Former Methodist Prelate, Sunday Mbang is dead

A former Prelate of the Methodist Church of Nigeria, Sunday Mbang is dead. He died at the age of 86.

Mbang was born in Idua Eket, Eket Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State of Nigeria on 26 August 1936.

The details of his death are still sketchy but family sources said the clergyman died in his sleep on Tuesday night after a brief illness.

Mbang studied at the Effoi Group School, Salvation Army School, Akai-Ubium, Government School, Eket, Methodist Boys’ High School, Oron, Teacher’s College, Uzuakoli, Trinity Theological College, Umuahia, University of Ibadan, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel and Harvard University, USA.

He was ordained by the Methodist Church Nigeria in 1962 and rose through the ranks to be elected into the Episcopal rank, Bishop of Tinubu, Lagos State in 1979.

In 1984, he was elevated to the position of Patriarch/Prelate, the administrative and pastoral head and leader of the entire Methodist Church family in Nigeria, and held the position for 22 years.

During his lifetime, Mbang also served as the National President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN).

He was also the co-chairman of the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council and the Vice and later Chairperson of the World Methodist Council for many years.