The Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion has commenced handover activities ahead of the presentation of The Most Rev. Henry Ndukuba, Bishop of Gombe Anglican Diocese and Archbishop of the Ecclesiastical Province of Jos as the new Primate and Metropolitan of the church.
TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports the presentation of Archbishop Ndukuba, who has since arrived in Abuja, has been scheduled to take place on Wednesday, March 25, 2020 at the Cathedral Church of the Advent, Life Camp, Gwarinpa, Abuja.
Ndukuba was greeted at the Episcopal House upon his arrival to Abuja by the Primate of all Nigeria Anglican Communion, The Most Rev. Nicholas Okoh and wife, Mrs. Nkasiobi Okoh, the General Secretary of the Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, the Venerable Dr. Paul Dajur, Directors of the Church of Nigeria, Priests of the Diocese of Abuja and the staff of the Episcopal House, Abuja.
Meanwhile, a new Bishop has been elected for the Diocese of Gombe, he is the Rev. Canon Cletus Ajigben Tambari, Vicar of St. Joseph’s Church, Kaltungo, Gombe, Gombe State.
Ndukuba, the Primate elect was born on the 18th July 1961 to Mr. and Mrs. Silas Ndukuba of Ogberuru in Orlu Local Government Area of Imo State.
He attended Bishop Shanahan College, Orlub, and had his WASC in 1978. While in secondary school he gave his life to Christ as a teenager in 1977 and this meant a very new beginning for him.
He worked in Kano State Library, Ministry of Education from 1979 to 1980. He received the call into the ministry of the gospel in Kano and was subsequently sent to the Theological College of Northern Nigeria (TCNN), Bukuru from 1980 to 1984 and obtained B.D Degree in 1984.
He did his NYSC in Kano State from 1984 to 1985, was ordained into the Holy Order Diaconate in 1984, and priesthood in 1985.
Ndukuba served in St Georges Anglican Church Borupai Kano till he was sent to teach in St. Francis of Assisi Theological College, Wusasa Zaria in 1985. He served in many capacities and headed the college as the Acting Dean.
In July 1996, he was moved back to be the Archdeacon of Kano and helped stabilize the Diocese of Kano after some turbulent period.
His zeal for the Lord and love for mission was evident. In July 1999 he was requested to return as Dean of St. Francis college Wusasa but by September 1999 he was elected the Bishop of Gombe.
Nineteen years after, he was elected Archbishop of Jos Ecclesiastical Province, and was presented on January 12, 2018, and he was on 24th September 2019 elected by the Episcopal Synod as Primate of the Church of Nigeria, Anglican communion.
Ndukuba obtained M.A in Systematic Theology, Durham University, England in 1990 and M.A in Christian Education, Princeton Theological Seminary, New Jersey, USA in 1996.
He distinguished himself as a scholar by winning the 1996 John Havran’s Princeton prize for Christian Education.
The Primate elect is a servant of God and God’s people. He loves God and has received the grace to teach, preach and stand out as an evangelist and missioner. His Episcopacy has been a blessing to the church of God.
He is the Chairman of the liturgy and spirituality committee of the Church of Nigeria whose responsibility is to produce the Annual Bible Study Manual and Daily Fountain Devotional for the Church of Nigeria, Sunday School manual and Youth Devotional.
His committee has produced the New Book of Common Prayer and Hymnal for the Church of Nigeria.
He also serves as the Chairman of the Church of Nigeria Historical Records and Artifacts Committee, charged with the responsibility of recording and preserving the historical records and artifacts of the Church and set up an Archives for the Church.
As the Bishop of Gombe, the Anglican church has grown from 18 congregation to over 150 churches. God has blessed the Diocese through the humble service of faith of this servant of God and the pastors. Church planting and evangelism, raising of lay and pastoral leadership and discipleship remain the core of his ministry.
He works with communities and leaders of Gombe state to see to peaceful coexistence and community development. In order to sustain the ministry of the gospel in Gombe state, Ndukuba has worked with Luke partnership, Nigeria Bible Translation Trust and Seed company to produce literary materials and translate the Bible and Jesus film into 10 of the 17 tribal languages in the state.
He is the BOT Chairman of LIST the registered body working on translation of Bible, Jesus Film and literary materials in Nigeria languages especially minority languages in Nigeria.
Furthermore, Ndukuba is a sound Biblical Scholar, Teacher, Master liturgist, Pastor and an accomplished Evangelist. He loves the Lord Jesus Christ and has a great heart for the Word of God and also a prolific writer.
He is married to Mrs. Angela Ndukuba (Nee Okoro), an accomplished servant of God, an educationist, and mother in God’s church. They are blessed with six children, a grandson and two granddaughters.