25 facts about first female bishop of Methodist Church Nigeria 

Very Rev Dr. Nkechi Nwosu on Sunday August 14 broke the age-long ceiling on women in the Orthodox church circle in Nigeria. She turned out to be the first female bishop of the Methodist Church Nigeria having been elected by the Conference of Bishops of the church in Abuja.

The Catholic Church and the Anglican Church don’t have female priests. The road to having a female bishop may be long for them. But the Methodist Church, a foreign mission like Catholic and Anglican churches has broken the jinx.

Here are 25 facts about the first female bishop of the Methodist Church.

 

1. 
   

   Very Rev. Dr Nkechi Udunma Nwosu

2. She was born in Yaba, Lagos on February 18 1955 to the family of Mr. Golden and Mrs Agness Okoronkwo

3. She attended Ovim Girls’ Secondary School, Ovim, Abia State, wrote WAEC in 1974

4. She was senior prefect while in school

5. She studied Microbiology at the University of Nsukka and graduated with Bsc Hons in 1980

6. She served in the NYSC in Plateau State between 1980 and 1981.

7. She worked with the Plateau State Ministry of Health between 1981 and 1984 where she was deployed to the State’s School of Nursing as a lecturer.

8. She attended the University of Jos from 1984 to 1985 for her Master’s degree programme and obtained M.Sc in Medical Entomology and Parasitology.

9. She attended School of Medical Laboratory Technology, Vom and obtained Higher National Diploma (HND) in Medical Bacteriology

10. She is an associate member of the Institute of Medical Laboratory Technology of Nigeria as an Associate Member (AIMLT). 

11. She established Cedar Laboratories Limited in Jos

12. She holds a Ph.D in Zoology from the University of Jos

13. Between 1982 and 1986 she was the Secretary Women Fellowship, Methodist Church Nigeria, 9 Ibrahim Dasuki Street, Jos from 1987 to 1989

14. She was the Secretary, Women Fellowship Trinity Methodist Church Nigeria, Gada Biu, Jos.  

15. She was President, Women Fellowship, Trinity Methodist Church Nigeria, Gada Biu, Jos from 1990 – 1993.  

16. Between 1990 and 1994 she was the Local Church Steward, Trinity Methodist Church, Gada Biu, Jos; she was Assistant Secretary, Jos Circuit Quarterly Meeting; Member of Diocesan Synod 1990 – 1992 and member of Conference in 1991.

17. Very Rev. Dr. Nkechi Nwosu became an accredited Lay Preacher in 1990.

18. In 1994, she was admitted to Methodist Theological Institute (MTI) Sagamu to train as a Tent-Making Deaconess.  

19. In 1996, she completed the prescribed course of study for the deaconess training with distinction, while the Tent Making ministerial training ended in 1997 with a Diploma in Theology.

20. She was ordained a deaconess on 9th August, 1998 at Okitipupa to join the Deaconess Order.

21. In 2000 she was admitted into Methodist Theological Institute (MTI), Umuahia to be trained as a Reverend Minister.  She passed out of MTI in 2002 and was commissioned as a Deacon.  

22. She was ordained on 28th August 2005 at Hoarse Memorial Methodist Church, Yaba – Lagos as the first female Reverend Minister in Methodist Church Nigeria.

23. She was the first female to be preferred a Presbyter.

24. The first female Cathedral Administrator and the first female Synod Secretary.

25. She is married to Sir Barrister Obiy J. Nwosu KJW, the Lay President Emeritus, Diocese of Jos, and they are blessed with four children. Chijioke, Ijeoma, Kelechi and Onyinyechi

 Culled from: https://www.methodistnigeria.org/