Text of the Address at the opening Eucharist delivered by the Primate of All Nigeria, the Most Rev. Henry Ndukuba at the Cathedral of the Advent in Abuja on 3 March 2026

Choose this day whom to serve. (Joshua 24)

This is the clarion call of God to the people of the scriptures and of the power of the scriptures – and the power of God – to save through faith in Jesus Christ and to transform lives of individuals and of our society. And these invoke God’s judgment as we see in Romans chapter 1:18-32.

In the face of this, it was necessary that the primates of GAFCON needed to meet to prayerfully consider and coordinate their response. {Citing Article 19 of the 39 Articles of Religion, Of the Church} [The visible Church of Christ is a congregation of faithful men, in the which the pure Word of God is preached, and the Sacraments be duly ministered according to Christ’s ordinance] in all those things that of necessity are requisite to the same. As the Church of Jerusalem, Alexandria, and Antioch, have erred; so also the Church of Rome hath erred, not only in their living and manner of Ceremonies, but also in matters of Faith.

It was in response to this that the Martyrs’ Day statement of October 16 was issued affirming that that GAFCON had been saying, and actually praying, that there will be a turnaround from these leaders of the Anglican Communion and their instruments [The Lambeth Conference, the Primates Council, the Anglican Consultative Council and the Archbishop of Canterbury]. 

But having failed, and following the decisions and statements of GAFCON, we are declaring that the future has arrived. Amen. [Applause]

The church of God will continue to march on. Not built on institutions of Canterbury or on the personality of the Archbishop of Canterbury. Rather we are returning back, bringing back the word of God, the Holy Scriptures to be the center of our life, our teaching and our practices.

In the face of this, the giants of compromise and indeed the Babylonian spirit of this age [which] will hold the kingdoms and leadership of this world in bondage, holding them in immorality, idolatry, and wickedness. Even when they are prospering materially, they have turned away from the living God. This brothers and sisters is nothing but the rebellion of the people, especially the leadership against God and the authority of this world of the authority of his word. GAFCON in this gathering dares to stand for God and for his word as the sure foundation for orthodoxy of doctrine and of living.

The lordship of Jesus Christ over the church of God, which he has possessed with his precious blood, cannot be contested. His glory shall not be given to any idol. Obedience to the authority of the word of God in all matters of faith and doctrine and practice and living cannot be substituted.

What we see is the determination and the arrogance of the revisionist to impose their error on the whole church. They engage you in endless debates, dialogue, contentions and meetings while driving and spreading their erroneous teachings. 

They request that we should walk together in disobedience to God and his word. Romans 6:1-3 asks, “Shall we then continue in sin that grace may abound?” The answer is “by no means”. 

Now that Jesus has redeemed us, and we are baptized and committed to him, we cannot turn back. There is no alternative. Our choice is clear. Some argue that those who practice this error, they do so because they were naturally made to live in such a life. But the scriptures say “if anyone be in Christ, he is a new creature. The old things have passed away. Behold, the new has come.”

And I’m believing that in God every believer has a testimony of the transformation and transforming power of God in Jesus Christ — and that comes by the word of God. Not only in the lives of individuals but more so this impacts on our community, on our cultures and our ways of life. Especially when we totally surrender to the Lord Jesus Christ and to the power of the living God and his word.

And this we see in 2 Corinthians 3:18. We are a new covenant with Jesus through his blood.

This message for us as we start this convocation of God’s people, is that the Lord is challenging us – individually and as dioceses and provinces of GAFCON –we will  dare to be different for God?

The Lord commanded Moses at Kadesh Barnea to send twelve spies into the land of Canaan. (Numbers 12) This marked a great turning point on Israel’s journey to the promised land. The issue was the report of the spies, in which though there was evidence of good fruits – fruitfulness in the land – fertility of the land and indeed that the people were thriving to the point that there were giants in the land. And yet the majority of those spies gave such an advanced report that they considered themselves as grasshoppers in the eyes of the people of the land. And there were giants and because of that it will be impossible to possess the land.

