In a stirring prophetic charge delivered over the weekend, The Archbishop of Calabar and Spiritual Leader of God’s Heritage Global Mission, Archbishop Josef Bassey, has issued a clarion call to the Body of Christ and church leaders across Nigeria and beyond to return to “the old paths where the saints of old walked.”

Describing much of modern Christianity as a departure from the original faith handed down by the Apostles, the Archbishop decried what he termed “a gospel of leisure, pleasure, and comfort” that is foreign to the spirit, values, and doctrines of true Christianity.

> “The Christianity that costs nothing will ultimately produce nothing. We have traded the fellowship of His sufferings for the comforts of convenience. But Jesus said, ‘If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me,’” Archbishop Bassey stated.

Citing Philippians 3:10, where Apostle Paul yearns for “the fellowship of His suffering,” and Luke 14:28, where Jesus warns disciples to “count the cost” before following, the Archbishop insisted that the faith was birthed in fire, forged in persecution, and advanced by sacrifice—not by indulgence.

“This generation must remember that we are not called to blend into the culture but to confront it. We are not entertainers; we are envoys. Until the Church reclaims her ancient foundations of prayer, consecration, holiness, and sacrificial living, she cannot expect to transform a nation lost in darkness,” he added.

Archbishop Bassey emphasized that once the Church rediscovers her identity, she will again shine as the “city set on a hill” and the moral conscience of the nation. He urged pastors and spiritual leaders to lead the return—to tear down altars of compromise and rebuild the platform of truth.

“A revived Church is the only hope for a dying world. We must return—not to legalism, but to authenticity. Not to rituals, but to righteousness. Then, and only then, will the Church again become the nation’s compass,” he concluded.

The message comes at a crucial time as believers across Nigeria continue to seek revival, reformation, and national transformation in the face of increasing moral and spiritual decline.