Last week, Lagos West Anglican Communion elevated six to archdeacons. Woman Editor, TEMITOPE DAVID-ADEGBOYE, reports that it was a moment of reflection as more hands are injected into the vineyard
The newly collated archdeacons and their wives being presented to the congregation at the Church of Pentecost, Festac Town
In the book of Luke 10:2, Jesus said: “The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few. Therefore, pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest.” This injunction was, perhaps, what the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), Lagos West, tried to fulfil when it collated six new archdeacons last week.
Deacons have a crucial role in the life and health of the local church, but their role is different from the elders. The biblical role of deacons is to take care of the physical and logistical needs of the church, so that the elders can concentrate on their primary calling.
The six new archdeacons were charged not to rest in their oars, but to ensure that they use their new roles to depopulate the kingdom of darkness by engaging in more soul-winning for God.
Rt. Rev. Babatunde Ogunbanwo of Ijebu diocese gave this charge while addressing the clerics whose ordination took place last Sunday at The Church of Pentecost, Festac Town, Lagos.
He urged them to make the best use of their new positions in furthering the cause of the gospel rather than misuse the grace bestowed upon them.
Ogunbanwo noted that positions end on earth; hence they should continue to make heaven their goal.
To be able to carry out their roles successfully, the cleric pleaded with them to eschew pride and embrace loyalty. “Please remain loyal to your calling and to your bishop.”
The ordination was performed by the Lord Bishop of the Diocese of Lagos West, the Rt. Revd. James Olusola Odedeji.
“Don’t be stagnant because you are now an archdeacon. Heaven is your goal; your archdeaconship will end in this world. Every gift from God is for His kingdom.
“You have been given the grace as an educator, politician and teacher; use it to enlarge the kingdom of God. We shall all give account. Don’t misuse the grace,” he stated.
On what the church expects from the new archdeacons, Ogunbanwo said: “We expect them to do more and live up to the expectations of the church. The church of yesterday is different from the church of today; we have more enlightened people in the church of today. Again, the anointing of yesterday is not enough for the work of today. So they need fresh anointing for exploit,” he said.
Collated archdeacons were Revd. Canon Adegoroye Babatunde, Revd. Daniel Godwin, Revd. Chijindu Humphrey, Revd. Dosumu Emmanuel, Revd. Canon Adedipe Ebenezer and Revd. Canon Okeowo Solomon.
Speaking on recent happenings in the country, especially the abducted Chibok girls and the just-concluded national conference, the faithful expressed fears that failure of the confab may spell doom for the country.
His words: “I am afraid if the conference fails, then the country is likely to enter another year of difficulties. Nigerians are optimistic that the conference will bring a lasting solution to many of the problems that we are expressing in the country.”
On the abducted girls, he said: “If we reason that swapping the abducted girls for jailed Boko Haram members, so be it. Parents of the girls are dying of hypertension; you know this bites. If we know the sponsors of the insurgents and do nothing about them, then they will continue to fuel the problem.”
Expressing hope that the girls would return, he said “though many people tend to forget that the girls are still in captivity, God will not forget them”.
Prayers were offered by the congregation for the new archdeacons “for God to send them help from His holy place, be their tower of strength, adorn them with the innocence of life and the name of the lord won’t be accused on their behalf”.
Likening the significance of office of the archdeacon to that of Jethro, who sought Moses to share the work among elders, the Vicar, St. Peter’s Anglican Church, Iseri-Oke, Ven. Babatunde Adegoroye, stated that archdeacons are next to the bishop in administration and in the preaching of the gospel.
“Archdeaconries and the bishop cannot oversee all; so assistants are needed to help in administering the several churches. An archdeacon is in charge of many churches put under him and he reports to the bishop,” he said.
Adegoroye explained why elevation to the position of archdeacon is being ‘preferred’ in Anglican Church. According to him, “it is a borrowed tradition from Jesus Christ who had his own inner caucus of Peter, John and Paul for additional assignment. The Anglican Church preaches humility, and to be preferred means to be humbled among others. In other words, preferment is saying there are many people here, but you are more preferred to be used among the good lot for a position. In the olden days, it was more of an administrative assignment by the bishop, and that is why it is always for two years after which another can be appointed; it is only now that it is seen a promotion.”
As early as 8am, the church auditorium was filled to the brim and even blue canopies outside the auditorium were occupied.
It was indeed a colourful occasion, as regular worshippers, families, friends and acquaintances, who defied the early morning downpour, turned out in their numbers to be part of the memorable occasion.
