Bishop blasts the shofar for strategic repositioning of Anglican church for the 22nd century

Egba Diocese marks 50 years with week-long Golden Jubilee celebrations in Abeokuta. Remarkably, the Diocese of Egba, Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), kicked off a week-long celebration to mark its Golden Jubilee, with the Bishop, The Rt. Rev. Dr. Emmanuel Oludaisi Adekunle, calling for a bold repositioning of the Church as he sounded “the shofar for a new beginning” in the 22nd century.

One of the cardinal programmes of the anniversary activities was the Golden Jubilee Anniversary Lecture held on Monday, 3rd August 2026 at the Silver Jubilee Multipurpose Hall, Bishopscourt, Onikolobo, Abeokuta.

Delivering the lecture themed “Egba Anglican Diocese in the 22nd Century: Strategising for a New Beginning, Taking Advantage of Digital and Human Resources,” Guest Lecturers Prof. Taiwo Adenegan, Dean Faculty of Public Health University of  Ilesa and a Professor of Counselling Psychology at the Achiever university Owo; and Dr. Kehinde Adenegan, Rector of Adeyemi College of Technology Ondo, challenged the diocese to embrace innovation, technology, and intentional human capital development to remain relevant in a rapidly changing world.

The lecture was framed under the broader Golden Jubilee theme: “Sounding the Shofar: The Call of Jubilee – The Opportunity and Celebration of a New Era (Beginning).”

In his oepning remarks, Bishop Adekunle said the blast of the shofar was symbolic of God’s call to renewal, reflection, and strategic repositioning. He noted that 50 years of ministry in Egba land must now translate into a forward-looking agenda that leverages digital tools for evangelism, administration, and youth engagement.

“We cannot do Church in the 22nd century with 20th century methods,” the Kehinde Adenegan stated in his lecture while Taiwo Adenegan emphasised, that we must be intentional in human resources development if we must have a glorious future for the church. “This Jubilee is not just to celebrate the past, but to launch us into a new era where the Anglican Church in Egba will be a pacesetter in mission, education, digital literacy and community transformation.”

According to the chairman of the public lecture programme, Prof. David Akinola, the Jubilee is also an opportunity to mobilize resources and talent for the next 50 years, with special focus on engaging the youth and professionals in the Church’s mission.

The Golden Jubilee, commemorating the exact date the Diocese of Egba attained 50 years, has been marked by a series of spiritual, social, and community-impact programmes designed to reflect the diocese’s journey and vision.

Activities that took place during the anniversary week include:

- public lecture where the cassock and church, academia and royalty brainstormed to proffer strategic repositioning of the Diocese for the next century. 

- Golden Jubilee Thanksgiving Service at the Cathedral Church of St. Peter, Ake where the Primate and metropolitan of the church of Nigeria Anglican communion, Most Revd. Dr. Henry Ndukuba commissioned the new church stairway and delivered an inspiring sermon.

- Medical Outreach and Free Health Checks for members of the community 

- Evangelistic Outreaches across the Archdeaconries of the Diocese

- Revivals and canival day showcasing Egba heritage and Anglican hymnody

- Commissioning of Jubilee Projects including church buildings and empowerment initiatives

- Awards and dinner night to honour pioneers, past and present leaders who built the diocese. The bishop was dressed and adorned in a well sown purple native agbada in a grand style with the full presence of royal fathers in Egba, Abeokuta cities.

The Diocese of Egba was inaugurated in 1976 and has grown to become one of the leading dioceses in the Church of Nigeria, with many notable and remarkable number of parishes and institutions across Ogun State.

As the shofar sounded at the Bishopscourt on the opening day, Royal fathers, church leaders, dignitaries, and members embraced the clarion call of the Bishop’s blast: to take advantage of both digital and human resources, and to position the Egba Anglican Church as a beacon of hope, service, and growth in the century ahead.

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