2015: Plateau CAN Chairman Warns Clergy Against Using Pulpit To Endorse Candidates

Forum 9 years ago

2015: Plateau CAN Chairman Warns Clergy Against Using Pulpit To Endorse Candidates

Ahead of the primary elections of various political parties in the country, the Chairman of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Plateau State and former President of the Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN), Rev, Soja Bewarang, has urged clergy men not to use their pulpits to endorse any candidate for the 2015 general elections.

The State CAN Chairman, who gave the advice at an interface with religious leaders and community leaders organised by the Jos Forum of the Swiss-based Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, said it was dangerous for religious leaders to get involved in politics to the extent of endorsing a particular candidate and implored other religious bodies to advise their clerics not to mix their preaching with political campaigns.

Bewarang said, “We have warned the church on the Plateau not to say any one person is your candidate because if you do that you will be putting your congregation in danger.
[ads4]
This is because every politician belong to different political party and we don’t want to be seen to be promoting the cause of one political party. The same message has been passed to our pastors not to endorse any candidate while on the pulpit.
“We will equally advise other congregations to do extend the same advice to their clergy. You see the church is now wiser; no politician will come and decisive us again with fake promises”, he added.
A member of the Jamatu Nasril Islam (JNI), Alhaji Yusuf Sarumi urged Nigerians against associating the Boko Haram sect with Islam, saying the activities of the terrorist group do not reflect the ideals of Islam.