CHURCH OF NIGERIA
(ANGLICAN COMMUNION)
4TH INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE
HELD AT THE CATHEDRAL CHURCH OF ST. PAUL DIOBU, PORT HARCOURT
FROM MONDAY, 29TH APRIL TO FRIDAY 3RD MAY, 2019
THEME: OCCUPY TILL I COME (LUKE 19: 13)
THE COMMUNIQUE
PREAMBLE:
The 4th International Christian Leadership Conference organized by the Evangelism Leadership and Missions International Institute (ELMI) of Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), which held from Monday 29th April to Friday 3rd May 2019 at the Cathedral Church of St. Paul, Diobu Port Harcourt was declared open by the Archbishop, Metropolitan and Primate Church of Nigeria, His Grace Most Revd Dr. Nicholas D. Okoh represented by the Rt. Revd Blessing Enyindah, the Bishop of Ikwerre Diocese with the Provincial Archbishop, 11 Bishops and another in attendance.
The Conference labored on the theme and objectively analyzed various facets essential for occupying till the Master returns. Conference proceedings included reflections on a few Bible Characters, Seminars, Bible Studies, Prayer Sessions, Interactive Discussions as well as Expositions on the theme.
At the close of the proceedings, the Conference issued the following communiqué:
The Conference agreed that there is the urgent need for every Christian to occupy effectively for the Lord by engaging assiduously in the business of soul winning in whatever work of life he/she is engaged.
The Anglican Church as is presently constituted in this part of the globe is centered largely on the office of the Priest. This is contrary to the laudable example of the Church Missionary Society which was more of a lay missions agency, and as well as the vision of Christ for His Church (Eph. 4: 7, 16). If the objectives of the theme of this Conference must be achieved, the church hierarchy needs to consciously devolve more areas of ministry to the laity. This is realizable through identifying various ministry/spiritual gifts from within the Church, and training the people so gifted to develop ministries in those areas with a view to using the ministries to enhance the workforce of the Church, and also enabling each believer carry out Christian ministry in his/her marketplace as part of Christian witness.
The Programme of the Church has to be consciously re-structured to reflect intentional outreach, thus making a paradigm shift from the normal routine programme of the Church.
The Conference identified seven mountain gates, (Business/Economy; Politics/Governance; Media/Communication; Arts & Entertainment; Education/Skills Acquisition; Family and Community; and Christianity/Other Religions) through which the human society is controlled and urged the people of God (Christians) to demonstrate godliness in their positions in those gates/areas, standing firm until our Master returns.
Our members in the political system are urged to resist all pressures to be enticed or lured through unguarded quest for material gains to deviate from the principles of the Kingdom, but rather to use their positions to witness for our Master.
The conference charged all Christians to resist all human traditions that conflict with the Christian faith and principles, and rather project the Christian traditions.
The conference urged all Christian parents and guardians to have an eye on, and check and strive to control their youths in the use of social media.
The Conference charges churches to invest on the provision of social infrastructure such as skills acquisition outfits, etc. (to the extent that they do not hamper or impede the main task of evangelism), to be able to extend the frontiers of our Christian witness.
Bro. Gabriel Okpechi The Most Revd Tunde Adeleye
Chairman, Board of Directors, ELMI Archbishop, Province of Niger Delta,
and Bishop, Diocese of Calabar
