By Ore Correspondent
Members of the St. John’s Anglican Church Amukpe, in the Diocese of Sapele Anglican Communion Delta State, have rejected their hosting right for the Diocese of sapele 2016 synod slated for 27th to 31st july, at St John’s Anglican Church, Amukpe
In a signed letter dated 22nd June 2016 by the secretary of the Church O.L Omughele Esq, Mr. Ese Okpariere and ten other members of the St. John’s Anglican Church Amukpe, which was copied His Grace, Most Revd. Nicholas D. Okoh, Archbishop Metropolitan and Primate of all Nigeria, Most Rev. Friday Imaekhai, Archbishop Bendel province, The Commander J.T.F(Nigeria Army) Koko, The D.P.O Nigeria Police Headquarters Sapele and others made available to Journalists in Sapele, the members vowed that the synod could never hold in their church since the diocese is still embroiled in crisis.
The letter read in part “we the undersigned members of the St. John’s Anglican Church, Amukpe in the Diocese of Sapele Anglican Communion, Delta State on behalf of the laity write to inform you that a meeting of all church embers was held on Sunday the 19th day of June, 2016, where it was unanimously resolved that the diocese of Sapele 2016 synod slated for 27th to 31st July,2016 at St. John’s Anglican Church, Amukpe “ MUST NOT” take place in our church”.
They wrote that, the crisis rocking the Diocese of Sapele must first be resolved and as well, that the abandoned “ Bishop’s Court Project’ at the Amukpe community road Amukpe must be completed and consecrated before any synod can take place in St. John’s Church explaining further that they are not unaware of their Bishop’s alleged treacherous plan to coerce, invade, intimidate, harass and brutalize all the members of the church who rejected the hosting of the synod using Army, Navy and the Police to ensure that 2016 synod takes place in St. John’s Church.
The letter addressed to Rt. Rev. B.A Erifeta (Jp), the Bishop Diocese of Sapele and Ven. O.N Emebeyo Vicar/ Archdeacon, St. John’s Anglican church Amukpe, Sapele also has it that “ it is no secret that you want to hold the 2016 synod at all costs, including the spilling of blood, to paint a false picture that all is well with the Diocese of Sapele, note that Nigeria is a free country operating a constitution which permits its citizens to freely express their views on any issue of pressing concern to them. The Synod issue falls within this realm”.
The members prayed and demands that the Bishop refrain from turning St. John’s Church into a battle field to spill innocent blood of the members of the church on the alter of Synod.
Meanwhile other members of the Diocese Mr. Kingsley Ererevwogho from “Our Redeemer Anglican Church Ugberikoko Sapele” and Mrs. Grace Udi, St. Peters Anglican Oghara have called on their primate without delay to remove the embattled Bishop of the Diocese Sapele Anglican Commission for the Church of God to move forward.
They vowed that if after exhausting all their patience for their spiritual head at Abuja to remove Bishop Erifeta fails, they will do it their own way through the court process and other legitimate means, remanding that any leader within their fold and the “House of Bishops” that are supporting evil and falsehood will equally face the same consequences like their own embattled spiritual head.
