The retired Bishop of Ibadan Diocese, Anglican Church, Most Rev Joseph Akinfenwa, has charged the Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, to remain courageous in speaking truth to power, warning that the church must not become a “zombie” or be intimidated by those in authority.
Akinfenwa said church leaders had a prophetic responsibility to hold government accountable by telling those in authority when they were doing well and when they were doing wrong.
He also decried the worsening hardship, hunger, insecurity and unemployment in the country, urging the church not to ignore the suffering of Nigerians under the guise of merely praying for the nation.
The retired bishop stated this on Tuesday while speaking at the ongoing 15th General Synod of the Church of Nigeria and the consecration of four new bishops at Our Saviour’s Anglican Church, Ikenne Remo, Ogun State.
He urged the newly consecrated bishops to protect the dignity of the episcopate and ensure that their lives reflected the gospel and the responsibilities entrusted to them.
According to him, while prayer remained important, it should not be used as an excuse for the church to abandon its civic responsibility to speak against injustice, poor governance and other societal ills.
Akinfenwa said, “Beloved, the church must continue to pray for this great nation. Prayer does not mean abandoning our responsibility as citizens. The church must pray, the church must think, and when necessary, the church must speak truth to power.
“I was elated when our Primate voiced out about what was being done some months ago about a state where an election was to take place. I felt proud as an Anglican; our leader has spoken, he’s fearless.
“We must speak! In your various locations, speak against ills, call the attention of people to what they should be doing. Whatever happens, our democracy depends upon citizens who are willing to speak.
“Freedom of speech matters. Freedom of association matters. Freedom of religion matters. Freedom of thought matters.
“The church must not become zombie or be afraid. God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind.
“We must be able to tell those in authority when they are doing well and when they are doing wrong. We must also be able to tell them when things are not what they should be.”
Describing this as part of the church’s prophetic calling, the cleric said the church must remain sensitive to the realities confronting ordinary Nigerians.
He said, “Nigeria is a nation of extraordinary resilience. We endure, we improvise, we survive, we keep moving. But resilience must never be used as an excuse to ignore suffering.
“There’s hardship in the land. There’s hunger in the land. There’s unemployment in the land, and talk about insecurity; there is so much in the land. There’s anxiety about the future.
“Many families are struggling to meet basic needs. When people tell us that they are suffering, we must not dismiss their testimony. The church must listen to the cry of the people, and the church must speak on behalf of the people.”
Akinfenwa further cautioned against reducing the church’s response to the challenges facing the country to prayers alone, saying faith must be accompanied by action.
“When the people cry, the church must not merely say, ‘Let us pray.’ Yes, let us pray, but after we pray, let us ask, ‘Lord, what do You want us to do?’
“Prayers must lead to action. Faith must produce works. That is why James says, ‘Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers alone.’
“Let us say this with respect to those who lead our nation, even at this time. Look, every leader needs people who will tell them the truth, not people who will tell them only what they want to hear, not people who will deny reality in order to protect their position.”
