ORIGIN AND HISTORY OF CIVIL CHAPLAINCY AND PROFRESSIONAL CHAPLAINCY IN NIGERIA.

In the name of the Almighty God, you are welcome to this piece of work, which is put at your disposal the true account and history of Civil Chaplaincy, Civil Chaplaincy Practices and Civil Chaplains in Nigeria.

Experiences have made us to come to an understanding that if proper documentations are not made at the time events took place especially by the actors of the events, falsification, distortions etc, may set in at a later date when the actors may have left the stage and events are being recorded and history being relayed by third parties (especially those who never witnessed the actual events).

This historical report or documentation is not only an eye witness account, but also a historical account of an actor and a participator in the events of Civil Chaplaincy and practice in Nigeria.

Although Chaplaincy Practice came to the shores of this land through the Royal British Army, by which Chaplaincy Practice and Chaplains became known, but restricted to the military formations.

Priests were seconded to the military to act and serve as Chaplains in the military formations without any Chaplaincy training other than theological trainings they had received from Seminaries.

Many of such Priests were constricted into the military and those that were not served as Civilian Priests in the military.

However, round about the year 1981AD, The Rev’d Sir Ige OLumide of blessed memory was instrumental in bringing Chaplaincy training to the general populace of our nation Nigeria, after he had been trained and commissioned by The Rev’d Dr. Herman Kerk Jr. at the Air Force base USA.

This happens to be the first time Chaplaincy came to be taught as a separate course and discipline from theology and candidates were offered the opportunities to be trained as Chaplains, even though they were no Clergies.

This training was a preparation for people who had not been ordained as Clerics for commissioning and recognition by their various denominations which however, the hurdles of recognition became summonted.

The effort of Rev. Herman Kerk Jr. in Florida USA to make Chaplaincy a mission enterprise to make Chaplaincy practice spread to all nook and cranes of the world, made him to commission Late Sir Ige Olumide as a Chaplain in the year 1978/79 and made him the adjutant General for Africa and Asia, precisely in the year 1981.

 He and his friend Archbishop Lawrence Ayo Afilaka become the first set of Civil Chaplains to put on the white uniform in Nigeria and Africa, having been influenced by the uniform of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps.  This marks the beginning of the introduction of uniform to Civil Chaplaincy.

The very first time the military authorities in Nigeria got to know of the existence of a Chaplaincy Institution in Nigeria was in the year around 1994, when International Institute of Pastoral Education and Chaplaincy (IIPEC) was invited for a seminar by the military Chaplains at Abatti Barracks – Yaba Lagos.

As an eye witness, Archbishop Prof. Mike David was on the entourage with The Rev’d Dr. Sir Ige Olumide on the lead as the guest speaker and lecturer.

As soon as we arrived Abatti Barracks, this fateful day and we were marching in our colourful (white) uniform to the venue of the lecture, where military Chaplains and Soliders who were trainees in their denominational seminaries and Bible colleges had been waiting for us, an order was given by the former Naval Governor of Ondo State – Governor Opaleye - a Naval Officer for all of us to be locked up in the guard room for putting on uniforms that resembles that of the Navy.

The saving grace for us this fateful day was the presences of Gen. Y. Y. Kure RTD of the Nigerian Army on our entourage. When information reaches Gen. Bako who was the Director of the Army Chaplaincy, he told the Soldiers to allow us in and this we escaped been locked.

The brilliant performance of late Sir Ige Olumide as a guest speaker earned the Civil Chaplaincy some respect and dignity – but the Armed Forces had been at logger-heads with Chaplains who are not military Chaplains over uniforms and ranks.

In the year 1997AD, the burden to bring together non-military Chaplains under one umbrella, was becoming stronger on daily basis.

Chaplains that were produced in our country Nigeria were in disarray, loosing focus and drifting away from the general purpose probably because late Sir Dr. Ige Olumide raised Chaplains as para-military out-fits, other Chaplaincy organizations were coming up, training Chaplains in the same pattern.

In the year 1997AD, The Most Rev’d Prof. Mike David, as a pace setter, developed a new curriculum for Chaplaincy and Pastoral Care-Giving courses along professional pattern; completely civil in orientation but retaining the physical drills of the officers to keep serving Chaplains in top form.

After due consultations with Chaplains across the world and also International Chaplaincy Associations, as well as organizations, Prof. Mike-David fashioned out a new ranking system in line with professional organizations with no resemblance or relevance to military ranking any where in the world.

In the year 2005AD in Lagos – Shagamu, Ibadan express way, Archbishop Prof. Mike David organized a four days National Summit of Chaplains and Pastoral Counselors and Care-Givers, where the idea of Professional Chaplaincy devoid of military colour and glamour was sold to all in attendance.

The 2006AD Summit was boycotted by Chaplains and Chaplaincy organizations who felt the paradigm shift being advocated by Archbishop Prof. Mike David was going to make them become redundant and irrelevant.

Archbishop Prof. Mike David’s statement and assertion that uniform and ranks does not make one a Chaplain was misconstrued, and the ember of hatred was being found.

Letters was made to various Chaplaincy organizations and invitations extended to them as stakeholders in Chaplaincy Profession in Nigeria for the formation of an umbrella organization.

