A look at the Church of Nigeria
The Church of Nigeria has been an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion since February 1979. It is a vast church in a vast country and in 2003 a 10-Province structure was adopted. The provinces are: Lagos, Ibadan, Ondo, Bendel, The Niger, Niger Delta, Owerri, Abuja, Kaduna and Jos.
Primate
The Most Revd Peter J Akinola D.D, was presented as Primate and Metropolitan of the Church of Nigeria Anglican Communion in 2000. He immediately got the Church of Nigeria to adopt a Vision to make it self-reliant during his tenure. He has introduced an endowment scheme to raise substantial investible funds which has gone a long way in realising the self- propagating, self-administering and self-sufficient, vision of the early CMS missionaries
The International U.S. based TIME Magazine named him twice (2006 & 2007) as one of the 100 most influential people who have got the “clout and power” to move the world.
Mission
The Church of Nigeria has over the years become established as the champion of mission efforts and has maintained its reputation as the fastest growing province in the Anglican Communion. That reputation has carried with it important and challenging responsibilities not only to model biblical ethics but to condemn every compromise or departure from the position held out by the Scripture. The Church was founded through the missionary effort of the CMS (Church Mission Society) and is being expanded in like manner. The mission arm is the Church of Nigeria Missionary Society (CNMS), which holds out the gospel flag to different parts of the country.
Vision
"The Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) shall be bible-based, spiritually dynamic, united, disciplined; self-supporting, committed to pragmatic evangelism, social welfare and a church that epitomizes the genuine love of Christ."
This vision statement has opened up fresh vistas of ministry which hitherto had been non-existent – all in a bid to become more relevant to the needs of its members and nation.
The machinery for achieving the set goals and establish a CARING CHURCH has been at work. The initial goal of being bible-based has led to the championing of adherence to scripture worldwide. The goal of being self-supporting is being actively pursued through the Endowment Fund and social work is going on in the oft ignored hintherland and villages nation-wide.