It was such that even Caleb and Joshua who insisted that the land was good and fruitful and fertile and more so that God is able to give that promised land to them according to his word and according to his covenant to Abraham and the Patriarchs. Yet the people chose to turn away from God and his word and promises. They attacked Moses, Caleb, and Joshua. God remained faithful to his word, not minding the people. Let all men be liars. But let this God be

the only true one, and we will keep trusting in him. God stood for Caleb and Joshua because the Lord says that they wholly totally completely followed God. And God acknowledged that these men were men of different spirit.

Brothers and sisters, God is still looking for men. Men like Joshua in the church of

God, especially in this defining moment. At the end of the American war of independence. Josiah Gilbert Holland said, “God give us men. A time like this demands strong minds,

great hearts, true faith, and ready and willing hands. Men whom the loss of office does not kill. Men whom the spoils of office cannot buy. Men who possess opinions and they will. Men who have honor. And men who will not lie. Men who can stand before the demigog and damn his treacherous flattering without wounding. God give us men.

This was what God found in Joshua and Caleb. So when when Joshua was saying, “Choose this day whom you will serve,” he had walked with God and came to a conviction.

This was found in the young Hebrew boys we see in Daniel chapter 3:16-18 as they address King Nebuchadnezzar. “Oh king, we have no need to answer you in this matter. Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning furnace and nor will we worship your golden calf. That’s even if God chooses not to save us we will not bow before your idols.”

God is still searching for men and women. He is looking for who to send, who will go for him.

These must be people of living faith in the living sovereign Lord who trust God and his word and his promises knowing that this God can never fail. God is looking for men like Abraham who trusted God even when everything around them proved otherwise. And the Bible says that even when his body was good as dead, he still trusted God and his word.

God is searching for people who are helped by the Holy Spirit and sustained by the grace of God. people who rely on God alone. The Holy Spirit not only sanctifies us and purges our lives, but he stands by us when we are attacked or afflicted or persecuted for the sake of standing for the truth of the word of God and for the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Holy Spirit gives us strength, courage to stand and to endure in the face of horrendous attacks. He becomes our strength in our weaknesses. Jesus said, “Even when such attacks come, rejoice for so they did to the prophets who went before you.” 

GAFCON, the way we have chosen will not be an easy way, but God will never leave his people. Amen. 

God is searching for a people who will not compromise the truth of his word for the applause of the world, but rather ready to suffer and pay the cost of of conforming into the image of the son of God in the place of prayer following obediently and in humility. God is looking for men and women whose eyes are set on the eternal hope and glory. which he has given us in his son

Jesus Christ. Men and women whose hearts are set in heaven where Jesus is people who are ready to serve for the glory of God and not for their selfish reasons. People who are ready

no matter the situation to stand for God. Will he find such among us? People trusting in the living and sovereign Lord Jesus Christ like Caleb and Joshua?

As God said, “But my servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit in him and has followed me fully, I will bring him into the land where he went, and his descendants shall shall inherit it. As we obey the living God this day and commit ourselves unto him, he will bring us into the place of his promise in the name of Jesus. I think that we have received and we pray that God will find in us the Joshua.

This Bible, the word of God is soaked in sweat, in tears, and then blood. But it has endured and the power to bring it has power to bring people of every generation to the salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. and give us hope – eternal hope, which we have received by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. It has proved to be the word of life.

It is the true guide from God for every generation. Some have paid the ultimate price to guard it and to pass it on until it has gotten to us. And the Lord is speaking to us as leaders and members of this church, the global Anglican Communion. And the Lord is saying, “Guard what is committed to your trust. Avoid the profane and idol babblings and contradictions of what is falsely acknowledged.” And by professing them, some have strayed concerning the faith. Choose this day whom you shall serve!

Blessed is the man or woman who dares to trust God and his word and dare to be different for God and his glory. Grace be with you in the name of God the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.