• BY NGOZI ADIGHIBE

“There is nothing and no one, who can help us, except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.”

This was the crux of the message of the new Primate of the Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, the Most Rev’d Henry C. Ndukuba at the commemoration of the Archbishop Nicholas Okoh’s decade of Primacy and Primate Ndukuba’s presentation as the 5th Archbishop Metropolitan and Primate Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion held at the Cathedral Church of the Advent, Life Camp, Gwarinpa, Abuja.

Primate Ndukuba explained that in Nigeria and in these challenging times, God is reiterating that Jesus Christ and Him crucified is the solution, so that whoever looks to Him shall be saved. He observed that the message of the cross is not easily accepted, and it is often offensive to the world and the powers of darkness. He however added that there is no other alternative, because God’s solution to sin is Jesus Christ.

The head of the Anglican Church in Nigeria debunked the belief that there are other routes to God, stressing that Jesus Christ is the only way to God, the Father. He said the bane of Christianity in this generation is “cheap grace” that he explained as, grace without sacrifice.

Archbishop Ndukuba said, “If you are not ready to lose your life, you are not ready to follow Jesus.”

He said, “You cannot serve the Lord, Jesus Christ and faithfully follow Him without suffering.”

The cleric pointed out that the problem in the Church is that many struggle for positions, simply to gain power and not to pay the price of the gospel. He therefore charged the congregation to prepare their hearts and be ready to pay the price of following Jesus.

The Primate informed the Church that they would operate an open door policy, but they desired truth, sacrifice, hard work and even suffering, if it is to the glory of God. He verbally committed to upholding the Anglican Orthodoxy, the Communion’s stance against same-sex marriage, the authority of the Scriptures and maintaining out of communion with any church that follows all that represents the revisionist agenda.

The Most Rev’d Henry Ndukuba concluded his message with the declaration that his tenure and decade of leadership would be a decade of the reign of God. He said they would strengthen the teaching of the word of God in the Church, pay attention to Theological schools, children, youths and women to insure the future of the Church, and focus on re-evangelization and discipleship. He said they would oppose lifestyles that are against the word of God and purge the Anglican Church of all who are against the authority of the Scriptures.

Earlier in the service, the new Primate appreciated his predecessors for the legacies of faith and structures they had left behind. He also appreciated fellow Archbishops and Bishops for their confidence in selecting him and his wife to occupy the position; explaining that they could not do it alone without the cooperation of every single member of the Church.

On the spate of the coronavirus pandemic, Primate Ndukuba assured Nigerians that this virus would come and go. He however urged all to adhere to the hygienic directives, which have been prescribed and continue to pray and trust God to deliver the nation.

The Most Rev’d Henry Chukwudum Ndukuba, the new Primate of the Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion was born on the 18th of July 1961, to Mr. and Mrs. Silas O. Ndukuba of Ogberuru in Orlu LGA of Imo State. He was elected as the Bishop of Gombe in September 1999 and nineteen years after, he was elected Archbishop of Jos Ecclesiastical province and presented January 12, 2018. He was elected by the Episcopal Synod as the Primate of the Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion on 24th September, 2019 and Presented on the 25th of March, 2020 as the 5th Primate of the Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion.

 

-Photo Credit: Ayodeji Adeboyejo