Sapele Anglican crisis: No one can hold the church to ransom —Primate

THE Primate of the Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, The Most Reverend Nicholas Okoh, says no one could hold the church to ransom as it relates to the crisis at the Sapele diocese.

His views is contained in a statement released on the church’s website and signed by the General Secretary of the Church of Nigeria, The Ven. Dr Stephen Ayodeji Fagbemi.

The primate stated that the “church recognises the worth of its members who have been redeemed by the blood of Jesus, true members of the Anglican Church, baptised and confirmed, necessarily submit to the structure of the church, first to its clergy, bishops, archbishops, and ultimately to the Primate who administers the church through proper legal instrument. Hence, every clergy who accept to be ordained swear to the oath of canonical obedience and loyalty to their bishop.”

Advising complainants to take advantage of the Lenten season and embrace repentance, he said that those who were unwilling to submit to the governing authority of the church, reserved the right to walk away, as no one could hold the church to ransom.

“Anyone who fails and feels unable to bring himself under the governing authority of this church automatically repudiates his membership and has a right to leave or walk away.  But no one has a right to hold the church to ransom.

He highlighted the steps taken to resolve the crisis, such as constituting representatives of the primate represented by the Archbishop of Bendel and the entire Bendel Provincial bishops, as well as an invitation by the primate himself, among other “recognised constitutional channels of leadership and intervention.”

The Primate, who lamented the embarrassment the crisis had caused the church, noted that the complainants had “crossed the red line.

“The Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) cannot be held to ransom by any group; the Anglican Church belongs only to those who can operate within and submit to its constituted authority and structures. Any lay member who follows this group must know that he is working outside of Anglican norms. Therefore, anyone who does this is nullifying his right to remain a member of the Anglican Church.

“The only option now is to take advantage of the Lenten season and repent immediately by returning to the legitimate Anglican Church with an undertaking to forthwith respect the constituted authority and structure of the Church of Nigeria.

“Let it be known to all and sundry that anyone, clergy or laity, who refuses to repent but continues to associate with this group, thereby rejecting the authority of the Anglican Church in the diocese of Sapele and by extension in the Church of Nigeria stands the risk of losing his right to remain as a member of the Church,” he stated.