The Nation Newspaper

Category: Worship

  • ‘Vested interests behind Jos crisis’

    ‘Vested interests behind Jos crisis’

    The International Fellowship of Evangelical Students in English and Portuguese Speaking Africa (IFES-EPSA) and Lausanne International Deputy Director for the EPSA Region, Rev. Gideon Para-Mallam, works with millions of students in Africa. He spoke with Sunday Oguntola on how to save the future of Africa and why the Jos crisis remains intractable. Excerpts:

    Experience working with younger generation

    One of the things that give me motivation is the passion that the younger generation holds for the future if they are well mentored. Some of the things that we try to promote is leadership. We help students to develop the right attitude towards leadership in life. So, we are into training to help them realise that they represent a new thinking for the liberation of Africa. If you look at the African nations making waves like Ghana and Botswana, you will realise these change agents came from the campus. I believe Africa can change if we get it right with the young people.

    Many of the Christian students are burdened and angry with what is happening in Africa. For me, that is the right attitude and the way to start. But when they graduate and become confronted with situations in the real world, they become frustrated and disillusioned. Many of them give up and compromise and we keep telling them never to give up.

    That is why we need Christians making a difference in Nigeria and Africa. We need to hold them up and connect them with these students for mentorship. They need to encourage the younger generation not to give up. However, some of those students who are not Christians are waiting to take over from corrupt older Africans.

    I will tell you two stories. There is a 25-year-old daughter of a Christian leader in this country. She decided to go into politics but when she saw the rot there, she was shocked. She realised her contemporaries are waiting in the wings to outdo our current corrupt officials.

    The second person happens to be my son. He studied in the UK with some children of the rich and powerful Nigerians. He said they way they talk is disturbing. He said ‘I fear for this country the way these guys are talking’. Those are things we need to work deliberately to change. That is why we are doing mentoring for transformation project across the continent.

    Schism among campus fellowships

    Yes, we have proliferation of church-based student ministries and groups on campuses. It mirrors the fragmentation going on in the church and the larger society. It is sad that our campuses are becoming more loyal to churches than God. It is all about the drive for money and crowd. Churches reason that when these students graduate, they will swell their ranks with finances. So, it is really a sad chapter in campus ministry. Many churches feel they cannot entrust their members to the Navigators, Scripture Union (SU), Christian Union (CU), NIFES and other tested campus fellowships. That influences why they start their own and break the unity in the body.

    So, we are taking steps to reverse this trend. I started talking with the former African Primate, Most Rev. Jasper Akinola and we are looking into it. I can confirm that. Beyond that, we are planning a conference by CU, SU, Campus Crusade for Christ (CFC), The Navigators and others. It is called the Congress 2012. It is holding at the NIFES Conference Centre, Lokoja.

    Parlous state of the church

    I honestly would have thought that the church should offer an alternative of change in the country. But I am not exactly sure that is happening. The church is eager to talk about numbers and mass growth as well as thousands attending meetings. We talk about millions attending prayer meetings but the truth is how many of them are genuinely saved? What is the impact of this huge attendance on the society, on Nigeria?

    My understanding is that the church should play a prophetic role in the life of a nation. I am not sure the Nigerian church is doing that. What we are just doing is more chasing of the naira than anything. That cannot be denied. The liberation of the nation is dependant on the liberation of the church. The emphasis of making money through the church is a cancer that is destroying the nation.

    The church is basically toothless and powerless. We see miracles and proclaim that is power, but if you study the Bible, you will notice power is essentially about change of attitude and nature. It is not just about miracles and healing. What I see more is people talking about the miracles in the church without considering how much change is not happening.

    Why Jos crisis is protracted

    I believe it has remained protracted because there are vested interests internally and externally. It is up to our security forces to find out these vested interests. Two, I believe some people are benefiting from the crisis. They are people who thrive only when there are crises. The more crises we have, the richer and more relevant they are. These people will never want the Jos crisis to end. They are fuelling it and instigating people to fester the situation. The consistent attacks on Christians are worrisome and as long as the crisis is on, it will be protracted. Christians are at a point why we will not give up the faith. We will not stop proclaiming Christ as the Lord over our lives and the nation. So, I believe the crisis is both religious and political.

    I want to encourage Christians to demonstrate the love of Christ. We have to continue to demonstrate the true love of Christ no matter how hard it is. We also have to look for ways of promoting deliberate peaceful coexistence among Christians and Muslims. The more we do it, the more those against the move will be exposed.

