The Enugu Diocese (Anglican Communion) that we know today began as a mustard seed sown by Rev. Isaac Uzowulu Ejindu. Rev. Ejindu’s mission team came down from Onitsha in 1916 under the directive of G.T Basden. In 1917 he started to organize and minister to a mixed congregation made up of coal miners (coal mining started in 1915); Railway Construction staff (for railway work started from Port Harcourt to Enugu), Eastern secretariat staff, Public Works Department, and the staff of the Police and Prisons. Ejindu used a section of what is now St. Peter's Church compound to set up the church. He was superintending Enugu church district which extended up north to Ilorin, Makurdi, Kaduna, Minna, Zaria, Funtua and Vom and down south to Udi, Awlaw, Inyi and Achi.

While the congregations down South (Udi, Awlaw, Inyi and Achi) thrived under the care of catechists and generally supervised by Rev. Ejindu residing at Ngwo, the multi-national worshipper in Enugu (Yoruba's Igbo's, Gold Coastians, Sierra-Leoneans and West lndians) who were either coal miners, railway staff, police etc. grew in numbers from such congregation. Local helpers were raised to assist the catechists. The first catechist was Mr. Daniel Anierobi in 1918 and in 1921 it was Mr. Mbanugo.

In 1922 Bertram Lasbrey became the Bishop on the Niger with Enugu District under his jurisdiction. In 1927 Rev. H. H. Draws took over the superintendence of Enugu Church District and Rev. Ejindu continued to oversee Udi and its evangelistic areas. In 1931, the first Synod of the Niger Diocese was held at Christ Church Onitsha to unify the Niger Delta and Niger Diocese under the Rt. Rev. B. Lasbrey. The Churches North of the Niger (Enugu District Churches) were represented by Chief Lawrence Onwudiwe at the Synod. Also in 1950 the Niger Diocesan Synod was held in St. Peter’s Church Ogbete under Rev. Agori-Iwe.

In 1960, Enugu Archdeaconry was created stretching from Udi to Makurdi. The archdeaconry was inaugurated on the 26th day of February 1960 at St. Peter’s Church Ogbete by the Rt. Rev. Cecil J. Patterson - Bishop on the Niger. Acting as the Archdeacons from thereon were -asst. bishop on the Niger Rt. Rev. L. M. Uzodike (1960-1964), with asst. bishop on the Niger Rt. Rev. Samuel Nkemena and Ven. H. L. Okechukwu in charge (1964-75).

Seven years after the inauguration, in 1967, at the request of the Diocese on the Niger, the Provincial Standing Committee of the Province of West African (Anglican Communion) passed a resolution approving the advancement of Enugu Archdeaconry into a full Diocesan status. -The execution of the approval suffered delays as a result of the Nigerian Civil War of 1967- 1970). Then, during the Standing Committee of the Church of the Province of West African held in Takoradi Ghana, from 7th – 10th May 1969, the Diocese came into existence in diaspora, when on 8th May 1969, the then Rev. Canon Gideon Nweke Otubelu was elected as the first Bishop of Enugu Diocese. And on 29th June 1969, on the Feast of St. Peter, at St. Georges Cathedral Freetown, Sierra Leone, he was consecrated the Bishop of Enugu by the 3rd Archbishop of West Africa, the Most Revd. Cecil J. Patterson.

The New Diocese of Enugu and the War:

From 1967-1969 the war raged. Towns and villages were encircled, squeezed and people were undergoing untold suffering - physically, emotionally and materially. So was the situation of the church because Enugu and environs were the battleground. Under this kind of uncertainty, Rt. Rev. Gideon N. Otubelu and his wife Lucy, had to minister/shepherd a people with battered psyche and warped sense of values, and who were taking shelter in refugee camps in safe parts of the Diocese on the Niger.

On 12th August 1969, at Holy Trinity Church, Ufuma, the Bishop, Clergy and Laity assembled and set up a Diocesan Council for the administration of the Diocese in exile. At the end of the Nigeria Civil war in 1970, the Bishop returned to his headquarters in Enugu which was badly destroyed. The story of wanton destruction was the same in almost all the church congregations of the Diocese.

To the Glory of God, on 16th August 1970, in a colourful service at St. Bartholomew's Church Asata, Enugu, the Deed of Relinquishment of the then Enugu Archdeaconry by the Rt. Rev. Lucius M. Uzodike, Bishop on the Niger was signed, accepted and effected in the presence of His Grace, the Most Rev. M. N. C. Scott - Archbishop of West Africa. In the same service, the Rt. Rev. Gideon N. Otubelu was enthroned and installed Bishop, by the Most Rev. Moses Nathaniel Christopher Omobiala Scott. These very acts of inauguration, enthronement and retention of Bishop's throne in effect made St. Bartholomew's Church the Cathedral of Enugu Diocese for the time being, and the host of the First Synod of Enugu, with the Rev. Canon R. N. C. Nwosu in residence. Archbishop M. N. C. Scott succeeded Archbishop C. J. Patterson (the successor to B. Lasbrey) as Archbishop of West Africa.

The pioneer bishop inherited nothing except some parcels of land. He had cement blocks for his seat and table. He encountered many problems and challenges in converting people from pagan practices to Christian living. All he had was an old Peugeot car that managed to survive the war. Yet he had to beat down even virgin paths and grass to traverse the length and breadth of the Diocese up to far away Ogoja. The roads were in a deplorable condition, and traveling was an obvious hazard. But travel, yes, the Bishop had to visit the churches. From the inception of the Diocese, evangelism had been top on the list of her priorities. Bishop Otubelu would always say, “Let the people know what Christianity is all about." He had to ensure that people's faith in Christ was built up on soild foundation by carrying out the Lord's great commission. Matthew 28:18-20.

In 1970/71, another set of five men - namely Mr. J. C. Ilonuba (late Rt. Rev. Dr. J. C. Ilonuba), Mr. A. I. Eneasato (later Archdeacon), Mr. D. O. Ogbonna (late Rev. Canon Ogbonna), Mr. P. O. Ekeocha (later Rev. Canon P. O. Ekeocha), and Mr. Levi Akunna (later Rev. Canon Akunna) were sent in for a 3-year Priestly Ordination training at Trinity Collage Umuahia, and were made Deacons in 1973 by the Rt. Rev. Gideon Nweke Otubelu to fortify the ordained ministry in the Diocese. There were many Catechists, Church Teachers/Local Helpers (lay readers) for the work of rural evangelism.

Earlier in 1970 the Church Districts were renamed Church Parishes. And in August 1971, St. Peter’s Parish Ogbete hosted the second Synod of the Diocese of Enugu, where Ven. Jonathan Arinzechukwu Onyemelukwe (late Bishop on the Niger/Archbishop of then Province 2 of Church of Nigeria) from Trinity College Umuahia, preached the sermon.

In 1972 Messrs B. C. B. Onyeibor (former Bishop of Abakaliki) Anthony Ajaero (later Rev. Ajaero), Ernest Odo (later Archdeacon Odo), Emest U. Nnamani (later Rev. Nnamani) and Emmanuel Eke (later Rev. Eke) were trained at Trinity College Umuahia for 3 years and made Deacons in 1974 by Bishop Otubelu. ln addtion, Rev. J. C. Okparaocha was earlier engaged as the Bishop's Chaplain, and so increased the man power base. With these men assigned to various churches of the diocese, conscious, consistent, and concerted efforts were irresistibly put in place to change the story of a diocese, whose Churches were destroyed and looted, and whose congregations were scattered and disillusioned - hope lost and faith dangling.