Ayokunle

Jethro Ibileke/Benin

The Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, has charged churches to unite as one to fight the cases of insecurity in the nation.

President of CAN, Rev. Samson Ayokunle, gave the charge at the 30th Edo Easter Prayer Breakfast Fellowship in Benin City.

He urged Christians to respect constituted authorities and do away with attitudes which are against the principles of God and law of the country.

Ayokunle stressed that the power of darkness is using some Nigeria leaders to initiate anti-people bill which would ensure that Christians are silenced and relegated to the background but assured that the time for keeping quiet was over.

He emphasised the need for Christians to be united as they were baptised in the same faith though their graces differ.

Rev Ayokunle said; “It’s a time for a solemn assembly where we sit together in mutual faith to pray for the nation and pray for the church because we know we are not fighting against flesh and blood, we are fighting darkness which is in every nation.

“We should not assume that all is well with Nigeria at a critical time like this when our economy is almost comatose. The handwriting is not a good one.

“We can’t continue like that. We need to call on the God that created heaven and earth so that we may have a life to enjoy with him and have a better future.”

The Guest Lecturer, Prof. Vincent Anigbogie, who ascribed the division in Christendom to the many denominations available for Christians to worship at, said the preaching of churches has further plunged Christianity into crisis.

Prof Anigbogie, a Professor of Analytical Chemistry at Nigeria Institute of Transformation,  harped on the need for Christians to look beyond tribal and cultural differences as a way of uniting the Church.

While calling on clergymen to unite the churches together irrespective of the denominations, instead of further dividing them, the Guest Lecturer urged Christians to preach peace and seek peace first for the holy spirit to dwell in their hearts.

“We need to gain that consciousness that what affects all affects me and what affects me affects all.

“Christianity is a nation, it is an identity. Unfortunately, we don’t understand it, so we allow our cultures to divide us, we allow our tribe to divide us.

“Some of us are saved indeed but our minds have not be redeemed, so we must not carry our tribal and cultural differences into the church.

“Leaders are both born and made. Some of us have the leadership capacity but we have not been trained. One of the reasons we have not come together as a church is because we have misused the gifts of the church. These gifts are given for equipping of the saints and help them discover their purpose in God.

“The church of Nigeria will rise and begin to play its rightful role, but we have to stop castigating and support the CAN, for there is strength in our unity,” he said.

In his remark, President of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, PFN, Rev. Felix Omobude, urged Christians to imbibe the lessons learned for the Easter celebration which was to reconcile Christendom.