Former CAN president, Sunday Mbang, is dead

Sunday Mbang, former president of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and prelate emeritus of the Methodist church, has died at the age of 86.

Mbang, the first black president of the world Methodist council, died on May 16.

In a letter to the heads of the church, Babatunde Taiwo, the secretary, on Wednesday, announced the death of the revered cleric and condoled his family and the people of Akwa Ibom, his state of origin, for the loss.

The church described the former CAN president as a “man who embodied the pioneering and path-finding spirit of Nigerian Methodism as he scored many firsts”.

“He will surely and sorely be missed by his beloved Church, Methodist Church to which he gave spiritual, intellectual and servant leadership for more than two decades, and the entire Body of Christ in Nigeria and the diasporas,” the statement reads.

Mbang was born in Idua Eket, Eket LGA of Akwa Ibom on August 26,1936.

He studied at the Effoi group school, University of Ibadan, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel and Harvard University, USA and later became a minister in 1961 after going through theological education and training in Nigeria and overseas.