Archbishop Babba calls on LCCN to reunite

Archbishop Babba calls on LCCN to reunite

At the Sunday service of the 2016 of the Tarayan Eklisiyoyin Kristi a Nigeria (TEKAN) (Meaning: Fellowship of the Churches of Christ in Nigeria) General Assembly hosted by LCCN in Numan. TEKAN is an ecumenical body of churches in northern Nigeria. The Archbishop of the Lutheran Church of Christ in Nigeria (LCCN) Most Rev Dr. Nemuel A. Babba said what LCCN desired most in 2016 is unity and peace. He said he will not relent in calling on all members to reunite. The Archbishop who went on his knees to call on the church to reunite stated that the division in LCCN was not over any doctrinal issue. “The church was not divided because of any doctrinal issue, and if Rev. Vinko whom the thing started with is here today why should someone remain over there.” The archbishop said, “The Lutheran World Federation has mediated in the matter of reuniting LCCN, Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has also mediated, the Lutheran Communion in West and Central Africa (LUCWA) as well as the traditional leaders have tried to ensure this matter was resolved but to no avail.” The archbishop reiterated that LCCN has not fought with anyone and will be ready to accept anyone that wants to reunite. In the spirit of reconciliation he said, if he in person or anyone has wronged those who formed the other LCCN he asked that they should forgive and he on behalf of everyone in the LCCN have forgiven all their wrongs.

Most Rev Babba explained that the issue of creation of dioceses that is said to be the immediate cause of the split in LCCN was not started with the late Archbishop. He said it was necessitated by the growth and expansion the Church witness over the years. According to the Archbishop, creation of Dioceses could not have been a reason since the church has been able to move on with the dioceses and there is visible progress in the church.

The matter was raised in the Sunday service of 10^th January, 2016 by the TEKAN president Rev. Dr. Emmanuel Dziggau who knelt down to beg LCCN  to find lasting solution to her internal crisis. Rev Dziggau said he is persuaded in his spirit that the LCCN shall reunite that is why he is moved to call on them to do so fast.
In  a related development the Archbishop reiterated the call at the burial ceremony of the late Rev Dr. Dano Wonosikau the  first Bishop of the Non-Diocese which took place at the LCCN Cathedral in Numan on the 30th of January, 2016. The Archbishop said if over the years all Church leaders, political and traditional leaders have tried to reunite LCCN and it was not possible, the two sides should consider the dead of Rev Dano a conciliatory avenue. He called on his Bwatiye kinsmen to pursue peace in LCCN and give it chance. Other church leaders at the occasion who are mostly of the Bwatiye tribe shared the Archbishop position.

Lutheran Church of Christ in Nigeria which was founded in 1913; the church created 5 dioceses in 1995. Immediately after the creation of the dioceses crisis started in the church leading to the pulling out by some members mainly people of Bachama tribe among whom the church was started in 1913. They claimed that the church would not be able to run dioceses. As a result of their split they demanded to have some the property of church to their side, but the main church said it was not necessary to share asset since there was no any formal arrangement to separate the church. The church had had several ligations bothering on the constitution of the church and other matters. Mediators raging from the LWF, LUCWA, traditional rulers and prominent leaders have in the past tried to resolve the matter but it has not yielded much resulted. Though today the key person the crisis revolved around him Rev. Vinko Myambabagi has since reunited with the main church and few other pastors are returning now and then. Between 1996 and 2016 the LCCN Non-Diocese have had three Bishops already, while LCCN Diocese have grown from 5 Dioceses to 9 Dioceses.