AUTHORITY AND LEADERSHIP IN THE CHURCH OF NIGERIA, ANGLICAN COMMUNION IN A WORLD OF CHANGE

Godwin Aturuchi Eche

Abstract


There is no gain saying the fact that the world is dynamic and daily under-going
changes in every sphere of human endeavour. The Anglican Church in Nigeria is
not left out in this change especially since it became an autonomous Church of the
Anglican Communion. This is evident in the changes it has experienced in its
leadership structure. Leadership is a human phenomenon instituted by God for
the purpose of maintaining order in society. The Anglican Church in Nigeria as a
human – religious organization has leaders whose duty it is to maintain order by
offering quality control of the organization according to set guidelines. This paper
set out to x-ray what leadership is, using the analytical descriptive method of data
collection and interpretation in arriving at the finding. The finding revealed that
prior to the inauguration of the Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion in
1979 leadership in the Anglican Church in Nigeria was in the hands of
foreigners, but that has changed since then with Nigerian Clergy and Lay being
in charge of the day to day administration of the Church. It further revealed that
as people who possess certain level of authority, the Bishops and Clergy as leaders
are expected to conduct themselves in an orderly manner. No leader can lead
without people hence it becomes imperative for the leader to possess rational skills
to be able to carry the people along. In conclusion, this work recommends that
both secular and religious leaders should recognize the place of the divine (God)
in leadership, in the exercise of their authority over the people they lead for the
good of all.

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