TIMES LEGACY MAGAZINE
TILEMA
EXCLUSIVE WESLEY DAY INTERVIEW
“REKINDLING THE WESLEYAN VISION IN A CHANGING WORLD”
An Exclusive Interview with
The Rev. Uruakpa Onyemaechi Charles
Interview granted to Times Legacy Magazine (TILEMA) • Wesley Day, Sunday 24th May, 2026 • Abuja, Nigeria
In the spirit of Wesley Day — commemorating John Wesley’s heart-warming experience of May 24, 1738 — Times Legacy Magazine sat down with The Rev. Uruakpa Onyemaechi Charles, one of the Methodist Church Nigeria’s most distinctive voices in ecclesiastical diplomacy, media communication, and pastoral leadership. As Conference Protocol Officer (Abuja Liaison) and Media Officer to the Christian Council of Nigeria, Revd Charles occupies a unique position at the intersection of church, state, and public witness. In this wide-ranging conversation, he speaks with candour and conviction about the Wesleyan heritage, the direction of the Methodist Church Nigeria, the crisis of hymn literacy among youth, the church’s responsibility in the digital age, and the urgent call to authentic ministry in a nation at a crossroads.
TILEMA: The Revd Charles, thank you for granting this exclusive interview on this historic Wesley Day. What does this day mean to you personally — and to the Church in Nigeria?
Wesley Day is not merely a date on the ecclesiastical calendar. For me, it is a spiritual summons. Every year on this day, I am drawn back to that pivotal evening of May 24, 1738, when John Wesley — a trained minister, an Oxford scholar, a missionary who had already preached across the Atlantic — sat in a small meeting on Aldersgate Street and experienced something his intellect alone could never manufacture: an assurance of grace that set his heart ablaze.
I find that story profoundly relevant to the Nigerian Church. We have brilliant theologians, large congregations, influential leaders — and yet we often labour without the fire. Wesley Day calls us back to that essential question: Have we felt our hearts ‘strangely warmed’ lately? Or are we running on the fumes of religious routine?
In a nation wrestling with insecurity, moral collapse, and spiritual disorientation, the Church cannot afford to be merely institutional. We need leaders and congregations who have genuinely encountered the living God — not just studied about Him. That is the personal challenge I receive every Wesley Day.
“The world is my parish.”— John Wesley
Wesley’s famous declaration is not triumphalism — it is a theology of responsibility. For Nigerian Christians, it means we cannot be insular, we cannot be tribal, and we cannot be comfortable. The Gospel has no borders. Wesley Day, properly observed, should disturb our complacency and send us outward.
TILEMA: The 2026 theme calls us to ‘Rekindle the Wesleyan Vision.’ What exactly does that vision look like — and where have we lost it?
The Wesleyan vision was, at its core, a vision of transformation — personal and social. Wesley believed that a changed heart would produce changed hands. Inner holiness would generate outward action. That is why early Methodism built schools, visited prisons, opposed the slave trade, and established mutual aid societies. The movement did not separate evangelism from social responsibility; it understood them as two sides of the same Gospel coin.
Rekindling the Wesleyan Vision means we must consciously reverse those drifts. It means restoring the class meeting culture — small, accountable communities of discipleship. It means recovering the discipline of theological education at every level of church life. It means leaders submitting themselves to accountability structures, not just wielding authority.
“Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.”— John Wesley
That is not a slogan. It is a comprehensive manifesto for ministry. Wesley was saying: holiness is not a private achievement — it is a public obligation. When the Church fully inhabits that mandate again, we will see transformation in our communities that no government programme can replicate.
TILEMA: How do you assess the present direction and vision of the Methodist Church Nigeria under His Eminence, Oliver Ali Aba JP?
I want to speak to this with both honesty and gratitude. The Methodist Church Nigeria carries one of the most distinguished legacies of any denomination on this continent. We were instruments of education, healthcare, civic formation, and moral leadership long before many contemporary institutions existed. That heritage is not incidental — it is our mandate.
Under the leadership of His Eminence, Oliver Ali Aba JP, I have observed a clear emphasis on unity, evangelism, and the preservation of Methodist identity. In a denomination as geographically and culturally diverse as ours — spanning the Niger Delta to the Middle Belt, from the South-East to the Federal Capital Territory — maintaining connexional coherence is itself a significant leadership achievement.
There is also increased attention to youth engagement, mission mobilisation, leadership development, and the church’s presence in national life. These are encouraging signs. The church has not retreated from public witness; it continues to speak to issues of justice, peace, and national healing.
Where I would add my pastoral voice is in the area of ministerial formation and welfare. Some of our ministers are often stretched beyond capacity — navigating complex situations, with limited institutional support. A hbealthy church begins with healthy ministers.
I remain deeply hopeful. The Methodist Church Nigeria has the theological depth, the historical credibility, and the connexional infrastructure to be a transforming force in this nation. What is needed is the courage to pursue that calling with consistency and sacrifice.
