Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State, has inaugurated an Adventist African-Traditionalist Relation Center.
Speaking at the unveiling, Babcock, Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Ademola Tayo, said the Center would be made to interface with government and non-governmental organisations in the effort to reach out to the African traditionalist within their cultural context.
‘‘We will endeavor to live up to the goals of the center, and also to involve in the global mission planting process of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. The AARC will be continually strengthened to serve the West-Central African Division of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in her efforts to establish an Adventist presence wherever none exists or where any is weak within the territory.
‘‘The AARC will be empowered by this administration to create and experiment with new models for establishing groups of believers among African-traditionalists; produce context sensitive resources for reaching African-Traditionalists; research the culture, beliefs, and practices of African-Traditionalists in order to appropriately contextualise the gospel while remaining faithful to the biblical message; and identify bridges of communicating the gospel to the African-Traditionalists in WAD.’’
While speaking on the crisis in Sokoto, he called for peaceful coexistence among Nigerians saying that this would go a long way in ensuring peace and understanding.
Also speaking, the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academics, Prof. Philemon Amanze, appealed to Muslims, Christians and traditional worshippers to come together and forge a way forward for the country.
“As a matter of fact, Islam and traditional religion are called Abrahamic religion because all these adherents are from Abraham,” he said.’