The consecration service will hold at The Cathedral Church of the Advent, Abuja.

Gershinen Paul Dajur, the outgoing General Secretary, Church of Nigeria and new Bishop-Elect of Keffi-Karshi Missionary Diocese, has detailed ways an individual can offer blessings for the newly elected Bishops.

25 WAYS YOU CAN BLESS THE BISHOP-ELECT’S MINISTRY

[1] PRAY FERVENTLY: Uphold your Bishop-elect in constant prayer for wisdom, grace, and protection. “The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.” (James 5:16)

[2] SPEAK WELL OF THEM: Guard their reputation by refusing to spread gossip or criticism. “Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.” (Ephesians 4:29)

[3] ENCOURAGE THEM OFTEN: Send messages or words of encouragement to lift their spirits. “So encourage each other and build each other up.” (1 Thessalonians 5:11)

[4] HONOUR THEIR CALLING: Acknowledge the weight of their divine assignment and treat them with respect. “Honour those who are your leaders in the Lord’s work.” (1 Thessalonians 5:12)

[5] SUPPORT FINANCIALLY: Give generously to their ministry and welfare. “Those who preach the Good News should be supported by those who benefit from it.” (1 Corinthians 9:14)

[6] BE LOYAL: Stand with them in times of trial and transition. “A friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need.”(Proverbs 17:17)

[7] SERVE WILLINGLY: Volunteer your time and gifts to make their ministry easier. “Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people.” (Ephesians 6:7)

[8] LISTEN CAREFULLY: Be attentive when they teach or counsel, showing readiness to learn. “Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand!” (Matthew 11:15)

[9] BE PATIENT WITH THEM: Recognise that growth in leadership takes time. “Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love.” (Ephesians 4:2)

[10] AVOID COMPARISON: Do not compare them with others; each Bishop has a unique grace. “Don’t compare yourselves with each other.”(Galatians 6:4)

[11] CELEBRATE THEIR PROGRESS: Rejoice with them in every success, big or small. “Be happy with those who are happy.” (Romans 12:15)

[12] GUARD THEIR PEACE: Avoid unnecessary demands or controversies that drain them. “Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.”(Romans 12:18)

[13] OFFER PRACTICAL HELP: Assist in logistics, travel, or administrative tasks where needed. “If you have a gift for serving others, serve them well.”(Romans 12:7)

[14] PROTECT THEIR FAMILY: Be kind and supportive to their spouse and children. “Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ.”(Galatians 6:2)

[15] SHARE GOOD NEWS: Bring encouraging testimonies of ministry impact to strengthen their faith. “Like cold water to a weary soul is good news from a distant land.” (Proverbs 25:25)

[16] REMIND THEM OF GOD’S PROMISES: When they face discouragement, point them to Scripture. “God’s promises have been proved true.” (Psalm 18:30)

[17] DEFEND THEIR INTEGRITY: Stand up for them when others speak unfairly. “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves.” (Proverbs 31:8)

[18] PROMOTE UNITY: Work towards harmony in the diocese or area they serve. “Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit.”(Ephesians 4:3)

[19] BE TEACHABLE: Receive their guidance with humility. “Obey your spiritual leaders, and do what they say. Their work is to watch over your souls.” (Hebrews 13:17)

[20] AVOID FLATTERY: Be sincere in your appreciation; don’t manipulate with empty praise. “An honest answer is like a kiss of friendship.”(Proverbs 24:26)

[21] ENCOURAGE REST: Remind them to take time for renewal and sabbath. “Then Jesus said, ‘Let’s go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest a while.’” (Mark 6:31)

[22] GIVE CONSTRUCTIVE FEEDBACK: When necessary, offer your thoughts respectfully and in love. “Speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ.” (Ephesians 4:15)

[23] BE A TRUSTED CONFIDANT: Keep private matters confidential. “A gossip goes around telling secrets, but those who are trustworthy can keep a confidence.” (Proverbs 11:13)

[24] STAY SPIRITUALLY MATURE: Don’t depend on them for every answer, grow in your own faith. “Let us go on instead and become mature in our understanding.” (Hebrews 6:1)

[25] REJOICE IN THEIR FRUITFULNESS: Give thanks to God for how He uses them in His kingdom. “The one who plants and the one who waters work together with the same purpose. And both will be rewarded for their hard work.” (1 Corinthians 3:8)

Today, I serve as General Secretary of the Church of Nigeria under the Primate. Each of these roles has been more than a title, they have been sacred trusts that tested my loyalty, stretched my capacity, and shaped my character. Serving as a chaplain, personal assistant, secretary, aide, or in any other support role to leaders is far more than a job, it is a rare privilege and a high honour.

