New leadership of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has been told to be bold and absorb difficulties and challenges that would come in the course of duties.
Former CAN President, Pastor Ayo Oristejafor, gave the charge while handing over to his successor, Pastor Samson Ayokunle, in Abuja on Wednesday.
Oritsejafor said the most challenging moment he had in office was mostly with the Christians.
“So, be bold and have the ability to absorb difficulties and challenges that would come in the course of duties.
“The most challenging experience in six years is the attack from Christians. When you are doing your best trying to help and the people you are helping are the ones attacking you, then it is very painful.
“I want you to have the ability and the shock absorber to absorb the difficulties that will come with this new office.’’
He listed visit to victims of insurgency, building the CAN jubilee resort and leadership training centre among others, as some achievements while in office.
Orotsejafor said “the primary goal of the association is to unite the church and to expand the gospel regardless of the denominational differences, doctrines and regions.
“We have visited the Internally Displaced Persons camps to provide them with relief materials and encouragement at personal cost.
“We have a revolving loan to some Christians from Tafawa Balewa Local Government in Bauchi state and Hausa Fulani Christians from selected communities in North East and North West.
“We provided scholarships for study in the US and empowerment to some Boko Haram victims. We established CAN America and South Africa’’, Oritsejafor added.
He urged the new president to encourage and build an interfaith relationship with non-Christians as the former administration did.
Ayokunle commended Oritsejafor and called on the member churches of CAN to put hands on deck, work together and forget any differences or bickerings.
He said that his first assignment was to reconcile all groups within CAN. “We plead with Christians to support than deride us; show us love, not hatred.
“We are ready to listen to everybody as we urge everyone to exercise patience with us.’’
He said the present administration of CAN was committed to supporting the government of the day.
“CAN is not anti government and so the government should not be anti CAN; we are supposed to be partners in progress.
“We should respect the boundaries that will lead to mutual respect and understanding.
“We are not going to patronise the government and thereby fail to carry out responsibilities to speak against the excesses of those in political leadership’’, he said.
