Josiah Atkins Idowu-Fearon (born 17 January 1949) is a Nigerian Anglican bishop. From 2015 until 2022, he was Secretary General of the Anglican Consultative Council. He was previously the Bishop of Kaduna diocese and the Archbishop of the province of Kaduna in the Church of Nigeria.
Early life Josiah Idowu-Fearon was born in Kerinye, Kogi State on 17 January 1949."Most Rev Josiah Idowu Fearon" Profile.
Family Idowu-Fearon is married to Comfort Amina; they had two sons, Ibrahim and Dauda, and a daughter Ninma."Archbishop of Kaduna installed as a Six Preacher in Canterbury Cathedral" Anglican News Service 27 July 2007. Dauda died at age 24 from meningitis while studying in Bristol as a medical student.Josiah Idowu-Fearon, "My Odyssey" (Valedictory Lecture to the 20th Synod of the Diocese of Kaduna, 8 July 2015.)
Comfort Amina Idowu-Fearon served as diocesan president, Mothers' Union, Women's Guild & Girls' Guild during Idowu-Fearon's tenure as bishop of Kaduna.
Military aspirations Idowu-Fearon trained briefly as a soldier before he changed to theological training for the priesthood."Archbishop Josiah Idowu-Fearon awarded the Cross of St Augustine" (21 June 2013). He describes the change this way. "I came to Christ at the Nigeria Military School, Zaria in my second year (1964)" and two years later (1966) the Lord called "me to be a soldier in His Army." Idowu-Fearon was given a 'sympathetic' discharge by late General Hassan Katsina in Lagos so that he could begin training for the priesthood.
Education Idowu-Fearon is noted as "a strong intellectual inquirer and student."Stanley Azuakola, "Amazing: The bishop of Kaduna whose CV tells a motivating story for Christian-Muslim relations" 3 July 2013 in Today's Scoops. He has "a higher education than most bishops, both within Africa and throughout the [Anglican Communion]."Debra Fieguth, "Idowu-Fearon Looks Ahead" (The Living Church, 24 April 2015. He groups his overseas undergraduate and graduate study as the four years in the United Kingdom (1976–1981) and the three years in the United States (1990–1993). His studies in Nigeria occurred before 1976 and in the 1980s.
After his decision to become an Anglican priest, Idowu-Fearon enrolled in Immanuel Theological College, Ibadan. It was there that he was introduced to the "World of Islam," an introduction that eventually became his "passion for the Muslim as a potential child of God by adoption."
In 1976, Idowu-Fearon went to St. John's College, University of Durham in the UK for an "Honours class in Theology" that included "in-depth course on Islamic Civilisation". He graduated with a Bachelors in Theology.Carey Lodge, "Meet the man who's in charge of leading 85 million Christians" (Christian Today, 6 August 2015)
After receiving his theology degree from the University of Durham, Idowu-Fearon went on to earn a master's degree in Islamic Studies and Muslim-Christian relations at Birmingham University. At Birmingham Idowu-Fearon read "Islam, And Christian-Muslim Relations" and wrote "a major paper on 'The Status of a Non-Muslim (thumma) In an Islamic State'". It was then, he says, "I knew the Lord was calling me [to be] a bridge builder."Carey Lodge, "Meet the man who's in charge of leading 85 million Christians" (Christian Today, 6 August 2015) and "A Discussion with Bishop Josiah Fearon of Kaduna" (1 July 2010).
After his studies in the United Kingdom, Idowu-Fearon continued his studies in Nigeria with a second master's degree in sociology from Nigeria's Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.Stanley Azuakola, "Amazing: The bishop of Kaduna whose CV tells a motivating story for Christian-Muslim relations "3 July 2013 in Today's Scoops. This was followed with a PhD in sociology and a Postgraduate Diploma in Education from Ahmadu Bello University. Later, as a bishop, Idowu-Fearon served as a research fellow at the Ahmadu Bello University in the field of "determining the influence of politics and religion on development".