     

  • Nigeria @ 52: The changing faces of Christianity

    Nigeria @ 52: The changing faces of Christianity

    Christianity began in 1842 with missionary churches in Nigeria. But independent, indigenous churches have become the cornerstone, bringing fresh innovations and spreading the faith in remarkable, amazing ways, writes Sunday Oguntola 

    Henry Townsend must be smiling down on indigenous churches in Nigeria from his grave. When he established the first mission base in Badagry in 1842, Townsend certainly had no idea Christianity was going to take strong roots in the nation. 170 years after, Nigeria now boasts of the highest Christian community in Africa. Townsend’s pioneering efforts have become phenomenal, thanks to the irrepressible impacts of indigenous churches.

    If missionaries like Townsend did so much to bring Christianity, indigenous churches have done much more to sustain and deepen the faith. They are redefining the scope and face of Christianity, bringing to bear raw fervour and spiritual aggression. They broke strongholds difficult for missionary churches to penetrate and gave Christianity an African identity. Many locals disenchanted with western values promoted by missionary churches felt welcome by indigenous churches.

    The beginning of indigenous churches

    It all started in 1918 in Ijebu-Ode when the first Aladura movement was founded. A school teacher, Sophia Odunlami, and a goldsmith, Joseph Sadare, were behind it.  The duo, members of St. Saviour’s Anglican Church, rejected infant baptism and all forms of western and traditional medicine.

    They initiated the “Prayer Band” popularly called Egbe Aladura.  Sadare was compelled to give up his post in the Synod and others were forced to resign their jobs and withdraw their children from the Anglican School. The Aladura began as a renewal movement in search of true spirituality.

    When the influenza epidemic broke out the same year, the group saved many affected with prayers. This consolidated the formation of the prayer group, which was named Precious Stone and later the “Diamond Society”. By 1920, the Diamond Society had grown tremendously with branches around the Western Region of Nigeria. It emphasised divine healing, holiness and complete dependence on God.

    The Oke Ooye, Ilesha revival sparked off Pentecostalism in Nigeria. The late Apostle Ayo Babalola performed several miracles that culminated in the formation of the Christ Apostolic Church.

    Meanwhile, many mainline churches such as Anglican Communion, Methodist Church, Baptist Convention and others were witnessing similar internal dissensions. Many Africans were denied Holy Communion and disallowed from church workforce on allegations of being polygamous. Pushed to the wall, many of them pulled out and formed their own churches.

    Other indigenous churches sprang up such as the Celestial Church of Christ (CCC) founded by the late Prophet Samuel Oschoffa and the Cherubim and Seraphim Movement led by the late Prophet Moses Orimolade. Both spiritual churches, however, witnessed different schisms that led to different factions based on personal and doctrinal crises.

    In 1931, a certain Josiah Akindayomi joined the Cherubim and Seraphim Church. By 1947, he started to become concerned that the church was departing from the true word of God in some of its practices. By 1952, he felt totally persuaded to leave the church. He started a house fellowship at Willoughby Street, Ebute-Metta, christened the Glory of God Fellowship.

    Initially there were nine members, but before long the fellowship rapidly grew as the news of the miracles that occurred in their midst spread. In a vision, he saw The Redeemed Christian Church of God written on a blackboard. Thus began the RCCG, the world’s largest growing Pentecostal church in 1952.

    Somewhere in Benin City, a sickly child was born and christened Benson Idahosa. He was converted to Christianity and began conducting outreaches from village to village. Renowned for his vibrant faith and power ministration, Idahosa rose to become the first Pentecostal Archbishop in Africa.

    He broke new grounds, aggressively converting many from animism. The founder of the Church of God Mission International is acknowledged as the father of Pentecostalism in Africa, raising such prominent preachers like Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, Bishop David Oyedepo, Pastor Chris Oyakhilome and Bishop Fred Addo, among several others.

    Through him, charismatic Pentecostalism became a force to reckon with in Nigeria. Today, there are thousands of independent charismatic churches across the length and breadth of the nation.

    Strengths and impacts

    According to the President of International Church Growth Ministries, Dr Francis Akin-John, indigenous churches have aggressive evangelical zeal going for them. “They are fearless and fiercely committed to taking the gospel to hitherto unreached parts of the world. That is why you find out Nigerian churches are spearheading missionary efforts everywhere in the world,’’ he explained.

