THE WAY FORWARD FOR ECUMENISM IN NIGERIA

Though Nigeria is made of many tribes and ethnic groups does not imply that Christians should not understand themselves. Diversity of ethnic groups and lineage should not present a disintegrating element among the nation.
In recent ecumenical efforts, emphasis is laid on those things that are common to all Christian like the Bible, social problems, common prayers, common use of church buildings, good neighbour attitude, dialogue etc.

“But at last we are learning that we must
live together in Charity. For us Nigerians
the ecumenical movement must go further than
it is at the moment being thought, planned,
and pursued. It most lead to a complete or
total unity that was once our patrimony”
Although, nations despite the difference in development due to diverse conditions of life and culture, are not destined to break the unity of the human race, but rather to embelish and enrich it by sharing of their own particular gifts. By reciprocal interchange of goods which can also be efficacious and only possible when a mutual love are expressed. Then christians well come to be united as sons and daughters of the same father and as those redeemed by the same divine blood.
“Each year in January, for some decades,
Catholics have been accustomed to offer prayer
for church unity, the general idea behind these
days of prayer was the hope that protestants
would return to the true church and that
disunity would end”

Through out these same years protestants have become more and more involved in what had come to be called “Ecumenical movement”. The development of the National council of churches, the growth of national and world-wide groupings of protestants churches, the merging of churches, all these expressed a grouping towards unity, a future for ecumenism in Nigeria. There is need for christians to learn from each other and draw upon the riches to be found in other christian bodies as well as that of catholic church

“Everywhere large numbers have felt the
impulse of this grace, and among our
separated brethren also there is increase from
day to day ,a movement fostered by the grace
of the Holy spirit, for the restoration of Unity
among Christians”

However, the post-war Nigerian churches have witnessed the growth among protestants in a widespread desire for reconciliation of their churches. Churches deriving from the same tradition have began to move closer to one another inter-church societies, like the scripture union (S.U), or Christian Union (C.U), young christian student (Y.C.S) have come into being. These youth organizations and others have managed to bridge the dividing gaps of enstrangement and alienation that had grown up over the past years.

Furthermore, in this present time, the forces of unification have gathered unforeseen momentum. National, regional and federation of churches have taken shape better than in the past. The spirit of mutual respect and reconciliation has replaced the antagonism and suspicion of former times. Now, as the vision expands, nothing less than the visible unity of all Nigerian christians becomes the goal. The church of Jesus Christ which was believed to be one must be seen to be one.
“What has revealed the love of God among us
is that the only begotten son of God has been
sent by the father into the world, so that,
being made man, He might by his redemption
of the entire human race give new life to it and
unify it”

looking back then over the past years, one can see that the general pattern of relations between christian churches in Nigeria has been one of evolution from hot war to cold war to peaceful-coexistence, and finally to dialogue and co-operation. Although much need to be done to achieve more progress in ecumenism in Nigeria, as could easily by seen in other countries of the christian world like in the united states of America, England, Ireland. There is need for openness to all trying to understand and recorgnise what is good and true in the tenets and position of others. It also has to do with taking account above all of their sincere good intentions and realizing our own short coming. They ought to learn from us and we learn from them too.