By Emmanuel Kwada
The Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA), one of Nigeria’s largest Protestant denominations, has announced its theme for 2026 as “Keep Your Lamps Burning”, drawn directly from Luke 12:35 in the Bible: “Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning.”
This theme serves as a clarion call to the church’s millions of members worldwide to remain spiritually vigilant, prepared, and steadfast in faith during what the leadership describes as “perilous times.”
In a statement released ahead of the new year, ECWA leadership urged its global community – spanning over 6,000 churches primarily in Nigeria’s Middle Belt and northern regions, as well as diaspora congregations – to maintain spiritual alertness, pursue holiness, and let their faith shine as a vibrant light in an increasingly dark world.
The church’s President, Rev. (Dr.) Ayuba Job Bagat, emphasized the urgency of the message in the context of contemporary challenges.
“Even in these perilous times marked by economic hardship, insecurity, and moral decline, we must keep our lamps burning,” he declared, echoing recent sentiments expressed during the Christmas season where he called for deepened spiritual faithfulness to counter evil plans against the nation.
ECWA, founded in 1954 from the missionary efforts of the Sudan Interior Mission (SIM) and renamed Evangelical Church Winning All in 2011 to reflect its evangelistic zeal, has grown into a powerhouse of evangelical Christianity in Africa.
With an adult membership exceeding 2.5 million and total attendance nearing 5 million, the denomination operates extensive networks of educational institutions, healthcare facilities like the renowned Egbe Hospital, and missionary outreaches through its Evangelical Missionary Society (EMS), which fields over 1,400 missionaries.
The 2026 theme draws inspiration from Jesus’ parable in Luke 12, where servants are instructed to stay dressed for action and keep lamps lit while awaiting their master’s return – symbolizing readiness for Christ’s second coming and active service in the meantime.
Church leaders interpret this as a mandate for believers to avoid spiritual complacency, especially amid global and national uncertainties.
Throughout the year, ECWA districts, local churches, and ministries plan to roll out programs centered on the theme.
These include Bible study series on vigilance and holiness, prayer vigils, evangelism drives, and community outreach initiatives to demonstrate faith through action.
Special emphasis will be placed on youth and women’s fellowships, encouraging them to “trim their lamps” by filling them with the oil of the Holy Spirit through prayer, Scripture reading, and righteous living.
Pastors across ECWA congregations have already begun preaching on the theme during New Year services, reminding worshippers that a burning lamp not only guides the holder but illuminates paths for others in darkness.
”In a world facing moral decay, division, and trials, the Church must be that unwavering light,” one district superintendent noted.
The announcement has resonated strongly within the ECWA community, with members expressing renewed commitment.
As Nigeria grapples with ongoing security issues, economic pressures, and social tensions, the theme is seen as timely encouragement for believers to stand firm.
Rev. Bagat, who assumed the presidency in 2024, reiterated that keeping lamps burning means living out the Gospel holistically – proclaiming salvation, discipling believers, and serving the needy. “United in this call, ECWA will continue winning all for Christ,” he affirmed.
As 2026 unfolds, the Evangelical Church Winning All aims to embody this biblical exhortation, fostering a year of spiritual renewal and impactful witness across Nigeria and beyond.
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