Abasifreke Effiong
His Pre-Eminence Emeritus and His Eminence Emeritus, Dr Sunday Mbang, is dead. He died at the age of 86.
Dr Mbang was the emeritus President of World Methodist Council, Christian Association of Nigeria, Incorporated Trustees of Methodist Church Nigeria and Nigeria Inter Religious Council.
Secretary of Conference of Methodist Church Nigeria, The Rt. Revd. Dr Babatunde Taiwo, announced the “glorious translation” of Dr Mbang in a letter dated May 17 addressed to Archbishops, Bishops, Trustees and Lay Presidents of the church.
The letter said Dr Mbang embodied the pioneering and path finding spirit of Nigerian Methodism, was the first Patriarch’s Chaplain and Bishop of Tinubu, only person to both Patriarch and Prelate, longest serving Head of Methodist Church Nigeria, first black President of World Methodist Council, First Methodist President of Christian Association of Nigeria.
“With gratitude to the Almighty God for benevolence and providence, we announce the translation to glory of His Pre-Eminence Emeritus and His Eminence Emeritus, Dr Sunday Coffie Mbang, who joined the Church triumphant on Tuesday, the 16th day of May 2023, after an impactful earthly ministry of 44 years having enrolled at Trinity College, Umuahia in 1962”, the Conference announced.
“He will surely and sorely be missed by his beloved Church, Methodist Church to which he gave spiritual, intellectual, and servant leadership for more than two decades and the entire body of Christ in Nigeria and the Diasporas.”
Dr Mbang was born in Idua, Eket Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State of Nigeria on 26 August 1936.
He studied at the Effoi Group School, Salvation Army School, Akai-Ubium, Government School, Eket, Methodist Boys’ High School, Oron, Teacher’s College, Uzuakoli, Trinity Theological College, Umuahia, University of Ibadan, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel and Harvard University, USA.
He was ordained by the Methodist Church Nigeria in 1962 and rose through the ranks to be elected into the Episcopal rank, Bishop of Tinubu, Lagos State in 1979.
In 1984, Dr Mbang was elevated to the position of Patriarch/Prelate, the administrative and pastoral head and leader of the entire Methodist Church family in Nigeria, and held the position for 22 years.
Prelate Mbang was accorded the status of the spiritual father of Akwa Ibom State.
