Which minister of God would tolerate any hindrance to the flow of thanksgiving/offering procession during any service or special church event?
This was the challenge the then Vicar of the All Saints Church (Anglican Communion), Ojuelegba, Surulere Lagos, Reverend Caleb Mmaduoma, now Bishop of Ideato Diocese, had 14 years ago.
What started as one young boy’s spirit filled dance to the offering box, whenever the church’s band started rendering exhilarating praise and worship songs during offering or thanks giving period, later became a teething problem which many parishioners had wanted to be done without.
From being a one man’s dance show to the offering box, many other boys joined the dance train and looked up to every Sunday or church event to pour their sorrow and joy to the Lord through their slow paced gyrating dance steps.
Strong, growing dioceses have focused on youth work – South Carolina is a good example. Young people who have come to know the Lord Jesus in parish youth groups go to college and only occasionally find Episcopal church ministries which nurture that faith. And those who experience a call to ordained ministry in college were until recently pushed out of the ordination process in favor of middle-aged folks who were more like the members of the diocesan Commission on Ministry. I see some positive change in some places in the CoM situation and in work with high school students, but I don’t see an emphasis on Christ-centered college ministry. But my perspective may be too narrow.