PROFILE: Dorgu, Arsenal fan, UNILAG graduate, England’s first black bishop in 20 years

For the first time in two long decades, a black man has been named a Bishop of the Church of England, and has received the blessings of Queen Elizabeth II to lead the Church at Woolwich.

He is Nigeria-born Woyin Karowei Dorgu.

His appointment was announced via a statement by the Church of England on Tuesday, as he is expected to  replace Geoffrey Ipgrave (OBE) and become the 13th bishop of Woolwich.

GAVE HIS LIFE TO CHRIST AT UNILAG IN HIS EARLY 20s

Dorgu was born in Burutu, a sea port in the south-eastern delta region of Nigeria, and attended the University of Lagos, where he studied Medicine and Surgery, graduating in 1985. In an interview with the UK Guardian, Dorgu said he gave his life to Christ Jesus in his early 20s after encountering Christian students at the university.

He practised briefly as a medical doctor before leaving Nigeria for the UK in 1987.

Dorgu is married to Mosun Dorgu, a public speaker and consultant child psychiatrist. The union is blessed with Josh and Timi.

WITNESSED THE BURNING OF 127 CHURCHES IN ZARIA

Before leaving Nigeria at 29, Dorgu served as a doctor at a missionary hospital in Zaria, Kadun state, where he witnessed the burning of 127 churches in one day, back in the 1980s.

“I lived in a city in northern Nigeria, in Zaria, where 127 churches were burned down in one day. And lots of Christians were killed in their churches,” he told Christian Today.

“So I know about the pain of extremist violence and the pain of human suffering that comes with these events.”

Speaking on the Boko Haram crisis in Nigeria, he said: “I’ve got friends back there whose families have been affected, whose relatives have been abducted.”

He sent a message of hope to those being terrorised across the world.

SAD EXIT FOR HIS BOSS, BUT JOY FOR NIGERIANS IN LONDON

Richard Chartres, the Bishop of London, says Dorgu’s exit will come with some sadness, but it is some good news for London as a whole.

“Karowei has been a brilliant vicar of St John’s Upper Holloway. His faith and joy are contagious. Although it is with some sadness that I see him crossing the river, I believe that his appointment as Bishop of Woolwich is good news for the whole of London,” he said.

Dorgu, on the other hand, sees the move as a small step in the right direction, as it could provide home for Nigerians in London who are seeking spiritual home.

“Mosun and I give thanks to God for the opportunity and the trust bestowed on us by Bishop Richard, who, as Bishop of Stepney, invited me to be Curate at St Mark’s Tollington, in 1995,” he said.

“We will miss the bishops, clergy, people and churches in London diocese. Quite a lot of Nigerian Christians [in the Woolwich area] are from an Anglican background.

“I hope my appointment will be a model. Seeing someone from a similar background could be a catalyst for dialogue between the C of E and black majority churches and Nigerians looking for a spiritual home.”

BECOMING A PRIEST

After receiving a call to missionary at 29, Dorgu moved to London where he attended London Bible College, Northwood, Middlesex and bagged a Diploma in Evangelism, a BA (Hons) in Theology and a Diploma in Pastoral Studies.

He was ordained deacon in 1996, and priest in 1996. He is the example of what Universities teach in Total Man Concept (TMC); he is a lover of God, humanity, football, and academic venture, so why not call him a total man?

His interests include reading, cycling, travelling, cooking for guests and he is a keen Arsenal FC supporter.