EYN Minister’s Council approves ordination of 74 pastors

By Zakariya Musa

The Minister’s Council of Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (EYN, the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria) has approved ordination of 74 pastors during her 2023 annual conference held on Jan. 17-19 at the EYN Headquarters, Kwarhi, Adamawa State.

The list presented by the council secretary Lalai Bukar included names of 33 candidates to be ordained as full ministers and 41 as probationary ministers, while a few names were screened out for various reasons. The council has also welcomed 58 new pastors who were ordained in 2022. In attendance were about 900 serving and retired ordained pastors who were presented with Financial and Narrative Reports of the council.

Please pray… For the newly ordained pastors in EYN, that God blesses their work for Jesus Christ in Nigeria, and that God blesses the congregations where they serve.

Please pray… For the release of three people, including an aged father, who were abducted from Kele village in Askira Uba Local Government Area of northeast Nigeria. Please pray for all affected by the increased incidents of kidnapping in Nigeria.

EYN president Joel S. Billi addressed the council on the decision of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), a Nigerian ecumenical group, on the Muslim-Muslim ticket for the Nigerian presidential election. “We must be frank to ourselves and Nigerians. National CAN in Nigeria have refused with all might the Muslim-Muslim ticket. This is the stand of CAN, this is the stand of TEKAN, and this is the stand of EYN,” he said.

A few politicians visited the gathering to solicit prayers and support as they vie for various offices under various parties.

On the poor harvest experienced last year in 2022, Billi charged pastors to advise their members to be careful with what they have, as the poor harvest would somehow have an impact on the church income. The first quarter of the year will experience tight commitments accompanied with prayers.

Special prayers were offered for the success of Nigeria’s general elections, for EYN’s 100th anniversary celebration, and for three EYN members–Ezekiel Lawan, Ali Zigau, and Timothy Peter–who were kidnapped from Kele Village, Askira/Uba, Borno State, during a Sunday service.

A lecturer from Kulp Theological Seminary, Didi Bulum, was the guest preacher under the theme of the year: “Great Is Your Faithfulness” (Deuteronomy 7:9).

— Zakariya Musa is head of media for EYN.

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