Nigerian Christian Churches and Question of Relevant Leadership

Introduction

The ongoing targeting and slaughtering of citizens especially Christians by Boko Haram in the northern part of the country is now a certainty that will continue in the face confirmed weakness and inability of the state to react positively at all levels. Failure of the state to protect citizens especially Christians in the north is an undisputed fact. However an important dimension of the situation is the Churches leadership in action and reaction.

Poverty of Geography
An insight to religious geography of the country is an important step towards understanding the forces at play. The major religions i.e. Islam and Christianity are imports and non-indigenous. They are universalist in theologies and doctrines hence have no room for dissent and to share space unless constrained by reality. Even their attempts at indigeneity is symbolic and shallow at best. Above all there is a confirmed perception that the country as a religious space is unstable and balkanized into enclaves as a primer to doing politics.

Penetration of each faith beyond her naturally perceived geographies is clear. Islam is preponderant in the north nevertheless substantial Christian penetration is sustained by indigenous and non-indigenous populations. These populations are growing over time. In contrast Christian preponderance in the south is feebly challenged in the east than in the west where proportional populations of Muslims are found. In terms of relationships, northern Islamic-Christianity understanding is chequered and unstable. The northern Muslims are increasingly emboldened to attack Christians at their convenience since independence. Any such action by Christians in the south against Muslims is always reactionary.

Leadership?
The question now is, how is Christian leadership dealing the issue of sustained insecurity perpetuated by Islamic (Boko Haram) north and condoned by governments? Unfortunately Christian leadership over time came later to the party. There are many reasons for this situation. The principal among them is the reception and sustenance of unchallenged faith (strategic) purpose as primacy of the world beyond. The fact that only the living makes a Christian did not sink in. Christian groups including leaders and members have collectively failed to extract themselves from existential struggle of finding legitimacy in themselves as citizens and their unique environment. They have failed colossally to accept the strength of their citizenships and the primacy of their ontology as the basis for living their faith rather than vice versa. There is credibility deficit in Christian leadership from both operational and strategic dimensions.

For this reason they cannot accept that survival is the first law of self-determination. For this reason they failed to analyse available data for patterns and relationships towards informed decision and strategic advisory of members in the face of Sunday-Sunday bombing by Boko Haram. They failed to advise their members of alternative arrangement for Sunday services/Mass in the face of overwhelming evidence. This is evidence of rigid and unreconstructed interpretation of imposed theologies, practices and doctrines. Christian groups have failed miserably to fine-tune participation in the political space and political process respectively. The idea of seeking legitimacy and validation in the north conspires to seriously diminish their hands in the polity.

Christian groups are confused between their citizenships and functions of faith as multi-dimensional human beings. The leaders especially the Anglicans and Catholics have perpetuated this existential crisis since the inception of Nigeria. Having faith doesn’t diminish citizenship rather faith must derive from citizenship. This dithering and confused leadership has contributed to unclear policies, rearguard engagement with the state and abdication of responsibilities toward protection of citizens-members. By so doing in full knowledge that Nigeria is a dysfunctional state, they have contributed in sustaining dysfunctionality of the state. The choice of impotence justified in clinging to imposed hegemony of ‘separation of faith and state’ must be jettisoned as it has no relevance to our unique African/Nigerian experiences. Maintaining ‘separation’ position is indicative of intellectual, cultural and ontological retrogression.

Conclusion
Christian leadership and membership must be pro-active at all times in their accepting that active citizenship is primacy. They must realize that faith doesn’t suggest inferiority and that legitimacy of faith can only be sustained through indigeneity rather than from outside. They must also act on their duty of care to members and the general community by providing advisory information within their theologies and the constitution of the Federal Republic.