Tough Race For UMCN Bishop

 

The race for the next Bishop of the Nigeria Episcopal Area of the United Methodist Church in Nigeria, UMCN, is beginning to take shape, with three senior clergy emerging as the most prominent names in the unfolding contest.

 

They are Reverend Doctor Philip Micah Dopah, Dean of Cabinet Affairs and Director of Connectional Ministries of the Southern Conference; Reverend Doctor Eunice Iliya, Administrative Secretary to the Bishop; and Reverend AbainatusAkila Hamman Jnr., Director of Youth Ministries and Leadership Development.

 

The November episcopal election is coming at a critical moment for the Nigerian church, following the reconciliation of the previously divided Southern Conference with the wider United Methodist Church, the creation of a new Episcopal Area and the church's continuing efforts to rebuild unity after years of internal disputes.

 

Recent reporting by United Methodist News identified Dopah as leader of the Southern Conference, Iliya as administrative secretary in the Bishop's office and Hamman as director of youth ministries and leadership development. The report also highlighted their roles in the church's recent reconciliation process.

 

But unlike previous speculation, the emerging contest now has candidates whose positions are becoming clearer.

 

DOPAH: THE SOUTHERN CONFERENCE LEADER

Rev. Dr. Amb. Philip Micah Dopah appears to be one of the strongest names in the emerging contest.

 

Dopah has formally accepted calls and endorsements from church groups, leaders, districts and individuals urging him to contest the episcopal election.

 

In accepting the calls, he described his decision as a “clarion call to serve the Church,” insisting that his ambition was not about personal advancement but about responding to what he described as a collective call to service.

 

Dopah currently occupies important leadership responsibilities within the Southern Conference, where he serves as Dean of Cabinet Affairs and Director of Connectional Ministries.

 

His association with the Southern Conference gives him an important institutional base, particularly following the historic reconciliation that brought the conference back into the wider United Methodist Church structure.

 

United Methodist News reported in February that Dopah leads the Southern Conference and quoted him as expressing optimism about its future following the reconciliation. He described the conference as healthy and growing and called for unity, integrity, justice and sustainable church development.

 

His involvement with the Southern Conference is not new.

 

Records from the conference show that Dopah served as Director of Connectional Ministries and played a significant leadership role in conference affairs long before the latest reconciliation.

 

His supporters have reportedly rallied around what they describe as his leadership experience, organisational capacity and knowledge of the history and challenges of the Nigerian United Methodist Church.

 

The endorsements backing his candidacy have reportedly come from several church structures, including the Way Forward Committee, Board of Laity of the Southern Conference, cabinet members, the Board of Ordained Ministry, women's and youth organisations and Jalingo District.

 

Dopah has consequently entered the contest with a message centred on service, unity and renewal.

 

“This is not about one individual. It is about a collective vision for the future of our Conference,” he said.

 

For him, the episcopal contest is therefore being presented as a broader conversation about the future direction of the church.

 

HAMMAN: THE YOUTH AND RECONCILIATION VOICE

Rev. Abainatus Akila Hamman Jnr. brings a different profile to the contest.

 

Hamman is the Director of Youth Ministries and Leadership Development and has been involved in the church's recent reconciliation process.

 

His supporters point to more than two decades of ordained ministry and his experience in pastoral leadership, administration, youth ministry and church development.

 

One of the defining elements of his profile is his previous service under the late Bishop Done Peter Dabale, whom he served as secretary.

 

According to his own account, that assignment exposed him to episcopal administration, strategic planning, policy implementation, conflict management and the daily responsibilities associated with running a diverse church structure.

 

His supporters argue that the experience gave him an understanding of both the pastoral and administrative sides of episcopal leadership.

 

His current involvement in youth ministries also gives him a constituency among younger members of the church at a time when youth participation and leadership development have become increasingly important.

 

But perhaps more significant is his role in the reconciliation of the church.

 

United Methodist News reported that Hamman described the signing of the Deed of Reconciliation as the end of a 13-year dispute and the beginning of a “rebirth of a united witness.”

 

That places him within the group of clergy who were publicly associated with the process that helped reunite the previously divided church.