Sir Ige Olumide and IIPEC rebuffed the move claiming they will have nothing to do with other Chaplaincy organizations. Archbishop Afilaka sent a representative only once to the meeting and never returned.

The membership form issued to the organization to date was yet to be returned by almost all of them. Instead of Chaplaincy organizations accepting to come together under one umbrella, each Chaplaincy organization approached the military for recognition.

However, something significant happened in the year 2006AD, which raised the hope of Archbishop Prof. Mike David that no sooner than later the birth of the umbrella body in Nigeria will soon be born.

Precisely, in February 2006AD, the former head of state, Gen. Yakubu Gowon, who had been commissioned and appointed as the African representative of American World-wide Chaplaincy Association, by Chap. Dr. Wom Nam Kim, summoned a meeting of Chaplains including the military Chaplains in Abuja.

Right at the venue of the meeting, some of the Chaplains (Civil Chaplains dressed in their white uniform) requested to identify themselves, for it is strange in Nigeria Armed Forces to dress like a Naval Officers and yet wear the ranks of Army Officers.

The military authorities were alerted by the Soldiers on duty and defense Chief called upon the Director of Army Chaplains (Col. D.D.Danfulani) for explanation and identification of those men in unauthorized uniforms and ranks.

The Director of Army Chaplains told the military authorities that, they were the Chaplains invited to the meeting in progress. Then and only then were they allowed to join their colleagues at the meeting venue.

In the meeting the demonstration of who and who is superior in Chaplaincy Practice as demonstrated by representatives of IIPEC (Dr. Sir Ige Olumide’s outfit) and CFN (Archbishop Afilaka’s outfit) which lead to free for all fight.

This open hostility demonstrated by these two rival groups in Chaplaincy, made the military authority to order the Director of Army Chaplains to have nothing to do with any Civil Chaplaincy organization, individually until we are able to pull ourselves together as an umbrella body, fully registered with the Cooperate Affairs according to the land of our land.

The military authorities also condemned the subtle recognition by Int’l associations wanting control Chaplaincy Practice in Nigeria from America and Europe.

At the collapse of this meeting, Archbishop Prof. Mike David intensified his efforts in bringing Civil Chaplaincy organizations under one umbrella for the benefit of our profession. Many more Civil Chaplaincy organizations kept on seeking individual recognition of the military with many of them making serving and returned military officers as patrons etc.

Each time Archbishop Prof. Mike David visited the Director of Army Chaplain (Col. D.D. Danfulani) in Lagos, was always encouraging me to go on puling those Chaplains together as a group.

He was instrumental in sending many Civil Chaplaincy Organization to me including Bishop Ramson Kelnanah’s group, with whom we made a commitment to work together with all Chaplaincy groups in the formation of an umbrella body.

Many past people took advantage of this dichotomy in Chaplaincy in Nigeria until they fell victims of the military authorities and the prices they had to pay for such remains part of their history today.

The gracious God, after ten years of labourious works amongst colleague Chaplains in Nigeria, The Fellowship of Civil Chaplains of Nigeria was incorporated in July 19th 2012AD which marks the beginning of a new era in Chaplaincy practice in Nigeria.

Our efforts in the past ten years to bring all Civil Chaplaincy organizations under one umbrella yielded fruits, as we were able to pull five Chaplaincy organizations together, incorporated The Fellowship of Civil Chaplains of Nigeria, with seven members of the Board of Trustee from the following five organizations:

1.   Global Chaplaincy Corps.

2.   Chaplains Fellowship of Nigeria.

3.   Covenant Chaplains Welfare Networks.

4.   Gracetime Ministries Chaplaincy Corps.

5.   Universal Christian College of Chaplaincy.

We must be told in very clear terms that this victory is only the beginning and a stepping stone into Civil Chaplaincy Profession and Practice in our nation Nigeria.

NB:   America has become a nation and place desired by many to live and work in because the Americans were committed to making their country what it is today as they cared to develop it. Europe and Canada were also developed by their own nationals.

Indigenous professionals and professions have in no small measure to the development of their nations and professions  as they helped setting standards for practicing their God-given professions and such standards have been granted international recognition and acceptance.

Here is our own opportunity as practicing Chaplains to help develop our God-given profession and at the same time contributing to the general development of Nigeria.

Individuals or other nationals will not come to set the standard of practice for us in Nigeria unless we are seeking or offering ourselves up for re-colonization. God Forbid bad thing!

THE FIRST PRESS CONFERENCE AND SEMINAR OF CIVIL CHAPLAINS:

The first ever Press Conference and Seminar of Civil Chaplains was held February 20^th to 21^st 2014AD with fourteen (14) Chaplaincy organizations represented, fifty-six (56) delegates in attendance spanning through nine (9) States of the federation in Nigeria.

This marks the new beginning in Civil Chaplaincy in Nigeria and Africa.

Let us all, corporately and severally rise up to the task of our nation’s building, as we make the needed contribution to national development. If vision 20 20 20 is to be a reality, Chaplains must also play their part. If Nigeria will attain the MDG set-goals for 2015AD, Chaplains must play their part.

You have an invitation from Archbishop Prof. Mike David to join forces with pace setters and let us together develop Chaplaincy without contending with the military.

Chap. Prof. Mike