Sunday is Church Day

Stained Glass in the National Church

Daisy, our client, and her husband Jackson invited Iti, Anick, and I to join them in Sunday services in their church.  They picked us up at the hotel and we drove about twenty minutes outside of the city.  On the way there, we learned that Jackson was actually the Pastor.  He explained that each time the church population nears 100 parishioners, some members break off, a new Pastor is assigned, and the new congregation begins meeting in another location.  This way there is no overcrowding of the church.  Also, this makes for a church on every other block….no excuses for not attending!

The church service lasted for about three hours.  There was a band - complete with drums, electric guitars, and a keyboard – three microphones for the back-up singers, and a lead singer with a cordless microphone.  The service started with many songs and dancing and was followed by various verse readings and the sermon. In honor of Father’s Day, today’s lesson was about what it meant to be a Father.  Jackson elaborated on the role and responsibilities being a good father and what his male congregation members must do.  After the sermon, there was a dedication of the new baby, which is equivalent to a baptism.  Instead of sprinkling holy water on her head, the baby was carried up the aisle followed by the friends and family of her parents.  Once at the front of the church, she was handed to the minister’s wife for a blessing.  The congregation collected money for the new parents and sang a song in celebration of its newest church member.

Following the service, we drove around Abuja.  From a distance, we are able to take pictures of the National Mosque.  We then went to the National Church.  We ask the guards if we could go inside and they agreed to let us in.  The National Church is non-denominational and is mostly used for large celebrations and major events.  It is not used on a day-to-day basis.  Inside they had some beautiful stained-glass windows, a large pipe organ, and a rotating pulpit.  The guards graciously turned on the rotation pulpit and Jackson demonstrated by reciting the I Have a Dream Speech.

National Mosque

National Church

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