Lagos Anglican Communion concludes Centenary celebration, urges states to return schools to original owners

Success Damian:

From Left: Chancellor, Diocese of Lagos, Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), Justice Adedayo Oyebanji, Diocesan Bishop of Lagos & Missioner, Rt. Rev. Dr. Bamisebi Olumakaiye, His Wife, Prof. Mrs. Motunrayo Olumakaiye,and Synod Secretary, Diocese of Lagos, Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), Ven. Segun Ladeinde at the Centenary Eucharist Thanksgiving Service of the Diocese of Lagos, Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) in Lagos on Tuesday/10/12/19

 
Diocese of Lagos (Anglican Communion) has successfully concluded her year-long celebration to mark the 100 years of existence of the church, even as the Bishop in charge, the Rt. Revd (Dr) Humphrey Olumakaiye used the opportunity to advise states to return schools to their original owners.

Olumakaiye took the stance at the Centenary Anniversary Eucharist Thanksgiving Service of the Diocese of Lagos at the Cathedral Church of Christ, Marina on Tuesday.

He said, “That is our Clarian call, we want other governors to return schools to the owners and I believe that educationally, they will get it right if that is done, all the schools that Tinubu returned, they are doing wonderfully, the students are performing superlatively, excellently and morally, they are impeccable, they are good, and so that is a vivid example. It is a test case for government to see that even the remaining schools in Lagos should be returned to the original owners.” He stated that the church is ready and capable, “we have been tested and we have proved that we can do it,” Olumakaiye disclosed. 

Speaking on how he felt as the church’s centenary celebration came to a successful end, he said “I feel so elated, indeed our God answered by fire, indeed it is well with the prayerful, we have been praying for a successful anniversary, and today we can look back to the glory of God and say, God is great, God is good, God is beautiful, and He has blessed us beyond our imaginations. May His name continue to be glorified,” Olumakaiye stated.

On the future of the church after the anniversary celebration Olumkaiye answered, ‘We are going higher, we are going deeper, and we are going stronger. We will be deeper in the scripture, and going higher even in the faith, and we are going to be stronger in fellowship. By the grace of God, and we believe that our centenary project has come to reality with the full blessing and huge blessing we received through this anniversary; the whole members have keyed into the vision, the diocese is definitely going to fly higher and higher.”

Olumakaiye also has words of advice to the government and the nation’s leaders “The government should be faithful, they should have the interest of the general populace in mind, they should be selfless in whatever they are doing, and they should move closer to God. In actual fact when we know God, we discover that the way we see things will be quite different, and we will be able to take care and make sure we make life worth living for people around us. 

“We will not be selfish, we will not be attached to the world, we will know that God has everything, and there is going to be a day of judgement; a day when we give account of our stewardship, be it politician, be it religious leaders, civil servants, or any position God has placed us in this world we will give account of it,” he advised.

He asked the church to shun materialism “The church should shun materialism, and that is what is killing the church today and we should concentrate on the gospel, the Word and the word is enough to save us, we do not need any embellishment. We don’t need to add anything, the gospel is enough, to lead us and save us, to sanctify us, and to take us to heaven. And when we live the talk as religious leaders, members should follow, they should be able to see how we live and they will be able to follow suit, and I believe that the society will be better for it.” 

On the reason for naming a church after his predecessor, Most Revd (Dr) Ephraim Adebola Ademowo, Oluakaiye stated “I thank my predecessor, he served the church meritoriously for good eighteen years and we decided that we should honour him, he has been a great evangelist, he is charismatic, enterprising and he has been so wonderful, he has contributed so such to the growth of the church in this nation and we believe the only way to honour him is to name a church after him.”