Church, govt must work together – CAN

22 Aug 2026, 06:33 by Great Ozozoyin · Daily Post

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Taraba State chapter, has called for stronger collaboration among the church, government and traditional institutions to promote peace, unity, good governance and sustainable development in the state.

The call was contained in a 10-point communiqué issued at the end of a three-day Ministers of the Gospel Conference held at the CAN Secretariat along FGGC Road, Jalingo.

The conference, themed “The Roles of the Church and the State in Advancing God’s Purpose in a Changing World,” brought together bishops, pastors, church leaders, traditional rulers, politicians and CAN leaders from the 16 local government areas and two development areas of the state, as well as participants from across the country.

The communiqué, signed by the CAN Chairman in Taraba, Rev. Fr. Williams P. Awoshiri, and Chairman of the Conference Working Committee, Bishop (Dr.) Innocent R. Solomon, stated that the church and government had distinct but complementary roles in nation-building.

“The church has a spiritual and moral responsibility to preach the gospel, defend human dignity, promote peace and justice, care for vulnerable people and speak for the voiceless,” the association said.

It said government was responsible for providing security and justice, delivering essential services and creating an enabling environment for development.

CAN urged Christians holding political offices to regard their positions as opportunities for service rather than personal advancement, citing biblical figures such as Joseph, Daniel, Esther and Nehemiah as examples of integrity and effective leadership.

The association also called on the church to provide moral and ethical leadership without becoming an instrument of partisan politics.

It urged churches to prepare Christians not only for participation in elections but also for responsible service in governance, including in the areas of economics, security, law, agriculture, education and technology.

On church-state relations, CAN advocated constitutional independence, mutual respect and constructive cooperation.

It urged the church to complement government efforts in education, healthcare, poverty reduction and peacebuilding while retaining the courage to speak truth to power when necessary.

The association further called for greater consultation between government and traditional rulers, describing traditional institutions as important custodians of culture and grassroots values.

It urged authorities to involve traditional rulers in policies affecting their communities.

CAN expressed concern over divisions among Christians and called on church leaders to resolve differences within and across denominations, stressing that denominational differences should not undermine Christian unity or become sources of conflict.

The association also resolved to establish continuous channels of engagement among church leaders, traditional rulers and Christian politicians beyond election periods and times of crisis.

It said such engagement should focus on government policies and issues affecting citizens.

CAN called for greater involvement of church leaders in conflict prevention and peacebuilding, particularly in view of Taraba’s multi-ethnic composition and history of communal conflicts.

It urged leaders to adopt early intervention mechanisms and traditional methods of dispute resolution to prevent conflicts from escalating.

Church, govt must work together – CAN

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