THE CHURCH AS LION AND PUSSYCAT

These, in his opinion, include: Pride, Insecurity, Suspicion, Ambition, Competition, Immaturity, Independence and Fear. He defined independence as that state of mind where a church leader feels so complete in himself that he requires help from nobody. Fear on the other hand feeds on what a leader thinks he might lose in the place of unity, such as, position, fame, pre-eminence

From Left: Pastor Wale Adefarasin, Archbishop Magnus Atilade
and Monsignor Gabriel Osu at the IFCU Symposium 

Rev Dr Moses Iloh was at the International Foundation for Christian Unity annual symposium the other day. He wasn’t the keynote speaker. Nor was he one of the discussants. In fact, he came late, pleading traffic and the pressure from other duties. But the octogenarian founder and senior pastor of Soul Winners Chapel was his usual self. In his very brief contribution, he illustrated one of the most debilitating effects of disunity in the church – weakness.

He reminded everyone about how a young brilliant man has taken on the whole church of 80million people. That “young brilliant man” is Central Bank Governor Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, and of course you know the subject, Islamic Banking! Describing the Nigerian church as 80 million impotent people, he said “we are lions in church on Sunday; but outside the church, we are pussy-cats.”

You could have heard a pin drop momentarily, but then a thunderous applause soon followed. People like to applaud those who speak truth to power, even if they wouldn’t dare attempt it from a distance.

This year’s edition of the symposium with the theme, “That They May Be One”, like the three before it, never lacked moments of such home truths. Indeed, if we were to match action with only a small percentage of what was said at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs venue of the event, we would be well on our way to achieving the much needed unity.

The Guest of Honour who doubled as Keynote Speaker, President, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor was no less forthright in his presentation on the topic, “Exploring A New Way To Christian Unity.”

Represented Pastor Wale Adefarasin, National Secretary, Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) of which Oritsejafor is also still President, he said “God expects us to surmount the challenges posed by our difference - the differences of gifts, the differences of denominations; the differences of doctrinal positions and all other differences and recognise that despite our differences, we are one body.”

He argued that individual results could only increase when the exponential power of agreement is allowed to free rein, and went on to itemise a number of obstacles to unity in the body of Christ.

These, in his opinion, include: Pride, Insecurity, Suspicion, Ambition, Competition, Immaturity, Independence and Fear. He defined independence as that state of mind where a church leader feels so complete in himself that he requires help from nobody. Fear on the other hand feeds on what a leader thinks he might lose in the place of unity, such as, position, fame, pre-eminence etc.

He identified immaturity as the major culprit because virtually all else result from spiritual immaturity, pointing out that it was the same immaturity that led Apostle Paul to write in his epistle to the Corinthians thus: “Let me put it this way: each one of you says something different. One says, ‘I follow Paul’; another, ‘I follow Apollos’, another, ‘I follow Peter’; and another, ‘I follow Christ’, Christ has been divided into groups! Was it Paul who died on the cross for you? Were you baptized as Paul's disciples?” (1Corinthians 1:12-13, GNB).

He went on to counsel that the true Christian attitude must line up with these words: 

“I don’t care what church you belong                                                                                             

If in Christ by faith you are saved                                                                                                

Then you are my brother; you are my sister                                                                                       

So give me your hand…”

Leading the discussion segment of the event, Rev Felix Meduoye, General Overseer, Foursquare Gospel Church Nigeria warned that disunity has no basis in Christianity. Quoting from the Bible, he said Christian unity was a necessity because the Lord Jesus, founder and head of the church says it will help the world know that the Father sent him. Unity, he pointed out, conforms to the pattern in heaven, where the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit are so united that they are one. Add to that the truth that we have so much in common united as we are by one Lord, one faith, and one hope of salvation.

He, however, cautioned against mistaking unity for uniformity, stating that denominations are not necessarily evil. Church splits, he said have historically even been known to help expand the church. He also posited that unity is at two levels, the spiritual and the practical, submitting in the words of St Augustine that our attitude ought to be, “In the essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all else charity.”

Another discussant, Monsignor Gabriel Osu, Director of Social Communications Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos said disunity in the church has become the scandal of Christianity. He noted that it was commonplace for churches to be located on the same street and have no contact whatsoever, just because they do not belong to the same denomination. This is scandalous, he said.  No amount of talk will help if we do not begin at such practical levels, he suggested.

Archbishop Magnus Atilade, Chairman, South West Zone of Organisation African Instituted Churches (OAIC), one of the five constituent organisations within CAN, was also his usual candid self. He pointed out that disunity in the church was a direct disobedience to the will of the Lord Jesus who repeated prayed that we may be one, in John 17. He warned that church leaders must avoid using “our minds to interprete the Scriptures. Jesus did ask for one church. Our attempt to convert the world to Christianity has been futile because of utter disunity.”

He then identified some practical areas of action from which efforts in unity can begin: “We must agree to undertake rescue effort to save the perishing and the dying souls. Let the church in spite of denominations be united in mission efforts of evangelism.”

Apostle Alex Bamgbola, Chairman, Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, Lagos State, which co-sponsored this year’s event, was moderator at the symposium, presided over by Mr Chidi IIogu, chairman of the Foundation. Surveyor Cyprian Agbazue, President and founder of the group received series of visions which led him to write two books upon which the Foundation’s activities are based.