After a decade of conflict and disruptions to a recent service of reconciliation at St. Luke’s Cathedral, Sapele, the Church of Nigeria’s primate, has announced a takeover of the Delta State diocese’s cathedral. Archbishop Henry Ndukuba suspended eight clergy of the Diocese of Sapele and dissolved the cathedral’s lay governance structures, entrusting the congregation to a caretaker committee.
In a January 27 statement, the primate described the decision as a response to an “exhibition of insubordination.” He also said that he and his predecessor, Archbishop Nicholas Okoh, had “constituted panels upon panels to broker peace under a united and indivisible Diocese under God being led by the Bishop, which is the essential hallmark of Anglican governance, but some individuals have brazenly defied all efforts to toe the path of peace in order to put an end to the perennial crises to entrench lasting peace in the Diocese.”
The statement singled out a disruption of a January 18 service attended by the archbishop and bishops of the Province of Bendel, which was intended to welcome the Rt. Rev. Blessing Erifeta back to his ministry as diocesan bishop. The primate accused protesters of carrying placards denouncing Erifeta’s leadership, disrupting the service with singing, and blocking the cathedral’s entrance, preventing the bishop from entering the cathedral.
Erifeta was first forced to flee the diocese in June 2015, when congregants locked him and his wife out of their residence, and he has not been able to reestablish his ministry there since. His opponents accuse him of misusing church funds and failing to regularly pay the diocese’s clerics.
Sapele’s diocesan communicator, the Ven. Theophilus Usikaro, said in a statement obtained by The Living Church that the crisis has exhausted the Church of Nigeria’s dispute resolution mechanisms, and has involved the government’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the High Court.
When contacted by TLC to tell his side of the story, the embattled bishop said he would require clearance from the office of the Primate to know if he could comment on the issue.
Amos Amiele Akhigbe, a man who described himself as a church member, petitioned the primate to lift the suspensions in an undated letter circulating on social media.
“The credibility of the church and indeed its moral witness in the world depends on our commitment to integrity, fairness, and the willingness to confront difficult truths,” Akhibe argues. “The suspension of those who call for justice undermines that commitment.”
The petitioner claims that those calling investigations into Erifeta’s actions have a “sincere desire to uphold the integrity of our faith community and the principles of justice that are foundational to our teachings.”
“I urge you to lift the suspension on those who have been unjustly penalised for calling for an investigation and to ensure that this matter is dealt with in accordance with the principles of justice and truth that our faith demands.
“May you in your role as the spiritual leader of our church choose the path of truth, transparency, and justice for all members of the church.”
Akpos Ovie Edoreh, a member of a church in the Diocese of Sapele, said: “The controversy surrounding St. Luke’s Cathedral Sapele requires spiritual vigilance as such developments [threaten] the moral authority and spiritual foundation of our church.”
Gad Onyeanu, a longtime Anglican and a justice of the peace, told TLC: “The Sapele crisis has lingered for too long which is what I found very unhealthy, unbiblical, and at variance with the Word of God. The crisis has been a very big dent on the Church of Nigeria Anglican Communion. … The laity have been so frustrated spiritually over financial aggrandizement in the church.
He expressed regrets that, from his perspective, some of those who are supposed to be moral examples and soul winners for the kingdom are not living up to those roles.
“[A]n average Bishop desires two things: (1) acquire a PhD (2) Travel abroad, especially to the U.S. and send their children to study abroad—at very high tuition at the expense of the laity,” Onyeanu said.
Another longtime Anglican elder, who asked to remain anonymous, said the crisis in Sapele “underscores the level of profligacy that goes on in the church. It casts shadows over the revered image of the Bishopric, raising questions about transparency, accountability, credibility, and integrity in the church.
“It is a big shame that while people of the other faith are engaged pursuing strategic blueprints on where their faith should be in the next 30 years, our people—Christians are fighting and some of the church leaders are more concerned about ‘what is in it for me’ in the church.
“That is why this Christian genocide and persecution is escalating. Priests and Christians are being killed every day, yet the church is not doing enough. This apparent inertia at the church’s leadership level is, to say the least, concerning. We thank God the U.S government has taken on the battle on behalf of the vulnerable Christians.”
K.C. Nwajei is a freelance journalist based in Nigeria.
