Okene Anglican Diocese sets two-week waiting period for burials

The Diocese of Okene, within the Church of Nigeria under the Anglican Communion, has enacted a two-week waiting period before families can conduct burial ceremonies for their deceased relatives. This decision was made following the first session of the sixth Synod of the Diocese, which took place from August 7 to 9, 2026, at St Paul’s Anglican Church, Obeiba, Ihima. Bishop Dr Emmanuel Onsachi, along with Clerical Synod Secretary Venerable Godwin Omanayin, signed the communiqué detailing this policy.

The rationale behind this waiting period is to afford families adequate time to prepare and organize proper burials for their loved ones. The Synod emphasized that a minimum of two weeks should suffice for such preparations. They also clarified that there would be no spiritual harm in keeping bodies in a morgue, stating that embalming would not bring any adverse consequences. The church assured that even if a deceased individual wished to be buried within a few days or a week, the two-week policy would still apply.

Additionally, the Synod prohibited the hiring of external undertakers for burial programs across the Diocese. Instead, it directed local parishes to utilize their Boys Brigade members for these tasks, aiming to maintain alignment with church practices. Regarding financial contributions, the Synod encouraged members living abroad to send at least half of their annual tithes to their home churches, viewing this as a pastoral approach to ensure compliance.

Furthermore, the Synod urged the churches to intensify evangelism efforts to attract more members. It designated the third Sunday of every month as Youth Sunday, intending to provide young people with a more prominent role in church activities. All these resolutions, dated August 12, 2026, were officially adopted and are set to be implemented throughout the Diocese of Okene.