These roles are priceless classrooms. They offer proximity to wisdom, insight into strategic decision-making, and a front-row seat to leadership in action. I have learnt both _how to and how not to_ in life, leadership, and administration. When approached with humility and diligence, these positions can become ladders to higher responsibilities, equipping one with lessons no formal course can teach. 

One of the richest benefits of this journey has been the training in discipline, discretion, and diligence. Serving closely with leaders sharpens your ability to manage time, handle confidential matters, and anticipate needs before they are expressed. “As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend” (Proverbs 27:17). Every day, the pressures of responsibility refine both character and skill.

Yet, service comes with a cost. It often demands early mornings, late nights, and constant readiness, leaving little personal time. Your life is no longer entirely your own, because you are committed to making another’s mission possible. This sacrifice is part of faithful stewardship, “It is required in stewards that one be found faithful” (1 Corinthians 4:2).

Sadly, some fail to grow through these opportunities. Instead of humility, pride takes root. Some become rude, dismissive, and intoxicated with their access to power. Rather than building bridges, they create barriers, alienating others and tarnishing their reputation. “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18).

When such individuals leave office, they are remembered not for competence but for arrogance and misconduct. Some betray confidences, exploit closeness to leaders for personal gain, or block access out of pettiness. Such actions dishonour both God and man, and close the door to future opportunities.

For this reason, I call on all who are serving, or will serve, to see their role as a platform for godliness and blessing, not control or self-promotion. Your influence should ease the burdens of others, not weigh them down. Serve “with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love” (Ephesians 4:2). Every act of kindness, discretion, and diligence strengthens your credibility. A loyal subordinate is not just a helper, they are a potential leader.

Finally, serving closely with leaders is both a school and a stage. It teaches the principles of life and leadership while revealing your true character. Handled well, it prepares you for greater assignments; mishandled, it destroys trust and legacy. The highest honour in leadership remains the honour of faithful service: “Whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant” (Matthew 20:26).

We are not alone.

God is with us.

Gershinen Paul Dajur

Thursday, August 14, 2025

By the way, this is my first time in Ilesa. This conference, graciously hosted by the Anglican Diocese of Ilesa under the episcopal leadership of The Rt Rev’d Prof. Dapo Asaju, a mentor of mine in the academic field who taught and supervised my doctoral degree, is being held in the home region of another unforgettable mentor of mine, The Ven. Dr A. A. Akinyemi, a distinguished Medical Doctor and Priest. It feels fitting, even providential, to write this tribute here, a testimony to the power and purpose of godly mentorship.

I served under the Ven. Dr A. A. Akinyemi as a curate at St Piran’s Anglican Church, Jos, in the Diocese of Jos, many years ago. *What I experienced was not simply clerical supervision; it was fatherhood in ministry. He exemplified 2 Timothy 2:2, entrusting what he knew to faithful men who would be able to teach others also. He went beyond expectations to ensure my growth.

He searched for opportunities for me to improve, in theology, in administration, and in personal development. Where I erred, he rebuked me in love, reflecting the spirit of Proverbs 27:6 – “Faithful are the wounds of a friend.” When I faced opposition or misunderstandings from higher authorities, he stood in my defence with courage and dignity. He truly took me as a son, blessing me deeply and generously, especially at his retirement.

One deeply emotional moment was when, nearing his relocation from Jos to Ibadan, he told his family not to pack his things because I was coming. Though I was delayed, he had not really needed help packing, he only wanted my wife and I to come and select books from his personal library. We left with nearly seventy books, and he insisted we take more. That same spirit of generosity showed when he gave his cope, a cherished symbol of his ministry, to one of my elder brothers in ministry who was then an archdeacon. Thankfully, he did not use it because it was not his size.

Years later, as I became an archdeacon, the cope was passed on to me – the archdeacon said, “come and carry your father’s cope for yourself now that you are an archdeacon.” Each time I wear it, I feel draped not just in vestments, but in the mantle of a man who mentored me with intentionality and grace. Like Elisha receiving Elijah’s mantle in 2 Kings 2:13, I felt the weight of responsibility, honour, and continuity in ministry.