In 1993, Idowu-Fearon received a D.Min. from the Hartford Seminary in Hartford, CT, USA.
In 2002, Idowu-Fearon received masters and doctors degrees in Arabic and Islamic studies with special interest in Christian-Muslim relations from the University of Jordan.Stanley Azuakola, "Amazing: The bishop of Kaduna whose CV tells a motivating story for Christian-Muslim relations "3 July 2013 in Today's Scoops. and Adamu Adamu, "Nigeria: Rise of the Muslim Bishop" in Daily Trust, 4 September 2015.
Ecclesiastical career in Nigeria In 1971, Idowu-Fearon was ordained as a priest of the Anglican church and nineteen years later he was made a bishop.
From his ordination to the priesthood in 1971 to 1990 when he was consecrated bishop of the Diocese of Sokoto, Idowu-Fearon worked as the General Secretary for the Evangelical Fellowship of the Anglican Communion for Nigeria, and concurrently held the post of Warden of St. Francis Theological College, Wusasa from 1981 to 1984, when he became the Provost of St. Michael's Cathedral.
Bishop of Sokoto On 29 April 1990 at St Michael's Cathedral, Kaduna,Samuel Gambo Kwashang, "The Anglican Church in Northern Nigeria under the episcopacy of Bishop Titus Eyiolorunsefunmi Ogbonyomi from 1976 to 1996" (June 2006) pp. 36–37 Idowu-Fearon was consecrated as a bishop by Joseph Abiodun Adetiloye, Archbishop of Nigeria,Church of Nigeria: to serve as the first Bishop of Sokoto (the ordinary of the Diocese of Sokoto), where he remained until 1998."Archbishop of Kaduna installed as a Six Preacher in Canterbury Cathedral" (Anglican Communion News Service: 25 June 2013) During that time, he served as Warden at St Francis of Assisi Theological College in Wusasa and Provost of St. Michael's Cathedral in Kaduna.
After his consecration in 1990, Idowu-Fearon served as a founding member of the Compass Rose Society, as a founding member and one of the first three Presidents of the NIFCON (Network for Interfaith Concerns), as a member of a 13-Member Committee of the Archbishop of Canterbury that looked into the responses to Lambeth Resolution 1:10 of 1998, and on the Committee that produced the Windsor Commission Report of 2003.
Bishop of Kaduna Idowu-Fearon was unanimously elected the fourth Bishop of the Diocese of Kaduna in 1998. He remained in that position until he resigned to begin his work as Secretary General of the Anglican Consultative Council in 2015."Archbishop of Kaduna installed as a Six Preacher in Canterbury Cathedral" (Anglican Communion News Service: 25 June 2013) and Josiah Idowu-Fearon, "My Odyssey" (Valedictory Lecture to the 20th Synod of the Diocese of Kaduna, 8 July 2015.)
As Bishop of Kaduna, Idowu-Fearon co-founded the Centre for the Study of Islam and Christianity.Adamu Adamu, "Nigeria: Rise of the Muslim Bishop" in Daily Trust, 4 September 2015. He also served as Director of the Kaduna Anglican Study Centre. and as area leader for the Programme for Christian-Muslim Relations in Africa (PROCMURA)."Josiah Idowu-Fearon" Berkley Center For Religion, Peace & World Affairs at Georgetown University, Washington, DC
Beyond his diocese, Idowu-Fearon served as president of the Anglican Network for Inter Faith Concerns (NIFCON) and as a member of NIFCON's Management Group. The Network for Inter Faith Concerns// of the Anglican Communion (NIFCON). He also served on the International Anglican Conversations on Human Sexuality appointed by former Archbishop of Canterbury George Carey following the 1998 Lambeth Conference of bishops.
