PRELATE SUNDAY MBANG AT 80 – FOOTPRINTS OF AN ICON!

Prelate Mbang

The 19th century Irish philosopher and essayist, Thomas Carlyle it was who said that the history of the world is but the biography of great men. It goes without saying therefore, that whenever the history of these parts is written, a copious chapter will be dedicated to the life and times of a living icon, His Eminence, Dr. Sunday Coffie Mbang.

Born in Idua, Eket Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State on August 26, 1936 to Coffie Eka-Mbang, a pastor with the Qua Iboe Mission and Judith Udo Ekpo, a princess from Ikot Eyo, Nsit Ubium Local Government Area, Sunday Mbang began his primary education at Effoi Group School, Eket in 1941. He also attended St. Michael’s School, Aba, Salvation Army School, Akai-Eket and completed his primary education at Government School, Eket.

He then proceeded to the famous Methodist Boys High School, Oron where he obtained his West African School Certificate in the year 1956.

As a son of a cleric, he was raised on a strict disciplinary regimen by his father who was also uncompromising in spiritual matters, and was determined to build a Christian home amidst the paganism that was prevalent at the time. This upbringing shaped his life at an early age and sharpened his focus while leaving a lasting impression on his mind. While in school, he played all the instruments in the school band, he was a scout master, he was President of the Students Christian Movement and also won many laurels for his school during inter-house sports competitions.

In 1957, barely a year after obtaining his West African School certificate, Prelate Mbang lost his father. Despite this setback, he still secured admission that same year into the Methodist Higher Elementary College, Uzuakoli where he obtained his Teachers’ Grade 2 certificate and qualified as a teacher in 1958. He also had theological training at the Trinity College, Umuahia, between 1962 and 1964, obtaining the Ministerial Theological Training Certificate, thereby qualifying to serve as a Methodist minister.
In 1966, he gained admission into the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. However the outbreak of the civil war cut short his studies and he had to transfer to the University of Ibadan in 1968. Prelate Mbang obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Religious Studies in 1971 from the University of Ibadan and due to his sterling performance, the University of Ibadan offered him a post-graduate study scholarship to the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Isreal.
It is often said that lightening doesn’t strike twice, but in his case, it did. Once again, his studies in Jerusalem were disrupted by the Yom Kippur war in Isreal and he had to transfer to the Havard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America where he obtained a Masters of Theology, majoring in Old Testament theology. He returned to Nigeria in 1978 to lecture at the University of Ibadan from where he was elected a bishop of the Methodist Church Nigeria.
Prelate Mbang’s priestly sojourn seems to have been pre-ordained. As a little boy, he showed signs that he would follow his father into ministry. He was always in the church listening attentively, gazing at the preacher as if to memorize every syllable of every word that came out of the preacher’s mouth. He asked endless questions about the Bible, Jesus Christ and Christianity and of all his siblings, he was the closest to his father’s ministry. Little wonder he made a seamless transition into the clerical order following in his father’s footsteps and getting to heights hitherto unimagined.
After his commissioning as a Methodist priest in 1964, he was posted to Kaduna and then Yaba but he didn’t serve there because his teacher at the time, Dr. English wanted him to go back to school for further studies. As Bishop of Tinubu, he served as chaplain to the then Patriarch of the Methodist Church Nigeria, His Pre-Eminence Bolaji Idowu.
In August 1984, the then Bishop Sunday Mbang was elected the second Patriarch of the Methodist church Nigeria and was installed on January 20, 1985.
As a spiritual father of the church, His Eminence provided strong and exemplary leadership at a very trying period. To his credit, he succeeded in reuniting the church while also focusing his attention on youth and women outreach programmes and evangelism. He established a welfare programme for the church workers, improved the training of ministers and set machinery in motion for the establishment of the Wesley University of Science and Technology, Ondo state. He initiated the Methodist Church Nigeria Tailoring Factory Plc, Methodist Church Nigeria Properties and Investment Ltd and the printing press, amongst many other achievements.
In all, he served as the prelate and Patriarch of the Methodist church Nigeria for 22 years, the longest in the history of the church.
The contributions of Prelate Mbang to the development of Akwa Ibom state and Nigeria cannot be overemphasized. He served for 8 years as the National president of the Christian Association of Nigeria at a very critical time in the country’s socio-political history. As president of CAN, he did not hesitate to speak up against tyranny and oppression and other crucial issues concerning the nation’s development, even in the face of opposition to his views by the then military regime. Working with the then Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammadu Maccido, they established the Nigeria Inter-religious Council (NIREC), a body responsible for the promotion of inter-fourth dialogue and co-operation within the nation. He served as co-chair of NIREC. He also made enormous contributions to, and involved then President Olusegun Obasanjo who willingly supported the building of the National Christian Centre in Abuja.
In July 2001, at the 18th World Methodist Conference held in Brighton, United Kingdom, Prelate Sunday Mbang became chairman of the World Methodist Council. The first Nigerian, First African and first black man to ever assume such an office. He is also one of the very few persons from this part of the world to be invited and hosted in the Vatican by two sitting Popes, John Paul II and Benedict XVI. Indeed, the world makes way for the man who knows his way.
In 2006, on attaining the age of 70, Prelate Sunday Mbang retired from the services of the Methodist Church Nigeria, having served for many years and leading the church for 22 years.
Prelate Mbang got joined in Holy Matrimony to his wife, Enobong on December 16, 1978. The union is blessed with three sons and grandchildren.
As this living legend joins the octogenarian club, congratulatory messages have poured in from far and wide, including one from President Muhammadu Buhari, who saluted his courage for always speaking out against tyranny and societal ills.
We join his family, friends, well-wishers, Methodist faithful worldwide and all men of goodwill in celebrating this five-star son of Akwa Ibom State, The first civilian from our state to be conferred with the National honour of Commander of the Order of the Niger, a passionate teacher, an erudite scholar, a loving father, a role-model and a fearless preacher of the gospel of Christ, His Eminence, Prelate Emeritus Sunday Coffie Mbang, CON.
Happy Birthday, Your Eminence. Ad Multos Annos!