CASON tackles church governance, succession planning at 2024 Conference

CASON 2024 focuses on church governance and succession planning, urging leaders to prioritise divine calling over family ties in choosing successors.

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Church Administrators Society of Nigeria (CASON) has taken significant steps to address the ongoing challenges many churches face regarding governance and succession planning.

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The 11th annual CASON conference, held at the Pistis Hub, Maryland, Lagos, centred on the theme “Church Governance and Succession Planning,” urging churches to align with the government’s push for legal and moral accountability.

Senior Pastor of The Carpenter’s House, Mrs. Nkechi Ene, shared her insights on succession in church leadership, emphasising the importance of divine calling over familial relationships when appointing a successor.

Pastor Ene, who succeeded the late Pastor Charles Omofomah at The Carpenter’s Church, explained that the successor must be chosen based on God’s call rather than family hierarchy or congregational expectations.

“A son is not automatically called to lead a church simply because his father is. Five key factors must be considered: God’s call should take precedence over congregation expectations, family ties, seniority, individual skills, and gender,” Ene remarked during her on-stage interview with CASON President, Pastor Seyi Oladimeji.

Pastor Ene highlighted that the process of succession is a spiritual responsibility, not a familial obligation, underscoring the need for church leaders to recognise the distinction between personal relationships and divine purpose.

Other distinguished speakers at the event included Dr. Hakeem Ogunniran, CEO of Eximia Realty Company, and Dr. Nkem Iheanachor, Senior Lecturer at Lagos Business School, who both addressed church governance.

Mrs. Funke Amobi, Deputy Head of Operations at StanbicIBTC Bank, focused on succession planning, providing attendees with insights on how to create seamless leadership transitions within church organisations.

The Chairman of the Lagos Chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Bishop (Dr) STV Adegbite, and Dr. Ayodeji Ajibade, Director of the Babcock University Centre for Executive Development, delivered goodwill speeches, further stressing the importance of governance and succession in religious institutions.

Certified Church Administrators from different parts of Nigeria attended the conference, reflecting the growing interest in improving leadership structures within the church.

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CASON’s initiative marks a critical step towards ensuring that Nigerian churches are better equipped to meet the demands of governance, accountability, and sustainability in an evolving religious landscape.