Anglican church consecrates 15 bishops

Anglican church consecrates 15 bishops

The Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) has consecrated 15 new bishops in a historic service held on Sunday, November 9, 2025, at the Cathedral Church of the Advent, Gwarinpa, Abuja.

In a statement made available to PUNCH Online, the grand ecclesiastical ceremony was presided over by the Primate of the Church, the Most Revd Henry C. Ndukuba, and attended by over 100 bishops and archbishops.

Among the dignitaries present was the Archbishop and Primate of the Anglican Church of Rwanda, the Most Revd Dr Laurent Mbanda, who also serves as Chairman of the Primates’ Council of the Global Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans. Legal luminaries, government officials, and senior church officers were also in attendance.

In his charge to the newly consecrated bishops, Archbishop Ndukuba urged them to embody the true spirit of shepherding, following the example of Christ, the ‘Chief Shepherd’.

“Be a shepherd and not a wolf,” he said. “Feed the flock and do not devour them. Seek the lost, uphold the weak, restore health to the sick, lift the downtrodden, and ensure discipline, but forget not mercy.”

Preaching during the service, the Most Revd Edmund Akanya admonished the new bishops to be beacons of light in their various dioceses. Drawing his message from Matthew 5:13-16, he reminded them of the need to maintain their spiritual integrity.

“Guard your spiritual relevance,” he charged. “Do not allow money, sexual temptation, or the influence of powerful people to compromise your calling or diminish your authority. Let your life shine boldly for Christ, standing for truth, purity, humility, love, and holiness.”

The 15 bishops, namely: The Rt. Rev. Samuel Ogunmiluyi, The Rt. Rev. Francis Bankole, The Rt. Rev. Boma Briggs, The Rt. Rev. Dr Adewole Ajayi, The Rt. Rev. Richard N. Okpara, The Rt. Rev. Dr Benjamin Idume, The Rt. Rev. Bode Otenaike, The Rt. Rev. David Michson, The Rt. Rev. Dr Paul Dajur, The Rt. Rev. Dr Luka B. Allu, The Rt. Rev. Ifeanyi Akunna, The Rt. Rev. Dr Ebenezer Familoni, The Rt. Rev. Solomon Adewumi, The Rt. Rev. Rika G. Ibrahim and The Rt. Rev Dr Ayuba Kanta was elected during the Church’s Standing Committee meeting held on 18 September 2025, in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State.

Bishop Familoni, one of the consecrated bishops, will oversee the soon-to-be inaugurated Oyo South Missionary Diocese and promised to lead with the fear of God.

He served as an altar server for more than 25 years before his ordination as a priest, and his ministry has been marked by excellence and an unwavering commitment to service.

PUNCH Online had earlier reported in October that the consecration of 15 newly elected bishops marked a massive expansion of the church’s episcopal leadership and signalled both growth and a strategic spread of the gospel.