    He said this evangelical zeal is why it is so easy for indigenous churches to start branches anywhere in the world, regardless of the most stringent conditions. “They bear this never-say-die Nigerian spirit to mission and that is something really amazing,” he added. The RCCG, at the last count, has over 4,000 branches in different parts of the world.

    Indigenous churches also helped break the stronghold of traditional religion across the nation. Several former traditionalists accepted Christ and burnt their charms, a development that repelled spiritual darkness. The fire brand Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries (MFM) is reputed for deliverance and breakthrough sessions. This has delivered millions from spiritual strongholds and generational curses.

    Until their rise to prominence, Christianity remained largely a despised, conservative religion, attracting only the dregs and outcasts of the society. Through the influence of charismatic Pentecostal churches founded in Nigeria, Christianity now has a new face, attracting upwardly mobile executives and business owners like never before.

    “The people never wanted to have anything to do with the Lord. They felt they had wealth and comfort and wondered what else can Christ offer them. But Pentecostals have proven that they need much more than that. We have shown how they can bring the faith to bear in business decisions and policies. Market place evangelism and Christianity have become the fad,” Vice Chairman of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, South West Region, Bishop Wale Oke, said.

    Much as people have issues with crass materialism in the independent churches, the fact is the church owes it current buoyant financial status to them. Gone are the days church rats were sarcastically said to be poor. These days, rats are competing to gain access to churches. They want a taste of the many crumbs in churches.

    The founder of Inri Evangelical Spiritual Church, Lagos, Primate Elijah Babatunde, said indigenous churches also contribute to poverty alleviation in no small way. He noted his church has been supporting over 300 indigent students and 200 widows over the years. “That is the least we can do to help the disadvantaged. That is what God called us to do and we are relentlessly passionate about this,” he stated.

    Beyond poverty alleviation, many of them have also started business ventures that are empowering members financially. They run churches, printing presses, banks, crèches and several business outfits that are providing employment and sources of livelihood for members. These ventures also provide alternative incomes for members and the churches.

    Indeed, Townsend, if it were possible, would be grinning in his grave, giving a well-deserved commendation for how much better indigenous churches have redefined his work that started like a child’s play.

  • ‘Disunity the biggest threat to Christianity in Nigeria’

    ‘Disunity the biggest threat to Christianity in Nigeria’

    Founding Pastor of Golgotha Mountain, Efon Alaye, Ekiti State,Pastor Kehinde Ola, is in several ways a modern John the Baptist. The unlettered cleric talks tough and suffers no fools. Yet, he is the delight of many influential Nigerians, who throng his church in Efon Alaye for prophetic prayers. Ola spoke with Sunday Oguntola on his peculiar ministerial exploits and national issues. Excerpts:

     

    Call into the ministry

    A man does not just become a minister. He is called by God. In 1954, I was a young man. I was playing football and suddenly became unconscious. I saw an old man making a covenant with me. I was in standard one and just nine years old. I became conscious and since then realised God called me. I was a blacksmith and also became a mechanic. I prospered so much in the trade that I built a house and was well-known. Everybody knew I was very good at it. Then, God started calling me and I would not bulge. Eventually, he took away everything I had. I was afraid of how to fend for my family. But after six years, I gave in to God and have been working for him since. I stayed with the late Apostle Ayo Babalola as a young man. All of these influenced my ministerial upbringing.

    Ministerial experiences

    It’s been the grace of God seeing me through all this while. I knew what I was getting into when God called me. The Lord has been giving us victories over the devil.

    Prayer versus the word

    As a prophet, many people consult me. I agree many of them are just after blessings. They don’t want to know God. That is why they consult prophets. But the word is what anyone needs. I have discovered this and spend ample time teaching the Bible. When you hear me teach the scriptures, you will be shocked. I lecture in seminaries and they are shocked. It is the combination of prayer and word that we all need.

    Menace of fake prophets

    There are too many of such people today in Christianity. They are after money and what to get. I built my first house in 1980 from my sweat. I have driven several cars. What else am I looking for? But it is not the same for many ministers. They deceive people. The judgement of God is coming on them if they do not repent quickly.

    Why I reject foreign invitations

    I have travelled to several countries to preach. I was in UK, USA and Europe. But I have stopped receiving invitations from them again. We have enough problems to tackle in Nigeria. God called us to save our Jerusalem first. Let’s all face the challenges here first before we go overseas. Of what use is anointing that is useful elsewhere but cannot save your nation?

