(BY VEN. FOLUSO TAIWO)
In his message on the 4th day of the Retreat of Church of All Nigeria Anglican Communion Bishops Retreat, at IBRU Centre the Rt Rev Zakka Nyam Bishop of Kano Diocese talked extensively on the Episcopate and the fourteen qualifications of a Bishop as clearly stated in 1 Timothy 3:1-7.

Bishop Nyam challenged his colleagues asking if they have scaled through the 14 qualifications adding that it is the grace of God at work and he will see them through. He said though the word Episcopate is a New Testament concept, yet is has a wider Biblical meaning which establishes one God even in the Anglican Church which is Synodically governed and Episcopally led. According to Bishop Nyam, the Bishop as a leader is a matured mind the conscience of the church and society. He urged them to always demonstrate maturity, sense of responsibility in all that they do in their behavior, action, attitude, and lifestyle and even in their dressing.

The Bishop of Kano with all emphasis at his disposal, said to desire to be a Bishop is good because it is a noble job, but he added an addendum when he said Bishops must be trust worthy not a novice, flippant, flimsy mind, because according to the Bishop, the future of the church is paramount and good heritage must be left behind.
The cleric also harped on wisdom and knowledge for the future of the church to be bright adding that to place the church on a high pedestal, transparent honesty and loyalty without deceit is needed.

He weighed the enormity of the work of the Primate and the various people he is ruling over, with a prayer that God will continue to embolden him, and grant him the wisdom to know what to believe in a society of people with a precarious standing and behavior. He assured the primate of the loyalty of his immediate constituency with a pledge to continue to support him because he is always fighting for justice and the undiluted word of God as the Primate of all Nigeria Anglican Communion in the league of Churches and the world at large.