COVID-19: Church of Nigeria Postpones Its Standing Committee Meeting

The Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) has postponed its already scheduled Standing Committee Meeting which was to start today indefinitely.

At the Emergency Meeting of Archbishops and Bishops of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) held on Saturday 21^st March, 2020 at the St Matthias House, the National Secretariat of the Church of Nigeria, it was resolved that due to circumstances of Force Majeure, the specific directives of the Federal Government, Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), and Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) –

1. The Church of Nigeria Standing Committee Meeting scheduled to hold between 21^st and 25^th of March 2020 is hereby postponed indefinitely.
2. The Retirement Dinner in honour of Primate Nicholas D. Okoh scheduled for Tuesday 24^th March, 2020 is equally postponed till further notice.
3. The Retirement Thanksgiving Service for Primate Nicholas D. Okoh scheduled for Sunday 22^nd March, 2020 will go on as planned. However, the number of persons to attend has been reduced to 50. Each of the 14 Ecclesiastical Provinces of the Church will be represented by 2 persons.
4. Similarly, the Valedictory Church Service for Primate Nicholas D. Okoh and Presentation of the Most Rev’d Henry C. Ndukuba as the 5^th Primate of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) will still hold on Wednesday 25^th March, 2020. Accordingly, each of the 14 Ecclesiastical Provinces of the Church will be represented by 2 persons.
5. The following services –
6. The Retirement Thanksgiving scheduled for 22^nd March, 2020; and
7. The Valedictory & Presentation scheduled for 25^th March, 2020

will each hold at the Cathedral Church of the Advent, Life Camp, Gwarinpa, Abuja at10am, respectively.

6. Please note also that the Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON) Bishops Conference scheduled for June 2020 at Kigali, Rwanda has been postponed.

The Church of Nigeria regrets all the inconveniences that these changes have caused our members, other Christian churches, government officials and other invited guests. The decision is in compliance with the directives of the Federal Government on the need to curb the spread of COVID-19 pandemic.

While the Church continues in prayers to God for the stoppage of this COVID-19 pandemic; congregations are encouraged to comply with the directives of Government on congregational worship and continue to maintain good hygiene.

May God Almighty deliver us from all evil. Amen

DATED this 21^st Day of March, 2020.

 The Ven. Gershinen Paul Dajur, PhD

General Secretary, Church of Nigeria