…..to discuss menace at African conference
From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
Church leaders under the umbrella of Christian Council of Nigeria (CCN) have expressed worry over the growing cases of “misleading theology” among some clergymen in Africa.
The Church leaders said the people that engaged in such practices are giving Christian faith a bad name, urging them to desist from such practices which, according to them, is against God and human.
They said the issue of “misleading theology” will take centre stage at the forthcoming All African Conference of Churches (AACC) scheduled to hold in Abuja in November with the theme “The Love of Christ Compels us”.
They said the Conference will welcome 600 delegates from about 43 Countries, and it hopes to house cutting edge theological insights from Christian leaders across Africa on several pressing issues.
Chairman of the organizing committee, Dr. Israel Akanji, told journalists at a press conference, in Abuja, on Wednesday, that the Conference will also serve as an opportunity to celebrate 60th year anniversary of the AACC which has served as a veritable platform for uniting the Body of Christ in Africa.
He said: “The Conference is not only a celebration but also a testament to the growth and cohesion of the Christian community in Africa since the idea of the AACC was conceived 64 years ago in Ibadan, Nigeria.
“Undoubtedly, AACC has remained the broadest and most inclusive ecumenical organization in Africa. The coming Conference will be a great space to strengthen the ongoing efforts in addressing the complex issues facing the African continent and the entire inhabited universe.
“It will provide a platform to seek out new biblical and theological perspectives to help us successfully complete the task at hand. The assembly’s business session will also review the organization’s mission and primary areas of focus until the next assembly in four years’ time in another African Country.”
Dr. Akanji, said that CCN and AACC is not unaware of several social and economic issues that’s facing Africa and it’s people, but amidst that, there is need to embark on projects that would support peace-building, economic development and poverty alleviation, human rights and social justice, and religious freedom, as well as interreligious co-existence.
He expressed the concerns of the church leaders on the sporadic occurrences of coup d’etat and military takeovers in Africa, and regretted that this is still an option in African continent. “While we do not condone in anyway the high rate of corruption that manifests in many political circles in the continent, we give our open condemnation to military coups and reject them as an option that is befitting for our continent at this stage of our development.
“We believe that dialogue, political and interreligious, is always the best option towards justice. We advice African countries not to mortgage the future of the continent by the humongous amount of loans being collected which has enormous negative consequences for the coming generations.”
He maintained that AACC and its member-organizations and churches in Nigeria believe that faith and dialogue are powerful tools for change, and that they are committed to playing a pivotal role in the continental efforts towards eradication of militancy and all forms of violence.
“Peace building, religious tolerance, economic development, and poverty alleviation should be vigorously pursued. We shall champion human rights and justice for all, the economy and ecological conditions of the earth which includes respect for the purity of our lands, forests, rivers, seas, and oceans,” he promised.