For 125 years, The African Church has journeyed through generations of Nigerians, surviving social change, institutional challenges and the passage of time while retaining its Christian identity and commitment to service.
Now, as the church prepares to mark its 125th Founders’ Day Anniversary on October 13, 2026, its leadership is looking beyond a celebration of longevity. It is presenting the milestone as an opportunity to examine its heritage, renew its mission and prepare a younger generation to carry the institution into the future.
At a press conference in Lagos on Saturday, the Primate of The African Church, Most Rev. Augustine Odufuwa, unveiled the anniversary logo and theme: “125 Years of Grace: A Future Unfolding,” drawn from Isaiah 43:19.
The theme captures the central message of the anniversary — a deliberate attempt to connect the church’s history with its aspirations for the years ahead.
“Today, we do more than unveil a logo or announce a programme. We open a new chapter in a story that God began 125 years ago,” Odufuwa said.
For the Primate, the anniversary is not simply about counting the years. It is about recognising the people and sacrifices that made the journey possible while asking what the church must do to remain relevant in a changing society.
“One hundred and twenty-five years have witnessed changing generations, societies and circumstances, yet remained anchored in Christ’s gospel,” he said, describing the church’s experience as a testimony of divine faithfulness.
The history of The African Church, Odufuwa noted, is intertwined with Nigeria’s religious and social development. He paid tribute to the founding fathers and mothers whose faith, courage and sacrifices helped establish the institution.
But while celebrating the past, the church leadership is conscious that heritage can only remain meaningful when it informs the future.
“The theme deliberately joins remembrance with expectation. The first part is our testimony. The second is our mandate,” Odufuwa said.
He argued that the church must preserve its heritage while remaining open to reforms and innovations necessary to respond to contemporary realities.
That emphasis is particularly evident in the role assigned to young people in the anniversary programme.
“Our young people must not merely inherit our history; they must be equipped to shape the next chapter,” the Primate said.
It is a recognition that institutions with long histories face the danger of becoming disconnected from younger generations unless they deliberately create space for them to participate, lead and innovate.
Consequently, the anniversary has been designed as more than a ceremonial gathering. Odufuwa described it as a season of remembrance, renewal, evangelism, service and celebration.
A 40-day campaign, running from September 4 to October 12, will provide the first major platform for that broader engagement. It will feature historical activities, interviews, podcasts, documentaries, digital engagements and prayer videos.
The church is also using the anniversary to pass its history to younger generations through a national Bible and history quiz and historical essay competitions. The quiz is expected to conclude on October 12, while three outstanding essays will be recognised during the founders’ day thanksgiving service.
The choice to combine historical documentation with contemporary digital platforms reflects an effort to ensure that a 125-year-old story does not remain confined to church archives or the memories of older members.
But the anniversary will also take the church beyond history and into community engagement.
Evangelism, crusades, hospital and prison ministries, school outreach and community service projects will form part of the programme, reinforcing the church’s longstanding emphasis on service to society.
The provinces and dioceses will also hold an exchange of pulpits on October 4, an initiative expected to strengthen fellowship and reinforce the church’s shared mission.
The main anniversary celebration on October 13 will feature thanksgiving, goodwill messages, awards, cake cutting and the launch of legacy projects, while activities will conclude across the church’s parishes worldwide on October 18.
The church’s leadership has also used the anniversary platform to speak about one of Nigeria’s most persistent challenges — insecurity.
Odufuwa said prayers had contributed to efforts against insecurity and expressed optimism that the situation would improve.
“Insecurity in Nigeria is in transit; it will be forgotten soon,” he said.
Beyond prayers, however, he called for a collective response involving government, religious institutions and communities.
“We cannot leave it in the hands of government alone. All hands must be on deck,” he said, urging the church to strengthen peace-building efforts and continue contributing to a safer and more peaceful society.
The incoming Lay President, Prince Debo Oduguwa, also drew attention to the social dimension of the church’s founding philosophy.
According to him, the founding fathers did not limit their mission to soul-winning. They also established schools and hospitals to respond to the needs of the communities around them.
That legacy, he suggested, remains relevant today, particularly at a time when religious institutions are increasingly being challenged to demonstrate their impact beyond worship centres.
Mrs Gladys Obajulaiye, Chairperson of the 125th Founders’ Day Anniversary Planning Committee, similarly described the anniversary as more than a sequence of ceremonies. She said it was designed as a period of remembrance, renewal, service, fellowship and legacy.
She urged the media to partner with the church in documenting and preserving its 125-year Christian heritage.
Odufuwa made the appeal even more directly: “Do not merely report this milestone. Help us tell its story.”
That request perhaps captures the significance of the anniversary more than the ceremonies themselves.
After 125 years, The African Church is not merely celebrating survival. It is confronting the responsibility that comes with longevity — preserving the values inherited from its founders while remaining relevant to a society that is constantly changing.
The anniversary therefore offers the church an opportunity to look simultaneously in two directions: backward, to the faith and sacrifice that established its foundation; and forward, to the young people, innovations and social responsibilities that will define its next chapter.
If the past 125 years represent a testimony of endurance, the church’s real challenge now is to ensure that its heritage becomes a living foundation for another generation — one in which faith is matched by service, tradition by innovation, and remembrance by a clear vision of the future.
