Mission and Vision of NKST

The vision of NKST is encapsulated in a single statement thus;

by the grace of God, to be a multi ethnic Christian community
drawn from all nations and cultures of the world and united in the
doctrine of Jesus Christ and purpose so as to offer holistic service
with available resource to reach the unreached.

Similarly, NKST exist to glorify God through worship and

proclamation of the Good News of salvation to all humanity, and
observation of the sacraments as instituted by Jesus Christ, to
strengthen the communion of the saints, to responsibly teach
believers and instill self-discipline. The mission is also to glorify God
in word, sacraments, and discipline, aiming to offer holistic service
to all nationalities, by holding the three forms of the unity.

NKST System of Church Government.

According to Anjov Ahenakaa- Personal communication

24/10/2016. NKST operates a Presbyterian form of church
government. In the Presbyterian system of church government
where the church is a representative democracy based upon the
biblical system of church government portrayed in Acts 15 and
1Timothy 5:17-22. Each congregation elects “elders” the pastor or
minister among the elders is addressed the “teaching elder” The
Presbyterian system of government was developed as a rejection of
governance by hierarchies of single bishops, but also differs form
the congregational polity in which each congregation is
independent.

In this system of church government, elders are the highest ruling

body that decides on issues on behalf of the congregation. The
elders take both long and short term decision for the development
and growth of the church. The local consistory is autonomous in
almost every aspects of running the church where of elders are in
charge. The mode of choosing a minister who will administer the
sacraments to the congregation is done by elders. Names are
selected and debated upon and those found worthy in character will
be brought before the congregation for the final election.

Consequently, this system of church government is

categorized under four major headings or assemblies. Issues for
consideration are expected to pass or run through these
assemblies.

First: The assembly of local church leaders. They oversee the

development of catechism centers. They assist the elders in running
the administration of the church attending to issues brought to
them on behalf of the elders such a family crisis, immortality,
among others. However, those issues cannot be handled by them
are taken to the elders.

Second: The assembly of Elders: They are men who are the
communicant members of NKST church. They oversee the
preaching of the word, the administration of the sacraments as
instituted by Jesus Christ. They oversee the entire life of the NKST
in respective local churches. And to strength and discipline those
erring members of the church when necessary. They are in charge
of local consistory with numerous powers of overseen the entire
running of the church. In any case, they take final decisions for and
on behalf of the congregation. They ensure that issues before them
are handled but in a situation where it becomes impossible, such
issues could be taken to the third assembly called the classis.

Third: The assembly of the classis: classis is a regional

arrangement structured by the NKST to help handle and address
issues for the benefit of the entire church. It is a delegatory
assembly. I.e. two or three people each from the consistories that
make up the classes arrangement. This assembly handle such
unresolved issues of individual consistory as well as other issues
that needed clarification for the sake of the church. This assembly
holds once a year possibly in October of very year preceding the
synod in November. Issues that were not resolved at this level of
assembly could form an agenda for the synod. In other words, this
assembly develops a document for the synods general assembly.

Fourth: The synod assembly. The composition of this assembly is

largely from those of the classis assembly delegates. This assembly
is chaired by the president of the NKST and his Executive
committee members.
This assembly considers and ratifies most of the issues brought
before it from the various classes assembly. This assembly is the
highest decision making body of the Church .

Under normal circumstances of any issue for consideration does

not pass through this channel may be considered invalid.

Hierarchy Structure of Pastors

In NKST church, there is no clear cut hierarchy/ structure for

Pastors. In other words what one considers a structure of Pastors is
old age. NKST church does not have any hierarchy for pastor, if one
is ordained today he ranks himself with the first four pastors who
are now late. This is creating multiple problems within the church
and among the pastors. This is so because of the Presbyterian
system of church government which reject the governance by
hierarchies of single bishops as the catholic and others have.
Naturally, what human beings cannot contest is biological age. This
is the only uncontestable hierarchy structure in NKST church.

However, administratively, NKST church has this

administrative structure for easy flow of information and directives.

