Sapele: Following the crisis at the Sapele Diocese Anglican Communion’s Synod 2016 which commenced on July 27th and eventually resulted with the brutal assault on four women and a youth by soldiers invited by Bishop Erifeta, the primate has therefore directed that the Synod be stopped.
According to a clergy within the diocese who pleaded for Anonymity, said the report from the Holy Communion service held on Friday 29th July 2016 to kick start the Synods deliberation, states that the primate of the Anglican Communion His Grace Most Rev. Nicholas D. Okoh has ordered the immediate stoppage of the Sapele Diocese Synod based on the inability of Bishop Erifeta to manage the crisis which has been rocking the diocese for the past one year.
The Clergy explained further that Bishop Erifeta announced to them after Friday Holy Communion service that the Holy spirit has directed him to close the Synod adding that with the Bishop style of
administration many of the clergies are already tired of Bishop Erifeta leadership and manipulations as they clergies are not even sure of their future because at the moment, majority of them are been
owed salaries and allowances ranging from nine to eighteen months, while there are handful of clergies who collect their salaries as at when due because they are the Bishops cohorts.
Another Senior Clergy in the diocese who also refused his name to be mentioned on print, thanked the primate for calling off the Synod, explaining that it is the best decision at the moment appealing that the primate and the “House of Bishops” should put away all form of personal relationship and ego to save the church from collapse.
He called on the Laity to endure because the will of God will surely come to pass while a prominent member of the diocese, Chief Stephen Avwerosuo called on the primate to do the needful been a man of integrity as the people of Sapele Diocese have spoken their minds, appealing that Bishop Erifeta should be taken away or if possible given a compulsory retirement. It could be recalled that Sapele diocese Anglican Communion was engulfed in cold war between them and their Bishop starting from July 2015 alleging that their Bishop had involved himself in unpardonable sins which must remove him from their midst.
But the Bishop who is adamant to leave for peace to reign, organized the 2016 Synod at the St. John’s Anglican Church Amukpe Sapele which was earlier rejected by members of the Church in a letter written and signed by the Secretary of the Church, Barr O.L Omughele and eleven others that the crisis at the Diocese must be settled before such Synod could take place.
But the Bishop and the Resident Vicar at St. John’s Anglican Church, Rev. Emebeyo in defiant of the members refusal to host the synod, went on with the pre-Synod prayer meeting which was first aborted before the real Synod that ended in commotion where four protesting women and
a youth were badly wounded by soldiers brought to the scene by Bishop Erifeta and his loyal clergies.
Meanwhile all efforts to the speak to Bishop Rt. Rev. B.A Erifeta JP always proved abortive as his phone is constantly not answered when calls are usually put across
