By Jako Keke , August 9, 2026.
The Resident Bishop of the United Methodist Church Nigeria, Senegal and Cameroon Episcopal Area, Bishop Ande I. Emmanuel, has inaugurated the South West Nigeria Annual Conference in Mutum Biyu, Gassol Local Government Area of Taraba State, with a call for unity, collective responsibility and renewed commitment to evangelism.
Bishop Ande, who inaugurated the conference during a ceremony attended by clergy and laity, described its establishment as a major opportunity to expand the missionary activities of the United Methodist Church and strengthen its response to the spiritual and social needs of communities within the conference.
Reverend Filibus Bakari Auta
Lead Communication Director, UMC Nigeria Episcopal Area revealed this in a Statement issued today.
He said the prospects of the new conference, whose headquarters is in Mutum Biyu, were “promising and bright,” urging its leadership to provide proactive and committed leadership.
The Bishop tasked the newly appointed conference leadership with working closely with clergy and laity to develop the conference and pursue an aggressive mission and evangelism agenda capable of producing lasting results.
Preaching from Psalm 137:4 under the theme, “Behold, I Am Doing a New Thing,” Bishop Ande used the story of a Ghanaian hunter, Kofi, to drive home the importance of unity and shared ownership.
According to the story, Kofi once killed a huge elephant but could not transport it home alone. He returned to his community and sought the assistance of the people.
As the villagers pushed the elephant together, they repeatedly shouted in exertion. But Kofi kept responding, “My elephant.”
Eventually, the villagers stopped helping him and told him that since it was his elephant, he should push it home alone.
Realising his mistake, Kofi apologised and asked them to continue helping him. Thereafter, the villagers changed their refrain to, “Our elephant.”
Drawing from the story, Bishop Ande cautioned church members against treating the Church as the possession of an individual, group or interest.
“The church is not for one person. It is for all of us,” he declared.
He urged clergy and laity to work together irrespective of tribe, social status or position, warning that division, personal interests and strained relationships could weaken the Church's witness and undermine its mission.
The Bishop challenged members to move from “my church” to “our church,” stressing that collective responsibility and unity were essential to the success of the newly established conference.
Bishop Ande further urged the congregation to look beyond temporary material possessions and worldly achievements and instead prioritise things of eternal value.
He reminded the faithful that earthly possessions are temporary, while the things of God and the hope of eternity remain everlasting.
The inauguration of the South West Nigeria Annual Conference marks a new phase in the activities of the United Methodist Church, with renewed expectations for stronger evangelism, missionary expansion, unity and spiritual transformation.
For the new conference, Bishop Ande's message was clear: the mission belongs to everyone, the responsibility is shared, and the future must be built together.
Comments
Post a Comment