Odufuwa promises unprecedented transformation in six months
The African Church Board of Trustees (BoT) has officially confirmed Most Rev’d Augustine Odufuwa as the new Primate of the church.
Odufuwa was officially affirmed as the new Primate during a special service held to inaugurate the Lagos Metropolitan Province and consecrate the new bishops of the church at the African Church Bethlehem Cathedral, Ebute-Metta, Lagos, at the weekend.
The new Primate, who promised that the church would witness unprecedented transformation in six months, called for prayers and much more support from all members to ensure the attainment of desired progress for the church.
In his acceptance speech, Odufuwa, who transmutes from the acting capacity to a full primacy authority, said: “Today, we added more bishops to the fold of the African Church. They are going to work in their various Dioceses, and I tell you that within six months, you are going to see a drastic change in evangelism and the expansion of the African Church.”
“We ministers will try our best to see the church moving and thank God that even when all our forefathers who were not well read, like some of us, were in charge, the church was moving, talk less now when we have Ph.D. holders and professors among the people and uncountable with Master’s degrees.
“So, you don’t need to doubt what is going to happen with my emergence as the Primate of the Church.
“By the grace of God, in evangelism where we are lacking, we shall move to bridge the gap.
“I assure you that when it comes to spreading the church since this struggle has started, we have opened many Dioceses, Provinces and Parishes, unlike what obtained before.”
The inauguration ceremony, which witnessed the massive elevation of 39 clergies to the bishop office and two new archbishops, The Most Rev’d (Dr) David Adedeji Sogbanmu and The Most Rev’d Adesoji Aderemi Adetubo, simultaneously featured the elevation of the programmes’ venue as the new Lagos Metropolitan Province.
Reacting to the name-calling and alleged spurious claims made against his person, Odufuwa discountenanced it all, citing the fact that he has the backing of the majority of the church’s trustees and leaders.
However, in his charge at the inauguration ceremony, Archbishop of Okka Province of the African Church and Bishop of Okka Diocese, Akoko, Ondo State, Most Rev’d Joseph Ola-Akinsanya, who coincidentally served as a priest of African Church Bethlehem Cathedral, Ebute-Metta, between 1987-1991, tasked the newly inducted bishops to take prayer, fasting and searching of scripture as a mandatory requirement for eventual success.
Ola-Akinsanya also described the crisis as a storm awaiting the order of calm, adding that it is not strange, but urged all to give peace a chance.