NKST General Synod

 President

Vice President

General Secretary

Assistant General Secretary

Other Executive Members

Classes/Central Boards Members

Local Boards Member

Pastors/ Elders of Consistories

Catechism Centers.

Preaching Centers
Communicant members/ congregation. Above NKST board of
Trustees are the owners of virtually everything that the church
owns,. So administrative structure cannot be hierarchy of pastors
for NKST church. That is to say the two are significantly different.
Redemption continuation

To let sin conquer humanity, he sent his son, Jesus Christ, to

redeem the world through his sacrificial death. Furthermore, God
raised Jesus from the dead to show that Christ has overcome sin
and death.

Sabbath: From the time of the early church, Christians have

celebrated the Sabbath on Sunday. Sunday should be a day of rest
from work, except by necessity, and recreation should not interfere
with church worship.

Sin: NKST church teaches that the fall of man had introduced sin
into the world, which contaminates everything, from people to
institutions. Sin can result in alienation from
but cannot blot out a person’s longing for God and wholeness.

Trinity: NKST church holds that God is one, but in three persons as
revealed by the bible, God is a “perfect community of love as Father,
son and Holy Spirit (Annger, 2014).

Sacraments: This NKST church practices two sacraments which is

Baptism and he Lord’s supper. Baptism is performed by an
ordained minister by touching water on the forehead. Adults who
are already baptized are called to make a public confession of Faith.
The Lord’s supper is offered as bread and the cup. According to the
Heidelbery catechism, the bread and this wine are not changed into
the body and blood of Christ but are a sign that participants receive
full pardon for their sins through communion. This NKST church
observes four times a year that is in March, June, September, and
December respectively.

Worship Service: NKST church conducts her worship service

includes meeting in church as a covenant community, scripture
readings and a sermon that proclaim the word of God, celebrating
the Lord’s supper, and dismissal with a command to serve in the
outside world. NKST mode of preaching excludes prosperity
messages, altar call they emphasied “salvation” as the sole aim of
the bible for humanity.

Spirituality: The concept of spirituality, as it relates to the purpose

of this discussion, spirituality refers to dynamic life-giving energy
that arise both collectively and individually in connection with a
personal quest for the true purpose, meaning or reality of life. It
also entails an existential experience that is described by
individuals as “personal transformation” (Bako, 1. N, 2015).

Spirituality may also be reviewed as other forms of Christian piety

as may be determined by particular traditions within the
Christendom. Spirituality could be defined as a discipline within
theology which is concerned with the study of different
understandings and expressions of the Christian faith or other
religions (Schneiders, S.M. 1990).

Biblical spirituality involves man’s encounter and daily communion

with God and the implication of that communion for the
relationship of the person to both the human and non human
portions of creation. Spiritually is thus a comprehensive term as it
encompasses our relationship with God by the meditation of the
Holy spirit as He connects, leads, instructs and transforms us into
the image of Christ. Listening to and learning from Christ, man
involves initiating him under the leadership of the Holy Spirit and
fellowship with other Christians may be another way to express
biblical spirituality (ALbin, T.R, 1989).

Furthermore, spirituality also refers to an ultimate or an alleged

immaterial reality an inner path enabling a person to discover the
essence of his/her beings or the deepest values and meanings by
whish people live. Spiritual practices includes meditation, prayer,
fasting, singing, etc. are intended to develop an individual’s inner
life. Spiritual experience includes that of connectedness with a
larger reality, yielding a more comprehensive self, with other
individuals or the human community; with nature or the cosmos, or
with the divine realm spirituality is often experienced as a source
life, it can encompass belief in immaterial realities or experiences of
the immanent or transcendent nature of the world.

Spirituality exists whenever man struggles with the issues of how

our lives fit into the greater scheme of things. This is true when our
questions never give way to specific answers or give rise to specific
practices such as prayer or meditation.

