“Don’t be a good churchgoer and a bad Christian”: Nigerian Catholic Bishop Urges Authentic Christian Living

The Catholic Church leader furtehr said, “Some people are very religious but still not Christians. They belong to pious associations but are impossible neighbors or colleagues. What qualifies you for heaven is living a Christ-like life—being kind, understanding, hopeful, and supportive of others.” 

Bishop Ajang underscored the need for authentic Christian living and lamented the trend where many Christians focus on prosperity and religious appearances while neglecting the deeper call to discipleship.

“If you look at modern Christianity, I don’t know where the twist came, but we seem to be obsessed with prosperity,” he said.

Bishop Ajang decried the modern obsession with prosperity preaching and external religiosity, insisting that faith must be lived practically.

“Going to Church does not make one a Christian. Even being baptized technically qualifies you as a member of the church, but it is only when you fashion your life after that of Christ that you can be said to be a Christian,” he said.

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The Local Ordinary of Lafia Diocese, who doubles as the Episcopal Chairman of the Commission for Social Communications of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), said Christians must return to the practical living of the Gospel, noting that faith is more than declarations. 

“Very few people are trying to live out the Christian tenet, but most people are okay as long as they read the Bible, declare themselves saved, and rain down insults on their enemies,” he said. 

Addressing insecurity in Nigeria’s North Central region, where Churches have been forced to close, he described the crisis as multifaceted, rooted in terrorism, criminality, and socio-economic deprivation. 

He cautioned against framing it solely as an attack on the Church, saying, “To just use a general categorization and say it is an affront to the Church may not be correct. It is more about criminality.” 

Bishop Ajang also condemned the misuse of sacred vestments by Priests in online skits, describing it as a distortion of Priestly identity. 

“In every twelve, there must be a Judas,” he remarked, lamenting the challenges of controlling such behavior in the digital age.

The 55-year-old Catholic Bishop reflected on the importance of parenting education, noting that many parents are ill-prepared to raise disciplined children. 

“Every child needs a basic level of discipline to keep him on track, but today, if you discipline a child, it means you are wicked. Parents should be taught how to be parents. I really believe that,” Bishop Ajang told ACI Africa.

Abah Anthony John is a Nigerian Catholic journalist with passion for Church communication and media apostolate. He holds a bachelor’s degree in mass communication from Benue State University, Makurdi in Benue State Nigeria. He has a background in print, electronic and multi-media production.