Ochendo: An African Journal of Innovative Studies

Nigeria's escalating ecological crisis, evident in pollution, flooding, deforestation, land degradation, biodiversity loss, and climate-related vulnerability, posed significant threats to human flourishing and raised pressing theological and ethical questions for the Church. Although the Anglican tradition recognized creation care as integral to Christian mission, a gap persisted between theological affirmation and its translation into sustained ecclesial teaching, institutional practice, and public engagement in Nigeria. This article examined the theological, ecological, ecclesiological, and missiological resources available to the Church of Nigeria Anglican Communion for responding to environmental degradation, environmental injustice, and threats to human survival. Historical Institutionalism provided the theoretical framework, while a qualitative historical-theological methodology was employed to analyze Anglican documents, historical materials, theological scholarship, and literature on African Christianity, environmental ethics, and missiology. The findings indicated that the Church's historical structures, theological traditions, and patterns of social engagement provided substantial resources for ecological action, but these resources had not been sufficiently integrated into a coherent environmental ethic and institutional strategy. The study argued that environmental responsibility should be understood as an integral dimension of Anglican mission rather than a peripheral social concern. The study recommended strengthened ecological theological education, environmental discipleship, prophetic advocacy, responsible institutional practices, and collaboration with affected communities and relevant organizations..

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