May 28, 2019
Heads of Church Blocs
Officials of CAN
Heads of Denominations
All Christian Leaders
All Nigerian Christians
Dearly beloved of the Lord,
*CHRISTIANITY ENDANGERED IN NIGERIA: THE
NEED TO REPOSITION THE CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (CAN)*
We respectfully bring greetings to you in
the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, “the faithful witness, and the first
begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth” (Rev.
1:5).
*The Advocates*
The Advocates for Freedom and Democracy
(AFD) is a coalition of 63 Christian fellowships and groups of professionals
bonded with the vision to address anti-Christian and undemocratic agenda in
Nigeria towards achieving a more egalitarian society where fundamental freedom
is guaranteed and everyone is free to practise the religion of their choice,
without molestation. Our membership cuts across all the Blocs of the
Christian Association of Nigeria.
The theme of this passionate outreach to
your respected person is as expressed by Jeremiah the weeping prophet: “Is it
nothing to you, all ye that pass by? Behold, and see if there be any sorrow
like unto my sorrow…” (Lam. 1:12).
*The Swelling Inferno*
The Church in Nigeria in our day is
confronted with an existential threat from Islamists emboldened by foreign
governments and their local collaborators in high and low places. Daily,
we are inundated with very saddening news of the abduction of priests and
Christian traditional leaders, forced conversions, Christian girls being
forcefully ‘married’ off to Islamists, Christian villages being overrun and
resettled by jihadists, massacres at educational institutions, etc., all of
which appears to be swelling to the eventual Armageddon, unless someone rises
soon. Against that painful background is the never-before assignment of
only Muslims of a particular northern extraction to head virtually every
arms-bearing security agency in Nigeria; a pattern that has been replicated in
every other strategic agency, for example, the education sector. The only
exception in that sector is the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board where
the Moslem head is from the south-west, but who is also the Secretary General
of the Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs.
During his visit to Aso Rock in November
last year, the Rev Dr Dachollom Chumang Datiri of the Church of Christ in
Nations (COCIN) presented a gruesome report to President Mohammadu Buhari, of
horrendous persecutions and terrors deliberately targeted at the Church;
hundreds being killed and displaced without mention in the press.
Christians in Nigeria have become an endangered species. This is
certainly a time of war, as our opponents themselves have declared, although
there are those who still insist on the gross denial. That brings us to
the focus of this letter.
*Between Solomon and Jephthah*
Every season calls for its peculiar
leadership. Excellent peace-time leaders do not always make effective war
generals. Winston Churchill was a great war time leader; a prominence
that might have been diminished if he had been leading in calmer times.
God knew why He raised David when He did, and Solomon not in the days of the
wars of David. That was also the wisdom of the elders of Gilead in
Israel. They had the numbers, they had the arms, but they needed the
weapon of right leader at a time of war, even if they had to go far to fetch
that prepared person (Judges 11:4-6).
While we suggest that the contributions of
the current leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) be
recognized, given the tempestuous season, it is our persuasion that the Church
in Nigeria has found itself where the wise elders in Gilead once stood.
The office of the President is obviously
the most critical among the national offices. In her wisdom, the National
Executive Committee of CAN at its last exercise, has already cleared two
candidates for the office. We wish to suggest for your prayerful
consideration, that instead of a contentious election that will make us even
more vulnerable to the forces of darkness threatening to devour the Church in
Nigeria, Dr Caleb Solomon Ahima be presented as consensus candidate.
Especially coming from the persecuted regions of the Church in this season of
war, we are persuaded that he feels the pinch enough to lead in the present
confrontations against those opposing forces. This will also be
charitable to his TEKAN/ECWA bloc which is yet to produce a CAN president in
the 43 years of existence of the Association. A fresh hand would be a
great leadership asset in the present threats against the Church in Nigeria.
*Conclusion*
We thank you immensely for taking time to
go through this letter. We trust your prompt response to our humble call,
that we don’t miss this critical opportunity to reposition the Church and
effectively mobilize against the forces of Hell that desperately seek to
destroy us and our heritage. We plead with members of the National
Council of CAN to kindly appreciate the significance of this period in
enforcing the will of God on earth. May it not be said of anyone,
like Esau, that they sold their destiny for temporary food, waking up
thereafter in tears, but too late to regain the treasure they had traded off
(Heb. 12:16-17). History, and more importantly, Heaven, waits to witness
our response; yours.
We thank you for your kind attention, and
may Heaven depend on you. Amen.
Sincerely,
*For the Advocates for Freedom and
Democracy*
Prof Kontein Trinya
Prof Joshua Ojo
Barr Isaac Eze
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