they may have forgotten. He urged them to return to the things they did at first.
He traced the history of disunity from the time of the early apostles, saying the real break in the church of God started in the city of Ephesus in 431AD.
He recalled that the Assyrian church broke away following disagreement on the issues of the divinity of Christ and wondered: "Can you imagine some Christians breaking away on account of that, saying that Jesus Christ is not the Son of God, he’s not part of Trinity? That basic belief tore the church apart in AD431.”
In addition to such doctrinal issues, however, he stated that pride was among the factors militating against unity in the church. He also called on general overseers, who adorn posters with their pictures and those of their wives to replace them with the photograph of Jesus Christ, who should be the object of worship.
Another discussant, former Treasurer, Christian Association of Nigeria and Director, Social Communications, Catholic Secretariat, Abuja, Rev. Fr. George Ehusani, declared that disunity has robbed the Church of the power it has to transform the world.
Ehusani, who is also Executive Director, Lux Terra Leadership Foundation, said: “There is a lot of power in agreement. Now, whether agreement is between two Christian families or a man and his wife, who are praying; if they do not agree their prayer has no power. Be it a Christian community or a particular community where there’s dissension, where one group is fighting another group... or the church is fighting another person then that church will lack power. The Apostolic Creed has ingredients for us to be one.”
The Chairman of Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, Lagos State Chapter, Apostle Alex Bamgbola, said unity has its costs. Implying that Church leaders are unwilling to pay the price, among which are power, money and pride. If leaders will love power less, embrace the truth, be freer with their money where. Church-wide projects are concerned and be humble, unity would be attainable, Bamgbola, who is founding pastor of Zion, The City of the Lord Ministries, posited.
Yours sincerely, called on church leaders to begin to show respect for one another; by stopping the habit of using their pulpit to rubbish the teachings and practices of others that they don't agree with, most of which, they sometimes don't even understand. Unity around issues and projects was also suggested as a practical way forward. The Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN need to provide leadership in these two basic but practical areas.
PIX: Mr Cyprian Agbazue, President IFCU at the Foundation's Annual Symposium 2010
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