 

Hamman's message is therefore built around service, unity, youth empowerment and institutional growth.

 

He has used the slogan, “Together We Can Make the United Methodist Church Great.”

 

His emergence would represent a leadership proposition built around pastoral experience, youth development and the consolidation of the church's reconciliation.

 

ILIYA: THE ADMINISTRATOR AND WOMAN OF THE CHURCH

 

Rev. Dr. Eunice Iliya brings perhaps the most distinctive profile to the emerging contest.

 

She currently serves as Administrative Secretary to Bishop AndeEmmanuel Musa and has experience spanning mission work, pastoral ministry, scholarship and church administration.

 

Her supporters describe her journey as one of resilience, competence and sustained service to the United Methodist Church.

 

Born in Zing and raised in the United Methodist Church, Iliyacomes from a Methodist family background. Her supporters trace her commitment to the church to her childhood and describe her ministry as a continuation of a long family connection to the faith.

 

Her professional journey has taken her from rural mission work to pastoral ministry in the United States and eventually to the episcopal office in Nigeria.

 

That combination of pastoral and administrative experience is central to the argument being made by those supporting her.

 

As Administrative Secretary to the Bishop, Iliya has worked within the episcopal office during a period of considerable institutional change, giving her direct exposure to the administration of the Nigeria Episcopal Area.

 

She was also among the church leaders publicly celebrating the reconciliation of the Nigerian United Methodist Church.

 

United Methodist News quoted Iliya following the reconciliation as saying that the church was now “one indivisible church” and that the Holy Spirit was moving it towards healing, peace and love.

 

Her potential candidacy also introduces another important dimension into the episcopal contest: gender.

 

Her supporters see her possible emergence as an opportunity to broaden the conversation about leadership within the Nigerian United Methodist Church and recognise the contribution of women who have served the denomination at different levels.

 

They argue that her pastoral background, theological scholarship and administrative experience make her capable of providing leadership at a time when the church requires both institutional stability and spiritual renewal.

 

For Iliya, therefore, the contest is not merely about occupying an office. Her supporters are presenting it as a question of whether the church is prepared to draw on the full range of leadership experience available within its ranks.

 

NO ANOINTED SUCCESSOR, BISHOP EMMANUEL SAYS

 

While the three names are generating considerable interest, Bishop Ande Emmanuel Musa has sought to remove himself from the succession permutations.

 

There have been claims in church circles that the incumbent Bishop has already chosen a successor.

 

Bishop Emmanuel has rejected the claims, describing reports of an already anointed successor as unfounded and false.

 

His position is that the delegates, rather than the incumbent, will determine who becomes the next Bishop.

 

“Anyone that the delegates elected becomes the Bishop,” he said.

 

That statement could become important as the election draws closer.

 

It means that despite the growing prominence of Dopah, Hamman and Iliya, none can claim the episcopal seat based merely on perceived support or endorsements.

 

The final decision remains with the appropriate electoral structures and delegates.

 

A CHURCH AT A TURNING POINT

 

Whoever eventually emerges will inherit a church that has gone through one of the most difficult periods in its recent history.

 

The United Methodist Church in Nigeria has recently celebrated the reunification of the Southern Conference after more than a decade of disputes.

 

United Methodist News reported that the reconciliation culminated in a joint conference involving the church's five annual conferences, marking an important step towards restoring unity.

 

The church is also entering a new administrative phase following the creation of another Episcopal Area.

 

The restructuring is significant because the existing Nigeria Episcopal Area has responsibilities extending beyond Nigeria, including mission districts in Cameroon and Senegal.

 

The next Bishop will therefore be expected to provide more than spiritual leadership.

 

The office will require someone capable of managing a complex institution, strengthening unity among conferences and districts, promoting connectional ministry, supporting clergy and laity and consolidating the gains made through reconciliation.

 

The election will consequently be watched closely within the church.

 

More consultations and endorsements are expected before the November election, and the final list of eligible candidates will depend on the established procedures of the church.

 

 

And with Bishop Emmanuel insisting that there is no anointed successor, the delegates will ultimately have the final word.