Asake, CAN Scribe, is Dead

The General Secretary of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Rev. Dr. Musa Asake, is dead. He was aged 66.

A statement issued by Pastor Bayo Oladeji, Special Assistant on Media to the CAN President, said Asake died on Friday after a brief illness.

Asake’s last official assignment was a press conference he addressed few days ago on the incessant killings in the country where CAN called on Christians to embark on a peaceful protest with a view to waking up the Federal Government and security agencies to their constitutional responsibilities.

Born on September 15, 1952 in Ung/Rimi Bajju- Kafanchan in Zango Kataf Local Government Council of Kaduna State, Asake started his pastoral career as an assistant and senior pastor at the ECWA Church, Unguwar Rimi, Bajju, his his birthplace, in 1976.

The statement said: “In 1996, he became the pastor-in-charge of ECWA Headquarters Church in Jos on completion of his doctorate degree in philosophy, PhD at the Dallas Theological Seminary, Dallas, Texas, USA with specialization in Bible Exposition. Between 1976 and 2012, the new CAN General Secretary pastored at three different churches and lectured part-time at Jos Theological Seminary (JETS).

“He was a member of the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC) between 1999 and 2005, Dr. Asake served as chairman and member of several Christian boards and governing councils, like the Plateau State Christian Pilgrims Welfare Board where he was chairman between 2003 and 2005. He served as a member of the Board of Trustee, ECWA Bingham University and became chairman, Ministers Development Initiative (MDI), Jos, Nigeria.

“Dr. Asake who lived in North America for 10 years had travelled to countries like the UK, Germany, India, Singapore, Thailand, South Africa, Ethiopia and Zambia for various ministries, conferences and seminars, including church-based leadership development seminar, Ames, Iowa, USA; United Nations Aid Summit 2002; SIM ECWA Related Churches Consultation in London, Ethiopia and South Africa and Haggai Institute on Leadership in Singapore in 2007.”

Between 1999 and May 2005, Asake was the General Secretary of the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA), with its headquarters in Jos.

“He was a pastor and teacher, conference speaker and counselor, rose to the office with a wealth of family, educational, academic, pastoral, teaching, education and church administration, cross-cultural, national and international, government and political experiences,” the statement said.

Noting that Asake is survived by wife, children (biological and spiritual), and brothers and sisters, it prayed that God would console his immediate family, CAN and well wishers,

The statement said burial arrangement would be announced later.