In 2002, Idowu-Fearon was unanimously elected for a seven-year term as the first archbishop of the newly created Ecclesiastical province of Kaduna in Owerri. However, his "closeness to the Muslim community in Nigeria" resulted in his being not elected for a second term.
Idowu-Fearon served on the 2003–04 Lambeth Commission on Communion, "which considered worldwide Anglican unity in response to divisive debates on homosexuality". In 2004, he was selected as a panelist on "an October 2004 public discussion in London, sponsored by the Pew Research Center's Forum on Religion and Public Life, dealing with issues affecting the Anglican Communion." In 2005, he was chosen as a member of the third "Building Bridges" seminar held at Georgetown University in Washington DC.
Idowu-Fearon is an adjunct "Professor of Christian/Muslim Relations" at Wycliffe College of the University of Toronto, Canada.
Six Preacher in Canterbury Cathedral Idowu-Fearon was installed as a Six Preacher (a preaching priest) on 26 July 2007 by the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Revd Rowan Williams, and the Very Revd Robert Willis, the Dean of Canterbury. He previously taught at the cathedral's International Study Centre.
Idowu-Fearon attended the 2009 Georgetown University-sponsored conference "A Common Word Between Us and You: A Global Agenda for Change."
Anglican Cross of St Augustine Idowu-Fearon was presented the Cross of St Augustine by Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury at Lambeth Palace in London on 20 June 2013. (The Cross of St Augustine award is presented to people who have given long and exceptionally distinguished service to the Anglican Communion.) Welby highlighted Idowu-Fearon's "pivotal role in advancing understanding between Christians and Muslims in Nigeria in an effort to stem the cycle of violence and misunderstanding" and his work in the Tony Blair Faith Foundation.
Christian-Muslim dialogue As a bishop in Nigeria, Idowu-Fearon was a proponent of Christian-Muslim dialogue.
An article in the Nigerian newspaper Daily Trust about Idowu-Fearon noted that his ability to combine "dedication to his Christianity with genuine respect for Islam as a religion" made him suitable for his "role of being the midwife of peace and understanding" between Christians and Muslims. The article described Idowu-Fearon as being committed to "bridge-building" and "interfaith dialogue". As such, he is accused of being a "Muslim Bishop by the detractors" and "Mr. Dialogue by admirers".
Idowu-Fearon views his commitment to bridge-building and interfaith dialogue as a call from his Lord. "A Muslim is not someone to hate," he says, "but rather someone to love".
Acting on his bridge-building commitment, Idowu-Fearon co-founded the Centre for the Study of Islam and Christianity at Kaduna.
Working together in violent conflict In 2000, two years after Josiah Idowu-Fearon became bishop of the Diocese of Kaduna, the city and state of Kaduna became "embroiled in communal violence." In the city, "churches, mosques, homes and businesses" were burnt, with 80,000 people were made homeless, and hundreds killed. "Our people are being shot, butchered and roasted", said Bishop Josiah. The violence was primarily "inter-religious" between Muslims and Christians. In this crisis, Bishop Josiah's knowledge of Islam and his years of reaching out to Muslims came into play. The Bishop and Imam Asafa, a local Muslim cleric, "called on people not just to tolerate each other, but to be prepared to rebuild together" and "announced plans for joint Muslim/Christian projects to rebuild the city"."Crisis in Nigeria" (Anglican News Service, 19 March 2000).
Boko Haram and the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) Regarding the current violent conflict with Boko Haram and Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). Idowu-Fearon holds that in ISIS or Boko Haram "religion is a facade. What these guys want is power. They know through a democratic process they will never ever get power, so [they] latch onto religion."
Reflections on his bridge building In 2015, as he was leaving Nigeria to assume his work as Secretary General of the Anglican Consultative Council, Idowu-Fearon reflected on his relations with Muslims in Nigeria: "I have spent the last 25 years as bishop [first of Sokoto, then Kaduna] trying to build bridges of understanding between two different communities. We are theologically and doctrinally different, and yet we've been able to work together."