During the 1958 Lamberth Conference, according to Martin (1997) the Anglo-Catholic party attending the Lamberth Conference staged an enormous show of strength with a rally that filled the Royal Alberth Hall. Anglo-Catholic showmanship was so intimidating that Bishop Marcus Loan, Senior assistant Bishop of Sydney who was present was convinced that unless something is done to galvanize and further the evangelical cause in the Anglican Communion things will certainly go bad. After the conference, he visited the Rev John Stott, then Rector of All Souls, Langham palace in central London and Canon Talbot Mohan, then director of the church pastoral Aid society. Out of these discussions emerged the Evangelical Fellowship in the Anglican Communion an international umbrella Union of Evangelical Anglicans in 1961.
In Nigeria, Reverend Yemi Ladipo the vicar of St Piran Anglican Church Jos organized the National congress on Evangelicalization at the University of Ife between 19th August–25th 1978 where EFAC Nigeria was born. He was also the head of the Great Commission Movement in Nigeria (The Campus Crusade). The National Congress on Evangelization is an interdenominational Organization which brought Evangelicals and Pentecostals all over the country together.
Having inaugurated EFAC officially at the National level, delegates from Onitsha, the seat of the Diocese on the Niger, came back aglow with fire of revival and evangelism that they continued organizing meetings with zeal under the leadership of the Rev Augustine Ezeigwe before he left Onitsha to Enugu for Operation “Good News”. The Fellowship continued in the sitting room of Mr. Ernest Uwakwe, the then diocesan accountant who resided in the Cathedral compound of the All Saints Onitsha. Fred C.O Nwangwu later took over from there, the fellowship also met severally on monthly basis at St. Peter’s BCM Onitsha, the resident vicar being Rev Shedrack O. Okafor.
Rev S. O Okafor had attended one of the National Conferences and the Bishop deemed it fit to appoint him the EFAC Chaplain. A position he held until there arose a problem of demand for total allegiance of EFAC members to St. Peter’s BCM Church. The demand was impossible since EFAC members assemble at St. Peter’s BCM from different Churches in the Onitsha metropolis for weekly fellowship; therefore the demand that every member should register with the church and become subscribing member became unattainable.To have a direct supervision of the fellowship, the Bishop became the chaplain, a thing and position that never happened before. This Spirit led decision helped the EFAC to be firmly rooted and later, the Rev E.S Umeoranefo became the acting chaplain.
EFAC on the Niger Diocese started in the year 1979, but officially was inaugurated in 1985 along side inauguration of the Young for Christ Crusade (YCC) at Central School Field Odakpu Onitsha by the Diocesan Bishop, Rt. Rev Dr. Jonathan Arinzechukwu Onyemelukwe, the then Bishop on the Niger. The delayed official inauguration came as a result of the rejection it suffered for some years. Many of the clergymen of the Diocese accused the members of being unanglican in their practice.
To give the EFAC wider acceptance in the Diocese, a consultative council was held at the instance of the Diocesan on the 29th August 1990 at St. James Anglican Church Ichi. The Diocesan clergymen present were 50 persons while EFAC were 30 persons in number. The Bishop rehearsed the prolonged process and efforts made with the Evangelical Fellowship in the Anglican Communion in the Diocese. He stressed that in every synod meeting starting with Synod at St James Uga in 1986, he had consistently and regularly addressed members on the EFAC issue.
Records of accusations and counter accusations in three volumes had been compiled. The report and the white paper on same were presented by Rev Canon Sir A.E.D Mgbemena. The consensus was that EFAC should operate within the ambits of the principles, regulations and constitution of the Diocese. By this official declaration, the Evangelical Fellowship in the Anglican Communion became integral part of the Diocese on the Niger
The EFAC on the Niger covering the then four Archdeaconries that made up the Diocese namely Onitsha, Nnewi, Awka and Aguata experienced unprecedented growth through aggressive evangelism and soul winning. In Onitsha metropolis, EFAC met in places like the house of Ernest Uwakwe for their fellowships from where the members also attended the second EFAC National convention January 1980 at the institute of church and society Ibadan.
They also met at New Bethel primary school, St. John’s church Fegge Onitsha. The then vicar, Rev Michael C. Echendu was one of the official Diocesan delegates to the Ibadan convention of January 1980.
St John’s Church Fegge Onitsha had a very vibrant Bible study group that was established in 1978 under the supervision of the church teacher, Chukwuemeka Ezike. When he left for theological training at Trinity theological college Umuahia, Mr. Goddy Iloka took over the bible study which later metamorphosed into EFAC group St. John’s church Fegge Onitsha with over one thousand weekly participants.
After the Bishop resolved the issue between Rev S. O Okafor and the EFAC, the Bishop being led by the Spirit, officially directed them to move to St. Christopher’s Anglican Church Odoakpu Onitsha as their base. Happily they accepted the directive and promised that the Church would become a pilgrimage centre.
St Christopher’s, an abandoned place for children and very few elderly people to worship, with a Catechist who assumed the title, “vicar Joshua Nwanja” was turned right side up and became a revival centre and reality of what Bishop Onyemelukwe envisaged to God’s glory.
In the Diocese on the Niger, EFAC conducted the Crusade outreach at a filling station close to Nkpor Junction that gave birth to St. Michael’s and All Angels Anglican Church Nkpor.
The EFAC have built churches like Immanuel Anglican church Osomala in Ogbaru, St. Michael’s and All Angels Akwukwu, St. Stephen’s church Abakpu in Nkwele and currently building St. Stephen’s Anglican Church Umuoji. They sponsored and still sponsoring missions and evangelism in some areas. They train those interested in evangelism and mission and empower some members.
EFAC co-ordinators
- Ven Dr. Fred C .O. Nwachukwuma 1985-1993
- Sir Godwin Olum 1994-1997
- Rev Nelson Ogunta 1998-2003
- Nchedo Madu 2004-2007
- Sir Ebele Okafor 2008-2013
- Elder Johnson Onwuka 2014-2019
- Ifeanyi Nwagbo 2019 to date
Chaplains
- Most Rev Dr. J.A Onyemelukwe
- S.O. Okafor
- Enoch Umeoranefo
- Rev Canon Paul Amechi Udogu
- Goddy Iloka