PRELATE’S REFORMATION DAY ADDRESS on 31st October, 2025

Reformation Day Theme: “Reforming Our Preaching to Transform Society in Nigeria.”

I bring you warm greetings from the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Nigeria.

On this memorable Reformation Day, we join believers around the world to celebrate God’s mighty work of renewal that began through Martin Luther on October 31, 1517, when he nailed his Ninety-Five Theses to the door of the Wittenberg Castle Church, an act that reignited the light of the Gospel, restored the authority of Scripture, and re-established the truth that salvation is by grace through faith in Christ alone.

Today, as heirs of the Reformation, we stand on the firm foundation of “Sola Scriptura, Sola Fide, Sola Gratia, Solus Christus, and Soli Deo Gloria” — Scripture alone, Faith alone, Grace alone, Christ alone, and Glory to God alone. These timeless truths remain the guiding light of our faith, our doctrine, and our mission as a Reformed and Reforming Church. One thing we must understand is that the Reformation was not merely a protest; it was a call to purity, renewal, and transformation. Its heartbeat was to return the Church to the Word of God as the final authority in all matters of faith and life. The same divine call echoes to us today through this year’s theme: “Reforming Our Preaching to Transform Society in Nigeria.”

As we commemorate this Reformation Day, we are reminded to fully embrace the Reformed dictum, Ecclesia reformata, semper reformanda secundum verbum Dei. The Church must always be reforming in line with the Word of God. Every generation of believers is called to examine itself in the light of God’s Word, to renew its devotion, and to align its life and witness with the truth of the Gospel. We must therefore allow the Holy Spirit to continually reform our hearts, our worship, our ministries, and our commitment to justice, holiness, and love.

We must never forget that preaching was the fire that fueled the Reformation. When the pulpit burns with truth, the pews come alive with faith, and the society begins to change. The Word of God, rightly preached and lived, has the power to confront sin, correct error, comfort the broken, and transform nations. Sadly, in our day, the sacred art of preaching is under threat, replaced at times by entertainment, diluted doctrines, or messages that appeal to emotion rather than conviction. If our society must experience genuine transformation, our preaching must once again become Christ-centered, Scripture-based, Spirit-led, and socially relevant.

In our nation Nigeria, where corruption, moral decay, and injustice threaten the fabric of society, the message of the Reformation challenges us to stand up for the truth. As ministers and believers, we must recover the courage of Luther, who preached not for applause, but for truth; not to please men, but to honour God. Our pulpits should echo the Word that reforms hearts and reshapes lives. Nigeria needs a reformed Church, a Church whose message pierces the conscience, uplifts the downtrodden, and speaks righteousness to power. True transformation of our nation begins when the Church’s message is purified and its messengers are sanctified.

The Reformation reminds us that the Church once reformed must always keep reforming. This is not just about the doctrinal stand of the Church, but extends to the fact that the work of God is never finished until Christ is fully formed in us and reflected in our society. It should be a burden to every preacher, teacher, and believer to re-commit to the authority of God’s Word, knowing fully well that only through the proclamation of the Word of God can souls be saved and nations delivered from darkness.

This year’s celebration should renew in us the passion to preach the truth in love, to live out what we proclaim, and to let our light shine so brightly that our communities, our nation, and our world are drawn to Christ.

Happy Reformation Day to all Presbyterians.

From Glory to Glory, Happy Presbyterians!

His Eminence, Ekpenyong N. Akpanika, Ph.D

Prelate of the Presbyterian Church of Nigeria and Moderator of General Assembly