Archbishop Peter Akinola Completes Tenure

From CANA:

CANA Thanks Akinola for His 10 Years as the Primate of the Church of Nigeria

HERNDON, Va. (March 25, 2010) - The Convocation of Anglicans in North America (CANA) offered congratulations to the outgoing Primate of the Church of Nigeria, Archbishop Peter Akinola, on the completion of his ten-year term. During his tenure, the Church of Nigeria grew from 76 dioceses to 161, and doubled active membership from 10 million to 20 million — unprecedented growth for any province of the Anglican Communion. Archbishop Akinola founded CANA in 2005.

“Through courage and pastoral leadership, Archbishop Akinola has set a path forward for CANA and the worldwide Anglican Communion to stand firm in the good news of Jesus the Christ,” said CANA Missionary Bishop Martyn Minns.

“It has been my lot to serve this Church under God as Archbishop, Metropolitan and Primate at the beginning and in the first decade of the twenty first century,” said Archbishop Akinola. “It has been a most challenging time for our faith. With general goodwill on the part of all our people and the loyal cooperation and active support of the Church’s leadership team, we have tried to reposition the church to be steadfast in facing and dealing with some of the challenges.”

“Locally and globally our church is able to champion the cause of orthodoxy, uphold and proclaim the unfettered gospel of salvation insisting uncompromisingly on the adequacy and supremacy of the word of God, written. We have contended for the faith. But I must admit that the battle is not over. Not yet.

“We thank God for the presentation of the Most Rev’d Nicholas Okoh as the new Primate of our Church. We believe God’s hand is upon him to shepherd us diligently to follow the Lord Jesus, the Christ who is the one true foundation of the Church, which He bought with His blood.”

A short video tribute for Akinola, entitled “Archbishop Peter Akinola: As For Me and My House” is available on YouTube at this URL: (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O--OjdnfDZ8).

The Convocation of Anglicans in North America (http://www.CanaConvocation.org) is an association of orthodox Anglican congregations and clergy in North America that is a part of the worldwide Anglican Communion, a community of 80 million people. CANA was originally established by the Church of Nigeria in 2005 to provide a means by which Anglicans living in the USA who were alienated by the actions and decisions of The Episcopal Church could continue to live out their faith without compromising their core convictions. CANA is a founding member of the Anglican Church in North America, an Anglican province that includes about 800 congregations.