The Anglican Diocese of Lagos Mainland will on Thursday commence its four-day synod with a Eucharistic service at the Cathedral Church of St. Jude, Ebute Meta, Lagos.
The synod, which is the second session of the seventh synod of the 20-year-old diocese, has as its theme, “Thus far has the Lord helped us”, drawn from 1 Samuel 7:12.
The Bishop of Maiduguri, The Rt. Revd. Emmanuel Morris, is expected to preach the sermon at the opening Eucharistic service.
According to information posted on Facebook by Mr. Lanre Idowu, the annual synod brings together delegates from churches across the diocese, as well as guests and friends from other dioceses and representatives of civil society, to deliberate on critical issues affecting the Church and society.
The business session of the synod will officially open on Friday at All Saints’ Church, Yaba, where dignitaries and representatives of the Church are expected to join the delegates in receiving the State-of-the-Church-and-Society Address from the Diocesan Bishop, The Rt. Revd. Akinpelu Johnson.
The delegates will on Saturday, in successive sessions, examine contemporary issues confronting the Church and wider society. Recommendations arising from the deliberations will be made available to members of the Church and the wider society to help shape the focus and direction of the diocese for the coming year.
The synod will culminate on Sunday with a closing Eucharistic service at the Cathedral Church of St. Jude, Ebute Meta. The Most Revd. Friday Imaekhai, retired Archbishop of Bendel Province and Bishop of Esan, is scheduled to preach at the service.
Sunday’s closing ceremony will have additional significance for the diocese as it marks exactly 20 years since the Anglican Diocese of Lagos Mainland was inaugurated as the 95th diocese of the Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion.
The four-day gathering is therefore expected to combine spiritual reflection and thanksgiving with critical deliberations on the state of the Church and society, as the diocese marks two decades of its existence.