“Every community needs a church” – Nigerian Primate says
Archbishop Nicholas Okoh spoke about the need for priests to live a life of example, when he dedicated the new St Silas’ Church in Galuywi, Abuja Photo Credit: Channel STV
[ACNS] Archbishop Nicholas Okoh, the Primate of Nigeria, has said that large communities of people need “a recognisable Anglican presence”. But he said that Anglican churches “have has not come to compete with any Church, because God is one.” He made his comments at the dedication of a new Anglican Church in Galuywi, Abuja. The new St Silas’ Church was planted by the congregation of All Saints’ Anglican Church in Wuse, Abuja.
During the dedication ceremony, Archbishop Okoh stressed the importance of partnership working amongst Christians, and he asked the leadership of the new church to make visiting other church and community leaders in the area one of their priorities, alongside winning souls for Christ.
The dedication ceremony was important, because “it sanctifies and makes a place holy, whilst expelling any evil spirits that may be hanging around,” he said, pointing out that once a church was dedicated “it belonged to nobody, but God”
People come to church for different reasons, he said, including when they are happy, say or in need of guidance. He added that a church was a benefit to any community. “Anyone who comes to Church, comes to seek God”, he said.
The job of a parish priest was to be a facilitator to guide people and to bring the local community to church, “teaching them that Jesus Christ is not a stranger to the community or to anyone” and should “live a life that will help in the spread of the Gospel.”