Going by the understanding of spirituality above, NKST church hold

a simple reformed Christian teaching on spirituality. If spirituality
aims both at inner growth and outward manifestation of an
individual Christian growth, the operations of the NKST church in
the areas of prayers, meditation, singing and fasting which are
notable features of spiritual life are observe therein. The church
structures her weekly activities with the view of keeping members
spiritual life awake. Tuesday’s are meant for prayers where prayers
bordering on all issues of human endeavour received attention.
Wednesday, women fellowship meets, the choir and Sunday school
meet on Thursdays and Fridays respectively. All these meetings
have just but a goal to refresh inner and outward life.

As observed earlier, NKST church is of the reformed family tradition

where the extreme and the fanatical expression of this above
mentioned spirituality are expressed was the problem. Also, NKST
does not accepts clapping of hands and shouting of hallelujah while
in worship sessions. These practices are not welcomed by the
church in total. However, those forbidden things are openly or
secretly practiced even by the pastors.

NKST church does not sanction these miracles as being advertised

by others. It is on this premise that comes of her members who left
accused the church of being dead a church. Dead because there is
no speaking in tongues in NKST, miracle crusade are absent, infact
to them there is no clear cut outcries for miracle crusades in NKST
church but in reality spirituality is a matter of nurturing thoughts,
emotions words, and actions that are in harmony with a belief that
everything in the universe is mutually dependent. Hence spirituality
is a gradual process of nurturing thoughts and emotions to fully
actually oneself in the spirit realm, NKST is yet to guarantee her
members that opportunity. For those among others reason many
people have left NKST church for Pentecostal churches. The run-
down below will speak for itself for understanding.

NKST EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS

NKST Church since inception had struggled with a desire in

providing the needed education for the entire Tiv nation. The
church established the following institutions.

1. University of Mkar, Mkar Gboko L.G.A Benue State

2. Reformed Bible College Harga, Katsina- Ala L.G.A Benue State.
3. Reformed Theological Seminary, Mkar, Gboko L.G.A Benue
State
4. NKST College of Health Technology Makr Gboko, Benue State
5. NKST Len Gabriel College of Laboratory Sciences Mkar, Benue
State
6. NKST School of Midwives, Mkar Gobok L.G.A Benue State
7. NKST school of Nursing, Mkar, Benue State
8. 53 Secondary Schools, across Tiv nation
9. 500 Primary Schools across Tiv nation

It is important to note that these institutions are structure in the

height of the church standard. It is different from the secular or
conventional institutions interims of students conduct and
associated schools life.

NKST Liturgy

The term liturgy is gotten from a Greek word “ leitourgia”

which means a word that is used to describe the work of an
individual in service or all Christian service is has come to mean an
establisher formular for public worship, a prescribed ritual which
many churches use in their services and in their ceremonies rites.

In Christian circles, liturgical churches are generally referred

to as those with an emphasis words for worship and service are
formally written out as opposed to a less structured service style.

Merriam Webster’s learners Dictionary defined liturgy as a

fixed set of ceremonies, words etc. that are used during public
worship in a religion. Building, NKST church has a set of fixed
words which guide and direct the order lines of services for both
Sunday morning service and Sunday evening service respectively:

1. Call to worship
2. Opening prayer
3. Opening Hymn
4. Our Lord’s prayer
5. Reading of the Decalogue (Ten Commandments)
6. Recitation of the Apostolic creed
7. Announcement introduction of visitors
8. Offering
9. Prayer for the offering
10. Bible reading
11. Congregational prayer
12. Hymn
 13. Sermon
14. Prayer for the sermon
15. Closing Hymn
16. Closing prayer /Benediction
17. Reminder or an additional announcement
18. Greeting /Doxology.

SUNDAY EVENING SERVICE

1. Call to worship
2. Silent or an inwardly prayer
3. Hymn
4. Our lord’s prayer
5. Announcements
6. Offering
7. Prayer for the offering
8. Bible reading
9. Hymn
10. Sermon
11. Prayer for the sermon
12. Closing Hymn
13. Closing prayer/ Benediction
14. Additional announcement. Reminder
15. Greetings

Today, English Service

Session are held in NKST churches because of Pentecostal

influences on the church. As a result both in English and in Tiv
Language to accommodate non-Tiv speakers.

