The Southern Conference of the United Methodist in Nigeria has elected Dr. Aliyu Mbiko as its new Conference Secretary at the on-going 40th Annual Conference sessions holding in Mc Bride Church Jalingo.
Dr. Aliyu Mbiko who was unanimously voted for by all the delegates at the conference will replace Rev. Ande Emmanuel who’s tenure end at quadranium calendar of the church.
In his acceptance speech, Dr. Aliyu Mbiko said the task of a secretary is an herculean one as the Job is very demanding but stressed that he is a servant of God who is ready to work.
Speaking on the crisis of same sex marriage which has rocked the church in the recent times, Dr. Mbiko noted that agitating on the issue now is untimely because the Church at the global level has not taken a decision on the issue as such it is unhealthy for any part of the church to be fighting over the issue since a decision has not been taken at the General Conference of the Church.
“The crisis we got ourselves into just maneuvered because it not yet time for us to bring those issues we are agitating for and more so even if we feel it is important we bring such issues now, there are ways in which we can table this issues at the conference, for instance if one is talking about remaining in the United Methodist Church or changing to a new Denomination, this is not an individual decision to be made but a collective decision that we will all come together as a family to discuss, and if the issue is on appointment that the Bishop made and one is not happy about it the person can bring the issue to the conference which is the highest decision making body in the church, and there are other petition which were written about Bishop Johnwesley Yohanna which were not necessary because they were issues that can be tabled for discussion at the Annual Conference.“
He noted that as the newly elected secretary of the Conference he will push for the reconciliation of the aggrieved members to come back together and work as a family.
The Conference Secretary however called on members and clargies to see their service to God as a sacrificial work which attracts heavily rewards.
“My call for every member is that our focus should be heaven minded and not our personal gains, I discovered that some members and clergymen are money conscious, looking for profit for themselves to the extend that anything they think they will not benefit from they don’t want to participate in it and this is like selling our reward from God for earthly gains, we must be more heavenly conscious than earthly conscious,“ he said.
The Annual Conference which started on 10th of November 2021 and is attended by lay and clergy delegates of the United Methodist Church under the Southern Conference is expected to end on the 14th November 2021.
