Below: BWA General Secretary Neville Callam (second from right) at the convention venue in Ibadan, Nigeria, with (left to right) Testimony Oyewole Onifade, NBC Ecumenism unit; Jerry Akinsola, Director CED; and Daniel Tsoho from Northern Nigeria.

Above: BWA General Secretary Neville Callam with Biyi Ojemuyiwa, pastor of Union Baptist Church in Jos, Nigeria

Left: Samson Olasupo Ayokunle, president and CEO of the Nigerian Baptist Convention, and Mrs. Ayokunle, during the centenary session of the convention

B independent national aptist World Alliance General Secretary Neville Callam

commended Nigerian Baptists on the role they have played in the worldwide Baptist community at an event to mark the 100th anniversary of the Nigerian Baptist Convention (NBC).

Callam Lauds NIGERIAN BAPTISTS on Centenary

More than 30,000 people gathered at the Hebron Baptist Center in Ibadan for the week of celebration from April 26 to May 1. NBC is the largest BWA member body in Africa, with approximately 3.5 million members in about 10,000 churches. Baptist witness started in Yorubaland in 1850 through the work of Thomas Jefferson Bowen, a missionary from the United States. Baptist churches formed the Yoruba Baptist Association in 1914 and renamed it the Nigerian Baptist Convention in 1919. Callam commended the work of Nigerian Baptists in mission, notably in other countries in West Africa such as Ghana and Sierra Leone. “You gave impetus to the work, provided critical support, and facilitated organizations enjoying leadership from among their members,” Callam told the gathering of Baptists on April 30.

Nigerians have been among the leaders of the BWA, holding key positions in the international umbrella organization. These included BWA vice presidents James Tanimola Ayorinde (1955- 1960 and 1970-75), Atinuke Bamijoko (1985-90) Osadolor Imasogie (1995-2000) and Yemi Ladokun (2005-2010). Callam said Nigerians played a leading role in the formation of the All Africa Baptist Fellowship (AABF) in 1982. Nigerian Samuel Titilola Oladele Akande was the first general secretary/ treasurer of the AABF as well as BWA regional secretary for Africa, serving from 1982-1992. Isaac Durosinjesu Ayanrinola has been AABF general secretary and BWA regional secretary for Africa since 2012.

Nigerians have inspired Baptists worldwide as keynote speakers at the Baptist World Congress, the largest international gathering of Baptists that is held every five years. Nigerian congress speakers included Ayorinde in 1950 in Cleveland, Ohio, in the United States and in 1955 in London, England; S. A. Lawoyin in 1960 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Akande in 1980 in Toronto, Canada; Atinuke Bamijojo in 1990 in Seoul, South Korea; and Solomon Ademola Ishola in Birmingham, England, in 2005. “Today, 100 years after the association was formed, we have good reason to pause to offer praise and thanks to our God and Savior through whose sovereign grace Nigeria Baptists have been empowered for witness over these many years,” Callam declared.

During the meetings, NBC commissioned two missioners to South Africa and more than 75 new ministers who recently completed training in Bible schools or theological seminaries. African countries that host missioners from NBC sent representatives to the centenary meetings, including South Sudan, Ivory Coast, Mozambique, Burkina Faso, Benin, Togo, Sierra Leone, Mali, Chad, and Tanzania and the United Kingdom. Leaders and representatives of Baptist groups in Ghana, Liberia, Nigerians in the American and British Diaspora and the World Council of Churches were also present at the celebration. NBC Chairman, Uche Enyioha, presided at the anniversary events that were organized and led by Samson Ayokunla, president.

Greetings were given on behalf of Nigeria

President Goodluck Jonathan and by Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo state and traditional Nigerian leaders.

Above: Callam with the first BWA regional secretary for Africa, Samuel Akande (second right) and (left to

right) Mrs. Akande, Nigerian Baptist Ecumenical Officer

Testimony Oyewole Onifade and BWA regional secretary for Africa Duro Ayanrinola