NKST MARRIAGE

NKST college constitution PP. 65 -69 is clear on the issue of

marriage. Marriage is generally regarded as a union between one
man and one woman designed of God to last so long as they both
shall live. Marriage is designed for the mutual help of husband and
wife for the safe guarding, undergirding, and development of their
moral and spiritual character and the propagation of children and
the rearing of them in the discipline and instruction of the lord.
Marriage for NKST church has religious as well as civil signification
of the church marriage in to affirm the divine institution of marriage
to envoice God’s blessing upon those who enter into the marital
relationship.

As a result, NKST church holds tenaciously on the philosophy

of marriage. It is generally expected that only married and wedded
couple should be given church responsibility. The church believes
that those going into the vow of marriage should hold to its either’s,
not allowing for xxxxx except that of death. However, due to human
nature, the weakness of one partners may lead to gross and
persistent denial of the marriage vows so that marriage dies at the
heart of the union becomes intolerable, even at this point, the
church still encourages either the husband or the wife to remain
stead fast. And in a situation where either the husband pr the wife
abandoner the each other NKST still up hold the marriage as being
together.

NKST DOCTRINE

NKST is a tradition conservative church. Her doctrines are

drawn from her traditional belief and practices. It is these beliers
that breed doctrine for the church which distinguishes one
denomination to another. To this end, NKST church observed a
solemn worship session that does not accept clapping of hands,
shouting of hallelujah during worship session, and speaking in
tongues. The church believes in the baptism of both infants and
adults. Similarly the church has only two ways of accepting people
i.e by baptism as stated above and by transfer of membership from
one consistory to another as a communicant membership.

Furthermore, NKST traditional female ordination as the case

of other churches. Women are not allowed to teach, preach in a
normal Sunday worship session women are not allowed into the
elders council or the office of Deacons, they are not allowed to
participate in the four church assemblies discussed earlier.

NKST also uphold the believes and ensured in Apostles creed.

The Apostles creed document believed in the God the Father, son
and the Holy Spirit. It is not out place to write that NKST church
beliefs and practices the Heidelberg Catechism. Heidelberg
Catechism is a document that was formulated during the protestant
reformation.

It is called catechism because it has questions and answers

about the reformed faith (Palmer and Aben (2005). This Heidelberg
catechism formed the traditional basis of the original reformed
churches that originated from the early church, and is recognized
as such, it is document that is highly accepted and used by the
NKST church as cantering the complete doctrine of the Bible and
has lessons for all believes NKST church frowned at polygamy, and
a polygamous person is not allow to receive the church sacraments.
 Consequently, these beliefs have become the doctrines of the
church which they teach. Doctrine to a large extent is a product of
belief system. Usually you teach what can hold on to, therefore,
NKST doctrinal foal hinged on the following.

Baptism: NKST teaches that Christ’s blood and spirit wash away
sins in baptism. According to the Heidelberg catechism, infants as
well as adults may be baptized and received into the church.

Bible: NKST church teach that the bible is the inspired and
infallible word of God. While scripture reflects the person xxxxx and
cultures of the individual writers. It infallibly conveys God’s
revelation believing both the Old and the New testaments as the
true words of God.

Clergy: NKST church does not approved ordination of women as

pastors.

Communion: The lord’s supper is offered as a remembrance of

Jesus Christ’s “once-overall” sacrificial death for the forgiveness
of sins.

Holy Spirit: NKST church teaches that the Holy Spirit is the
comforter promised by Jesus before his accession into heaven-The
Holy Spirit is God with us in the here and now, empowering a
guiding both the church and individuals.

Jesus Christ: Jesus Christ, the son of God, is the center of human
history, Christ fulfilled Old Testament prophecies about the
messiah, and his life death and resurrection are his tonical facts.
That Christ returned to heaven following his resurrection and will
come again to make all things new.

Redemption: NKST church holds that God the father had refused