    I have turned down many of us invitations. Left to me, I don’t even want to travel abroad to preach again. There is nothing there. You only make money and come back spiritually dry. They don’t have passion for God. They have addressed their developmental challenges. So, I will rather concentrate on flushing out the evil forces in Nigeria than junket the world.

    Lack of unity in Christendom

    Our problem in this country as Christians is neither Boko Haram nor the devil. We can face the devil and shame him. But he has sown the seed of discord and disunity among us. You will find out that many ministers in this country are not united. They would rather die than work together for God. They are busy building their empires and estates. They have acquired so much that they are afraid someone else should come take over.

    If they can give me 500 prayer warriors and we go to a mountain for days, I am sure we will save Nigeria. But can that happen? Can the prominent preachers in this country agree to work together? Can they forget their individual programmes and rally to save Nigeria? I doubt it very much. If they are ready, I am. I can even pay to take care of those intercessors. We can go somewhere and I can assure you this nation will change. But they will not. They will rather protect their estates and empires. If we don’t save this country, God will hold us responsible.

    The problem with Nigeria

    Our major challenge is that most of our leaders are in the occults. They have sold Nigeria to the devil. They acquired powers from evil spirits. The corridors of power in Nigeria are held by demons. They have sold our souls to the devil. This is why our church leaders should rise and save this nation. We are afraid to die. Who will not die? We are also under the influence of foreign powers. They will export our resources and sell them back to us exorbitantly. When are we going to be saved?

  • Shock as T.D. Jakes’ daughter divorces

    Shock as T.D. Jakes’ daughter divorces

    It all started when she was 14. Sarah, daughter of flamboyant mega pastor of Potter’s House Texas Dallas, T .D. Jakes, became pregnant.

    To be pregnant at 14 and out of wedlock is bad enough. But to be the daughter of a prominent charismatic preacher worsened the bad case.

    Yet, Sarah weathered the storm. She went on to have a son.

    Last year, she recalled the incident in a blog titled “Guided Home.” According to her: “I can remember feeling like everyone was staring at me, thinking negative thoughts. I became very familiar with shame, learned quickly how loud whispers can be, how fast rumors travel.”

    “More importantly I learned to never let anything or anyone convince me I was no longer worthy of dreaming, living my life to the fullest,” she said of being a teen mother.

    At 19, she married Robert Henson, a linebacker for the Washington Redskins. The lavish wedding ceremony was attended by a celebrity list of who’s who such as Tyler Perry, Emmitt Smith, Tom Joyner and Dr. Phil McGraw.

    The union produced a daughter. Four years down the line, Sarah is walking out of the marriage. Last week, she wrote on her personal website she is filing for divorce.

    According to her: “I have built my ministry and identity around being the best wife and a mother I can be. For quite sometime I have tried to steer through some serious troubles at home. As much as I wanted my marriage to last, it cannot.”

    The leader of the Women’s Ministry of Potter’s House went on: “After professional counseling, and prayerful consideration I have decided to end my four-year marriage.”

    She then stoked the fire of controversy by stating her decision has biblical support.

    Sarah said: “There are biblical grounds supporting this decision and I have attempted every other recourse but after multiple infractions over the course of the union, and for my personal safety and that of my children, I have come to this painful decision.”

    T.D. Jakes, whose congregation stands at about 30,000 members, admitted that his daughter’s divorce was difficult but “love overrides everything.”

    Sarah requested for prayers and privacy “while I navigate through this difficult season in my life so that I may now concentrate on being the best parent for my children possible.  Thank you for your prayers.”

    T.D. Jakes is not the first American prominent preacher whose daughter will divorce. In his book titled Marriage, remarriage and divorce, respected faith preacher, the late Kenneth Hagin, spoke of his despair when his daughter’s marriage crashed.

    Renowned televangelist, Evangelist Oral Robert, also watched in horror as his son, Oral Robert (Jr) also ended his marriage. He soon remarried and took over the expansive ministry.

    Sarah’s divorce is coming on the heels of the outrage in the Christian community over the crash of Household of God’s founder, Pastor Chris Okotie’s marriage.

