We give glory and honour to Almighty God for the gift of St James’ Anglican Church, Asokoro, Abuja, Nigeria. The idea of having a church in the Asokoro district of Abuja was conceived during the reign of His Grace, The Most Rev. Joseph Abiodun Adetiloye, DD, as the Primate of the Church of Nigeria under the leadership of His Grace, The Most Rev. Peter J. Akinola, DD who was the Bishop of Abuja Diocese then, whose foresight led to the church’s master plan.

Anecdotal records show that worship began on 18 December 1988 in the living room of one of the founding members, with an inaugural service by Rev. Yohana Sarki, then a visiting priest who later became the pioneer vicar of the Church. The “Asokoro Project” began with a vicarage after the Diocese of Lagos raised ₦50,000 as a seed fund to kickstart the construction. Architects from All Saints’ Church in Wuse Zone 5, Abuja, were instructed to draft the plan.

Laying the Foundations of a Sanctuary (1993–1995)

According to The Rt Rev. Tanimu Samari Aduda, OON (now Bishop of Gwagwalada), events accelerated after a Standing Committee meeting at Nkwerre in 1993:

Primate Akinola woke him at midnight to announce the creation of a new Asokoro Archdeaconry. Upon returning to Abuja, the Primate gave him a cheque for ₦12,000 and the keys to the vicarage, instructing him to “start building the church.”

A modest worship hall seating about 50 people quickly rose on the site. At the request of Prof. E. J. Chuta, the bishop supplied ten pews, allowing the fledgling congregation to settle into its new home. Thus, over the years, the worship space evolved:

• 1988 – 1990: Living-room fellowship
• 1990 – 1993: Services in the vicarage compound
• 1993 – 1995: Purpose-built 50-seat chapel
• 1995 – 2019: Gradual expansion
• 2019 – till date: The church was remodeled from 250 capacity to 1200 capacity

Asokoro Archdeaconry

St. James’ Asokoro was elevated to Archdeaconry headquarters on May 31, 1993, during the 1st Session of the 2nd Synod of the Diocese of Abuja, becoming the fourth archdeaconry in the diocese. Its first Archdeacon was Ven. T. S. Aduda (now Bishop of Gwagwalada). Of the eight original archdeaconries in the old Diocese of Abuja, Asokoro Archdeaconry is the only one that remains entirely within the present-day diocese; at various times, nearly every parish now in Abuja fell under its jurisdiction.