Even from Ibadan, Baba Akinyemi, as we fondly called him, would call us. At one point, he offered to fly to Jos to visit us, saying I could not afford the fare but he could, and he simply wanted to come around to encourage us. His ministry of encouragement reminded me of Barnabas, the “Son of Encouragement” (Acts 4:36), who championed others into prominence.

Baba once told me: “Whatever happens in ministry, stay focused. God has a future for you in His Church.” That word has sustained my wife and I through seasons of discouragement when quitting seemed easier. His voice and his example anchored us. His words were in the spirit of Philippians 1:6 – “being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.”

Sadly, Baba has gone to be with the LORD – he retired before I was preferred a canon and passed before I was preferred an archdeacon. But his legacy lives on in me and many others. In contrast, we now see a painful trend: senior clergy becoming tormentors, not mentors. Instead of building, they break. Instead of raising, they resist. Younger clergy are sometimes chased out of ministry, not because they are unfaithful, but because they threaten insecure superiors.

This is not the way of Christ, who came not to be served but to serve (Mark 10:45), and who called us to do likewise. While I acknowledge the failure of some young clergy to submit to mentorship, a real issue that must be corrected, it is wickedness for any father in the faith to destroy those God has placed under their charge. Ezekiel 34:2 warns against shepherds who feed themselves but not the flock.

This essay is, therefore, a challenge, a plea, to senior clergy: become platforms, not obstacles. Be builders, not bulldozers. Be fathers, not Pharaohs. Like Paul with Timothy, let our legacies not be in what we possess, but in whom we have raised. The Church is stronger when her leaders pass on grace, wisdom, and encouragement to the next generation – “for we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building” (1 Corinthians 3:9).

May the soul of the Ven. Dr A. A. Akinyemi rest in peace, and may his example inspire a great wave of Christlike mentoring in the Church of God.

We are not alone.
God is with us.

With that conviction, I drafted my letter of application to serve in the ministry, specifying “part-time” service. However, my bishop, a discerning shepherd of souls, returned the letter to me and firmly instructed that I delete the word “part-time” and replace it with “full-time.” That moment felt stern, even unreasonable, but in obedience and trust, I did as he asked.

My desire to serve part-time was not merely about maintaining a stable income; the teaching salary I was receiving at the time was not only regular, but significantly greater than the stipend typically offered at the entry level of ministry, as a catechist. Moreover, I was deeply concerned about staying close to my widowed mother, thinking that being part-time would allow me the flexibility to care for her.

Yet, again, my bishop responded with spiritual insight: *“It is not you who has been helping her, but God, and He will continue to help her even with you in full-time ministry.” That statement reshaped my understanding. Today, I can testify that God has indeed looked after her, and through full-time ministry, I may have supported her more meaningfully than I could have as a classroom teacher with a regular salary.

As the years have passed, it has become evident that the bishop’s insistence was not just ecclesiastical direction but divine orchestration. Full-time ministry has opened doors I never imagined, spiritually, socially, and even materially. The fulfilment, honour, and privilege of ministering to souls, preaching God’s Word, and shepherding His people cannot be compared with any worldly engagement. The apostle Paul reminds us: “He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it” (1 Thessalonians 5:24). God’s calling comes with His enabling. He does not send and then abandon; He accompanies, empowers, and supplies.

I have also come to understand and now affirm what I once heard from a preacher: “Where God gives a vision, He will also bring a provision. Where He gives an assignment, He will bring a consignment. And where He locates His children, He will bring to them an allocation for such location.” This is no mere cliché, it is a spiritual truth I have lived. Young men who are discerning a call into full-time ministry should not fear.

God is not unjust to forget your labour of love (Hebrews 6:10). Many who serve part-time are making tremendous contributions to the body of Christ, and such service is honourable. But if God’s call on your life is to serve Him full-time, obedience is the path to joy, fulfilment, and fruitfulness.

In conclusion, my journey from the classroom to the altar has taught me that the will of God is always for our good. Initially, I thought I was letting go of financial security, family responsibility, and personal comfort, but what I gained in return has far outweighed what I feared to lose.

Today, my stipend is not only sufficient but surpasses what I once received as a teacher. More importantly, I stand as a witness to God’s faithfulness. To every potential minister wrestling with uncertainty, I say: follow the mind of God, not your fears. “Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass” (Psalm 37:5). God’s call may stretch you, but it will never fail you.

We are not alone.
God is with us.