TILEMA: As Conference Protocol Officer and Abuja Liaison, how do you balance high-level ecclesiastical and governmental protocol with the simplicity and humility that John Wesley preached?
Revd Uruakpa Onyemaechi Charles: Protocol is not about pride or excessive ceremony; it is about order, dignity, and honouring God through excellence and organization. Wesley himself was highly organized — he travelled extensively, wrote prolifically, and built structured systems like class meetings and societies.
I am guided by his words:
“Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.”
In my role, I strive to serve with dignity and excellence while keeping the warmth and simplicity of the Gospel alive.
Church leadership engagements should reflect both spiritual depth and responsible coordination.
True protocol should never replace simplicity, compassion, or accessibility.
TILEMA: That concern is very genuine and urgent. One of the greatest treasures of Methodism is its hymn heritage. How serious is this, and what do you propose?
Unfortunately, many young people today can no longer sing Methodist hymns because there are limited platforms to teach them properly. If this trend continues, future generations may gradually lose an important part of Methodist identity. it is a crisis of identity transmission. The hymns of Charles Wesley are not simply beautiful music; they are a theological library set to melody. When a congregation sings ‘And Can It Be’ or ‘O For a Thousand Tongues,’ they are not merely performing liturgy — they are being formed. Doctrines of grace, atonement, sanctification, and hope are being written into memory through song. When we lose the hymns, we lose the theology they carry.
I have sat in Methodist services where the congregation could not complete a single verse of a Charles Wesley hymn without reading the screen. That would have been unthinkable to previous generations. Something has been broken in the chain of transmission, and we must own that honestly.
“O for a thousand tongues to sing my great Redeemer’s praise.”— Charles Wesley
That opening line of Charles Wesley’s famous hymn is itself a sermon. But if our young people have never been taught it — never heard it in their homes, never learned it in Sunday school, never practised it in choir — it remains a treasure buried in a field they have never visited.
My proposal is threefold. First, every Diocese and Circuit must establish intentional hymn formation programmes — not as an optional extra, but as a core component of discipleship. Second, we must equip our music ministers to teach hymns with theological explanation, not just vocal drill. When young people understand what they are singing — when they grasp the doctrine behind the doxology — the hymn comes alive. Third, we should partner with our Methodist schools and seminaries to integrate hymnody into the formal curriculum. If we are serious about preserving Methodist identity, we must be serious about this. That passion for worship and devotion must not disappear from our churches.
TILEMA: As Media Consultant and Media Officer to the Christian Council of Nigeria, you occupy a strategic position. In an age of social media noise and misinformation, what should the Church’s posture be in the public square?
Media is one of the greatest tools for evangelism and nation-building in this generation. The Church cannot afford to ignore the digital space. If the Church does not occupy it positively, destructive influences will dominate it.
The Church’s posture should be that of a confident, credible, and compassionate voice — not a defensive, reactionary, or timid one. We are not playing catch-up with the culture; we are called to shape it.
Let me be direct: the Church has been doing everything possible to occupy the digital space strategically. While we debated whether social media was appropriate for ministry, entire generations were formed spiritually and morally by content that had nothing to do with God. Some churches surrendered the airwaves by default. That must change, and it must change urgently.
Billy Graham once said:
“The Gospel is not an option to be considered; it is a command to be obeyed.”
That responsibility extends to how we communicate through media today.
John Wesley understood media. He was arguably the most prolific publisher of his era. He wrote journals, published tracts, produced abridged books for ordinary people, and used the emerging print culture of the 18th century to extend his ministry far beyond what his physical travels alone could achieve. He saw communication as evangelism. We must recover that instinct.
“Woe is me if I do not preach the Gospel!”— 1 Corinthians 9:16 — the text Wesley embodied
In my work with MCN and now the Christian Council of Nigeria, I have consistently advocated for the Church to develop a media theology — a coherent, principled approach to communication that is both strategically savvy and spiritually grounded. This means training communicators, investing in quality content production, and establishing credible fact-checking mechanisms to counter the tsunami of religious misinformation that circulates online.
But beyond strategy, there is a character question. Christian media practitioners must be people of integrity. The moment we compromise truth for virality, we have betrayed our mandate. The Church’s voice must be distinct not just in message, but in method. We must communicate with accuracy, humility, and the kind of love that compels rather than coerces.
The digital space is a mission field. Every platform is a potential Aldersgate Street — a place where someone’s heart might be strangely warmed by an encounter with truth.
Christian media practitioners must use communication platforms responsibly to spread truth, hope, moral values, peace, and the Gospel of Christ.
We need more content that inspires holiness, integrity, compassion, leadership, and spiritual growth. Media should not merely inform people; it should transform lives.
TILEMA:
Looking at the Nigerian Church today, what do you think John Wesley would say if he walked through our streets?