  • The Prophetic ministry of Isaiah (3)

    In this analytical review of the book of Prophet Isaiah, each of the chapters we have worked on, divinely and prophetically centred on the children of Israel in different facets of their relationship with God. For instance, chapter one reminds that, being obedient to God should supersede any sacrifice; chapter two was more on the future Glory of Israel and God’s day of judgement. In this chapter three, we shall be discussing on the prophesied leadership crisis, and how God will deal with the impureness of His people.

    Ever since the people of Israel demanded for a king during the time of Samuel, there has been leadership tussle and crisis, culminated into the modern day effect of political leadership turmoil among the nations of the world.

    Isaiah 3:1-4 says ‘For, behold, the Lord of hosts, doth take away from Jerusalem and from Judah the stay and staff, the whole stay of bread, and the whole stay of water. The mighty man, and the man of war, the judge, and the prophet, and the prudent, and the ancient. The captain of fifty, and the honourable man, and the counsellor, and the cunning artificer, and the eloquent orator. And I will give children to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them’. The prophet was very blunt in these verses, as to the detestation of God to the abominable and ungodly behaviour of His people, including their entire monarchical leadership; hence, there would be disorderliness. Neighbours, brothers and all citizens will become fearful, timid, and be appealing to fellow beings to take over the leadership of their nations. All the so-called brave men shall disappear; children and the likes would then take over the rulership.

    Verses 14-15 were even very emphatic as to one of the reasons God was not happy with the people, saying, they took away the goodies of the poor; they maltreated those without ‘godfathers’; decisions and judgements were no longer based on merit and facts, but on impulsion, and on the whims and caprices of the leaders. But for the righteous, verse 10 says ‘say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings’, I pray this last statement shall be your portion in Jesus Christ’s name, Amen.

    Meanwhile, and as we all know, God has not created any man that is more powerful than Him, therefore, prophet Isaiah made it known from verses 16-26 that; impurity shall be washed away from the people; that those haughty and arrogant daughters of Zion shall be made to lick their wounds; that all their bravery shall become nought; and that ‘thy men shall fall by the sword, and thy mighty in the war, and her gates shall lament and mourn; and she being desolate shall sit upon the ground’ –Isaiah 3:25-26. All these pointed to one fact – unrighteousness shall not stand in the presence of Almighty God.

    Relationship of this chapter with contemporary nations of the world

    In all the nations of the modern world, there is hardly a nation without leadership crisis. It is either political process was manipulated, or those lacking the charisma to rule, but with godfathers, were forced on people. And on getting to the leadership positions, many leaders became far richer than they were before the assumption of office, and the poor became more impoverished. Many leaders, like in the time of people of Israel of the old, have wronged God, by milking off the treasury of their nations; they put unnecessary fear in the populace so they can be mandated to do their (the leaders’) biddings; they bribed people for supports; give undeserved awards to their ‘blind’ supporters and cronies; and have no passion to take care of the widows and orphans. As prophesied by Isaiah, none of all these unrighteousness shall go unchallenged by God. But like I have been saying, there is room for change of behaviours, seeking His face through repentance, and God will minimize the imminent and prophesied punishment.

    Chapter four

    This chapter with six verses is one of the most misunderstood and misinterpreted verses in the bible. Many uninformed and deliberately comical people have literally interpreted verse 1 as end-time state, man will find himself; which is – one man shall marry seven women in the kingdom of God. That verse says ‘and in that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel: only let us be called by thy name, to take away our reproach’. That verse, being the continuation of chapter three, was only referring to the level God would lift the righteous (the man) to, after he would have dealt with the unrepentant sinners, making many people (the seven women), to wanting to associate with the blessed righteous (the man). The righteous could be men and women, but the great prophet was saying that, there is reward for those that will change from their evil ways.

    Meanwhile, this chapter was more on the aftermath effect, and the joyfulness that will be in the land of the people of God, after the cleansing of their sins. After so many people would have been taken away in captivity, the remnants in Jerusalem shall be under the banners of Almighty God. Verses 2-3 say ‘In that day shall the branch of the Lord be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and comely for them that are escaped of Israel. And it shall come to pass, that he that is left in Zion, and he that remaineth in Jerusalem, shall be called holy, even every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem’.

    Relationship of this chapter with contemporary nations of the world

    Years past, so many nations in Africa and third world countries were under the rulership of the powerful European nations, but today, they all have got their freedom. Even as individuals, you might have found yourself in crisis or servitude, partly due to your sin or sins of others: but one thing is very clear- there is always light at the end of the tunnel.

