TCNews

From TCNEWS

The Anglican Communion Archbishop, Metropolitan and Primate of All Nigeria, The Most Rev’d Henry Ndukuba has decried that the godly vocation ministry of serving God and man by the altruistic edification of the people of God in the knowledge and love of God has been turned to the worldly profession of exploitative venture and all-inclusiveness.

In an address presented on his behalf by Venerable Princewill Iroaba at the maiden 2023 Aba Provincial Clergy conference with the theme “The Anglican Minister Today”, the Primate decried that many Ministers in a bid to gain acceptance has left the substance to pursue shadow in their Ministry, leaving undone, what they ought to have done and doing what they ought not to have done.

“But, it appears that the ministers are lost in the confusions of the time. The trends and changes of the times are both positive and negative, and to the extremes”, Ndukuba said, observing further that many Anglicans today are caught up in the web of confusion and crises engendered by the prevalent extremists of liberalism and fundamentalism.

His words, “Many things have changed and are changing to what has come to be known as new normal. There are both scientific and technological advancement as well as the chaos of eroding moral and spiritual standards set by God.

“Today is the postmodern era, which is marked by the new ethics and morality in which the popular culture and the choices of the individual or subculture determines the way of life of the people. Modernism is a movement towards modifying traditional beliefs, especially religious, in accordance with modern ideas in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Postmodernism went beyond, to relativism, which denies the existence of any ultimate principles. It does not accept that there can be a scientific, philosophical, or religious truth which explains everything for everybody.

Anglican Bishop of Umuahia Diocese, The Rt. Rev’d Geoffrey Ibeabuchi speaking during the conference.

“The postmodern world, therefore, is in rebellion against faith, religion and authority of the word of God as it drivels explanations that claim to be valid for all groups, cultures, traditions, or races and rather opts for relevant truths by individuals. In the postmodern understanding, individual interpretation is everything, and this has given rise to all kinds of aberrations like homosexuality, lesbianism, bestiality and other sexual immorality. These are becoming normal as most Western countries have endorsed, encouraged and even legislated in their favour. This has also come to mar the Communion that we have shared globally over the years as Anglicans”.

Presenting an address also, the Archbishop of Ecclesiastical Province of Aba and Anglican Bishop of Isiala Ngwa South Diocese, Most Rev’d. Isaac Nwobia highlighted some of the militating tides against the Anglican Minister Today to include: denial of normative Biblical truth which has given rise to revisionist agenda such as gay theology; ethnicity and tribalism; African traditional religion which has given rise to syncretism, fetishism, idolatry among others; influence of the new generational churches; persecution, terrorism, kidnapping, banditry and the likes.

The Archbishop of Ecclesiastical Province of Aba and Anglican Bishop of Isiala Ngwa South Diocese, Most Rev’d. Isaac Nwobia

He reminded the clergy conference that for them to minister effectively and efficiently today, they must strive hard and wisely repackage their content, update their styles, and make the gospel attractive to meet up the global, biblical, and doctrinal best practices in ministry.

Also in an address, the Bishop of Ikwuano and Supervisor Aba Provincial Clergy, The Rt. Rev’d Chigozirim Onyegbule who pointed out that the conference provides a good training opportunity for the participants, encouraged all the clergy participating in the conference to utilize well the training the conference offers to enhance their efficiency in the pastoral ministry.

“The theme of this conference is The Anglican Minister Today and the text is drawn from 1 Peter Chapter 5 verses 2 to 4. This text brings to focus the mind of the Lord and Master of the Church concerning the shepherding of His flock which is the primary responsibility of a Pastor. The task of serving as an under-shepherding of the flock is of critical importance and demands not only a thorough preparation but a constant reflection, guided by the word of the Lord on how this sacred duty is being discharged by the Ministers of the Church”, Onyegbule further stated.