Revd Uruakpa Onyemaechi Charles:
(Smiles thoughtfully) I believe he would first be deeply concerned and then immediately inspired to act. Wesley cared deeply for the poor, the marginalized, and the spiritually lost.
He would likely challenge the Church on issues of holiness, social justice, corruption, discipleship, education, and compassion.
John Wesley once said:
“Catch on fire with enthusiasm and people will come from miles to watch you burn.”
The Nigerian Church needs fresh spiritual fire — not mere noise or performance, but transformative passion rooted in Scripture and genuine holiness.
TILEMA: What is your message to Methodist ministers and church leaders on this Wesley Day?
My message is: come home. Come home to why you were called. Come home to the God who set your heart on fire before the appointments, the titles, and the politics of church life complicated everything.
I say this not as a critic, but as a fellow minister who knows the weight of this vocation. Ministry in Nigeria — in this connexional structure, in this socioeconomic context, in this spiritual climate — is genuinely demanding. The pressures are real: financial pressure, relational pressure, the pressure of congregational expectation, the pressure of Conference obligations. I do not diminish any of that.
But I have watched too many ministers allow those pressures to reshape their identity. The man who was once a shepherd gradually becomes an administrator. The woman who was once a prophetic voice gradually becomes a diplomat. The passion for souls is gradually replaced by the management of systems. And before long, the minister is busy — but not fruitful. Present — but not present.
> “Give me one hundred preachers who fear nothing but sin and desire nothing but God, and I care not a straw whether they be clergymen or laymen; such alone will shake the gates of hell.”— John Wesley
Wesley was not describing a personality type. He was describing a spiritual posture. Fear nothing but sin. Desire nothing but God. That is the foundation on which transformative ministry is built. Not eloquence, not strategy, not connexional seniority — but holy desperation.
So my counsel to my brothers and sisters in ministry this Wesley Day is practical and urgent: guard your devotional life as if your ministry depends on it — because it does. Seek accountability, not just authority. Lead with transparency. Be willing to be vulnerable with your congregation. The people do not need a perfect minister; they need a real one.
And to those who are weary — to those for whom ministry has become a burden rather than a joy — hear this: rest is not failure. Elijah sat under the juniper tree, exhausted and depleted, and God did not rebuke him. He fed him. Wesley Day is also a day to receive grace, not just to dispense it.
TILEMA: As we mark Wesley Day 2026, what is your final message to young Christians and the next generation of Methodist leaders?
My message is simple: let us return to God wholeheartedly. Let us preserve the Wesleyan heritage and uphold holiness, evangelism, love, discipline, and sound doctrine. My message to young Christians is this: you have inherited something extraordinarily precious, and the world is depending on what you do with it.
You carry a heritage forged in the fires of revival, shaped by the discipline of holiness, and proven across centuries of service to humanity. The Methodist movement did not survive this long by accident — it survived because each generation made a decision to be faithful. Now it is your turn.
But I want to speak honestly: your generation faces a unique challenge. You are the most connected generation in history — and simultaneously one of the most spiritually vulnerable. The same device that can deliver the Gospel to a thousand people in ten seconds can also deliver confusion, comparison, and corruption in nine. The tools are neutral; the character of the user determines their fruit.
Wesley never had a smartphone. He never had a podcast or a YouTube channel. But he had something your generation must urgently reclaim: a daily discipline of prayer, Scripture, and accountability. He rose at four in the morning, not because he was superhuman, but because he understood that great work requires great preparation. The Wesleyan vision does not belong to those who are loudest on social media — it belongs to those who are most consistent on their knees.
“Best of all, God is with us.”— John Wesley — final words on his deathbed, March 2, 1791
That dying declaration is the greatest inheritance Wesley left. Not his 40,000 sermons, not his 250,000 miles of travel, not his published works — but his unshakeable confidence in the presence of God. That confidence is available to every young Methodist in Abuja and Enugu, in Lagos and Kaduna, in London and New York. No economic pressure, no political instability, no social upheaval can extinguish it.
So to the young people: be grounded. Be disciplined. Be bold. The Wesleyan vision needs your energy, your creativity, and your reach. But more than that — it needs your character. Build it slowly. Guard it carefully. Offer it completely.
The world is still your parish. Go into it.
TILEMA: Thank you so much, Revd Uruakpa Onyemaechi Charles, for this enlightening and inspiring conversation.
The Revd Charles: It is my honour. To God be the glory. — Always.
As the world celebrates Wesley Day 2026, this conversation with The Rev. Uruakpa Onyemaechi Charles stands as both a prophetic challenge and a pastoral encouragement — a reminder that the future of Methodism is not found in institutional preservation alone, but in the living out of the spiritual values that ignited a movement nearly three centuries ago. The Wesleyan vision must live again. And in voices like his, it does.
Interview conducted by Times Legacy Magazine (TILEMA)
Wesley Day • Sunday, 24th May, 2026 • Abuja, Nigeria
All rights reserved. Times Legacy Magazine.