Sunday Mbang, prelate emeritus of the Methodist Church Nigeria, is dead. He was 86 years old.
Mbang, who was also the first black president of the World Methodist Council, died in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital on Tuesday, May 16.
In a statement announcing the death of the one-time chairman, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Babatunde Taiwo, the secretary of the Methodist Conference, said Mbang “died after an impactful earthly ministry of 44 years having enrolled at the Trinity College, Umuahia, Abia State in 1962.” He said the late Mbang was the only person to be both a patriarch and prelate of the Methodist Church Nigeria.
Taiwo said Mbang “will be sorely missed by his beloved church, Methodist Church to which he gave his spiritual, intellectual and servant-leadership for more than two decades.”
According to him, Mbang had the unique and special privilege of being “accorded the status of ‘Spiritual Father of Akwa Ibom State.”
