A Tribute To Right Reverend Nathaniel Yisa.
Reverend Nathaniel Yisa was appointed vicar and came with his wife Ruda and children to St. Piran’s church, Jos when Reverend Yemi and Mrs Ladipo were ending their service in the church. Looking back, that was a handover of the relay baton by Reverend Ladipo to Reverend Yisa, who both had previously had a robust service each in his niche of Christian calling-- Reverend Ladipo in Campus Crusade for Christ with the Great Commission Movement of Nigeria, which he birthed in Jos, and Reverend Yisa, who had served as a Travelling Secretary to the Fellowship of Christian Students (FCS).
Reverend Yisa was a simple, smiling, laughing, approachable, uncluttered and transparent person. He and Ruda, his wife, shared the common Christian task served with utmost commitment to the Great Commission (Matthew 28:17-20). Reverend Yisa managed the administration of the spiritualities and the schedules and timings of divine services very efficiently; and he had enjoyed the support of Barrister Niyi Oyetunde (Vicar’s Warden) and Mr Volge G. Sanda (People's Warden). One distinctive feature of Yisa’s pastoral ministry was visiting and caring for members, which served as an incentive and inspiration for members' increased commitment and spawned the numerical and quality growth of the church. St. Piran’s church, Jos under Yisa was, truly and practically speaking, "a church for the nations"! Another mark of Yisa’s ministry was that he loved the flock of God and took time to know their names, he knew how to pronounce them in whatever languages they belonged. Yet another distinguishing feature of Reverend Yisa’s ministry was that he and his family lived what they preached, with simplicity, practical and evident right actions or godly examples. His service was Spirit-filled and Spirit-led; and he had a number of achievements, which we state only a few here:
1. He started a lay-ministry that involved lay members in preaching and teaching in the church.
2. He started a creche/nursery class in a three-room block with Mrs Adefisayo as the first or pioneer regular staff employed to run it, and it blossomed in due course into something much bigger and higher.
3. Reverend Yisa had and started the actualisation of the idea of a new and bigger building for St. Piran’s church, Jos, and he took the first and noble steps to start the process before he inevitably moved out to answer the "Macedonian call" from the Bishop of the newly-created diocese of Minna in 1991.
It wasn't easy for St. Piran’s church, Jos to 'release' him and let him go, but thank God she did, and in the end, it led Reverend Nathaniel to become the next Bishop of The Diocese of Minna, following the death of the incumbent Bishop Yisa there. How we thank God for the ministry of this great, real, and humble servant of God to us. We will forever keep him in our hearts with love and fond memories. Until we meet at Jesus' feet at the resurrection, we say,
"Adieu", our Vicar, friend, and shepherd indeed!
Venerable C. Anukam (Vicar), on behalf of all clergy, clergy wives, and laity of The Church of St. Piran on the Plateau, Jos, Nigeria.