     

    Enquiries: 2348060572904 or motailatusanctuarychurch

    @yahoo.com

  • RCCG celebrates Nigeria at 52

    For 10 uninterrupted hours, The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) Lion of Judah Parish Mushin Lagos will sing praises to God for the survival of Nigeria.

    The service tagged Celebrate Naija will feature worship, dance, drama, word and lots of refreshment.

    Participants are expected to don the Green and white national colours.

    According to him: “It is vain to rise up early and sit up late everyday in the name of going to work only to end up eating the bread of sorrows.

    “Let’s start this new NAIJA year with thanksgiving, praise and worship of God who has preserved you thus far.”

  • Atilade kicks against state police

    Atilade kicks against state police

    •Seeks abolition of Senate

    The country will boil in no time if the clamour for state police becomes a reality, Chairman South West region of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Archbishop Magnus Atilade, has declared.

    Nigeria, he said, is unripe and unprepared to operate a police structure under the control of state governments.

    Atilade said politicians will seize advantage of the situation to suppress their opponents, thereby creating a tensed situation.He spoke last week with reporters in Lagos.

    According to him: “As a student in UI then, we went to the North and were shocked by the powers of Alkali police. “If we have state police, we will be in troubles.

    We should find another way of diffusing power from the centre but we should never ask that states should have direct control over police officers.” He acknowledged state police structure is the best for a complex nation as Nigeria but expressed worries over the political maturity to make it work.

    He added many Nigerians will be victimized outside their states, saying the dichotomy between the South and the North will not help either.

    The President of Gospel Baptist Conference of Nigeria and Overseas (GBCN) also called for reduction in cost of governance, saying the first way out is to disband the Senate.

    His words: “What purpose is it serving again? We already have the State Assemblies and Federal House of Representatives. Why the senate again? “We should let it go and I challenge anybody to a public debate on how helpful the senate has been.”

  • ‘Nigeria will be transformed soon’

    It may be true that situations in Nigeria are disturbing, but God will intervene and restore the country’s fame, peace, prosperity and hope, the Conference President of Lagos West Baptist Conference (LWBC), Rev Dr Julius Adeniji, has declared.

    He spoke last week ahead of the 4th Lifeway International Conference of the church.

    Adeniji predicted that what happened in biblical Samaria, where famine held them captive until God turned their situation around, will be replicated in Nigeria.

    “The Lord will intervene in people’s matters and cause awesome change to take place; He will give food to the hungry, job to the jobless, and success to those who have failed in their endeavours,” he reiterated.

    The conference with the theme Sharing hope in the midst of hopelessness, ends today at Araromi Baptist Church, Ejigbo, Lagos.

    The 3-day bi-annual spiritual gathering featured preaching by three pastors from LWBC, while the Conference Chairman, Rev. (Dr.) Jacob Aremu, presided over activities.

  • Promote peace, cleric tasks religious leaders

    The Presiding Pastor of Mantle Prayer Ministry, Pastor Isaac Olaomo, has called on church leaders to be at the vanguard of promoting peace and love in the society.

    He spoke with our correspondent during the special monthly prayer service of the interdenominational outreach ministry in Sagamu, Ogun State.

    The cleric frowned at increasing waves of terrorist attacks and violence across the globe, saying religious leaders can help reverse the trend by challenging their followers to be law-abiding. He said the world has been worse off with attacks and violence.

    According to him: “We may have our differences as a people but we can live together in an atmosphere of peace and shun all forms of violence that may hinder the much anticipated growth and development within thecontinent”.

    Olaomo said church leaders particularly have a responsibility to promote peace, love and tolerance among their flocks.

    “The world looks up to the church to remain resolute and forthright in bringing hope in a world full of despair, fears, shame and all forms of injustices,” he stated.

    The cleric said the world will be a lot better if people learn to co-exist and shun all differences in opinions and practices.

  • BSN holds reading marathon

    This year’s edition of the Bible Reading Marathon by the Bible Society of Nigeria (BSN) holds in Lagos from Monday 24th-28th.

    The exercise holds simultaneously in 47 centres from 9am-5pm.

    Participants will have the opportunity to choose from English, Isoko, Igala, Yoruba, Efik, Igbo, Hausa, Nupe, Khana, Urhobo, Fulfude, Jju, Bokyi, Edo, Arabic, Tiv, Itsekiri, Kanuri and Nembe.

    Admission into the competition is free.