March 13, (THEWILL) – The Prelate of Methodist Church of Nigeria, Oliver Ali Aba, has warned Christians in Nigeria to shun hypocrisy and the use of Christianity to actualise selfish interests in the country.
Ali Aba made this known while delivering a sermon at the inauguration/enthronement of Chikwendu Ogan Igwe as the Archbishop of Ebonyi, held at the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity Methodist Church opposite Ebonyi Hotels, Abakaliki, the capital of Ebonyi State.
The Prelate, Ali Aba, who also inaugurated Sunday Onwe as the Archdiocesan Lay President of Ebonyi, however, tasked Christians to fulfill God’s divine agenda for their lives and should ignore all the external factors; ignorance, fear, or lack of courage or selfishness, that affects kingdom service and nation building.
According to him, “Regrettably, with all the special endowments of God for the building of the kingdom and our nation in our time or generation, we at times fail to live up to this divine expectation and agenda of God, or as a result of other external factors that work against victorious Christian service, like ignorance, fear, or lack of courage or selfishness.
“These are elements that can affect the fulfilling of power, the divine agenda of God in our lives, as agents in the building of the church, or the nation, or the state.
He further called on christians to fulfill God’s divine agenda for their lives: “Some of us can be referred to as a tragedy of destiny because the purpose of God for making you who you are, endowing you, is yet to be realised. And if you live your life, I live my life, without fulfilling God’s agenda, you fall into the class of tragedy of destiny.
“As God’s workers, we urge you not to receive God’s Grace in vain. And I want to say to all of us that have been endowed with capacity, with so many endowments for building of the church and the state, to receive not that grace in vain.
“Let that grace be activated for the purpose of mission building, that your day will be accomplished as one who fulfills the divine agenda.
“They (Nigerians) are using Christianity to actualise selfish interests. They are using Christianity for different purposes, and that is the greatest tragedy. But I acknowledge the faith in you that is more sincere”, he stated.
In a remark, Governor Francis Nwifuru declared his administration’s preparedness to partner with the Archdiocese of Ebonyi to enhance grassroots unity and progress in the state.
“Here in Ebonyi, the Methodist Church has been a vital partner in our collective efforts to build a better Ebonyi State. For instance, through the schools, hospitals, and social programmes, the Church has contributed immensely to the development of our people.
“As a government, we acknowledge and appreciate these efforts and will continue to support and collaborate with the Church in every way possible. My administration, anchored on the People’s Charter of Needs Agenda, firmly believes that governance is not just about physical infrastructure. I believe the government is also about the moral and spiritual well-being of the people.
“A society that lacks moral values and spiritual guidance cannot truly prosper. That is why we recognise the Church as a critical partner in our developmental agenda.
“Ebonyi State, under my watch, will continue to work closely with the Church to promote peace, good governance, and social justice. We remain committed to supporting religious institutions in their mission to uplift the lives of our people”, he stated.
In their separate reactions, the Archbishop of Ebonyi, Chikwendu Ogan Igwe and the Archdiocesan lay president of Ebonyi, Sunday Onwe, pledged to perform their duties in accordance with the provisions of the constitution of Methodist Church Nigeria and in canonical obedience to the prelate and to God Almighty.
Sunday Ogbu is a professional journalist with eight - twelve years experience that had worked with various print and online media. Sunday specializes in news reporting with the aim of educating his readers on current social, political and economic occurences within his area of coverage. Sunday is a strong force to work with in the media industry and uses his positive attitude and tireless energy to encourage others to work hard and succeed. Sunday is inspired daily by his wife and their four children. In his free time, Sunday likes sight-seeing, reading and discussing issues of societal interest.
