Following the conclusion of Arise Congress 2.0, a four-day gathering that drew more than 25,000 youths to the Baptist International Convention Centre (BICC), Lufuwape, Ogun State, participants lauded the efforts of the Nigerian Baptist Convention, reflecting on their experiences and sharing expectations for the next edition, Arise Congress 3.0.
The event, held from September 3 to 6, 2025 was widely described by attendees as transformative and impactful, combining moments of intense spiritual revival with opportunities for youth empowerment, networking, and personal growth.
The NBC President, Rev. Dr. Isreal Akanji, during his address, declared the ambition of mobilising 50,000 youths for the next edition.
Reacting to this target, Olaoluwa Andrew Adebisi, popularly known as “Brother to the Bad Boys,” described the goal as realistic, citing the role of digital platforms in achieving it.
He said: “Yes, I believe that this goal is realistic with my role, that is using the gift God placed in my hands through the use of digitalization like social media platforms to spread this mobilization to every nook and corner of the world.”.
While commending the quality of sessions at the congress, Adebisi also urged organisers to keep improving. “Arise Congress 2.0 was top-notch and we give God the glory because truly we all have indeed GBERA,” he added.
Rhoda Akinteye, a delegate from the Kwara Baptist Conference, stated that the next edition presents an opportunity to deepen life-changing initiatives.
She expressed hope that future gatherings would provide more tangible benefits to participants.
She said: “My expectations for the next edition would be more opportunities for youths, they started something like that this year though, it would be awesome getting something more—scholarship for some, business grants for some, skill acquisition, you know, opportunities that would really impact life forever and youths can boldly say Arise Congress gave me this.”
Akinteye, however, noted that accommodation and transportation posed major challenges in the last edition. “The struggle people had to get transported from BICC to Redemption Camp was real. More buses can be provided to ease transportation for delegates,” she suggested.
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Ogunsanwo Adebayo of the Lagos West Baptist Conference described the congress as more than just a spiritual gathering, emphasizing its role in empowering Baptist youths to excel across different spheres.
“Personally, Arise Congress is more than just a gathering targeted at young believers, it’s an avenue to network, put your skill to work and even build your portfolio, what this means for Baptist youth is that we’re being primed to take up new roles and challenges regardless of where we find ourselves. It’s also a nod that we are the future and we must not back down. If we can be excellent in our local fellowships, we should be excellent at the convention level and not be limited to just church. For me, Arise Congress is the push many Baptist youth didn’t know we needed,” he explained.
Looking ahead, Adebayo called for the convention to leverage the platform to promote young talents beyond the church space. “This year, we saw a few entrepreneurs receiving grants from the convention—an initiative I really applaud, however, beyond the spiritual session, I want to see Arise Congress putting young people on bigger platforms, we have many talented individuals across different sectors and walks of life, the Congress should be an avenue for the Nigerian Baptist Convention to promote its own—whether you’re in the tech space, literature, academics, politics, entertainment—just name the sector,” he said.
With the curtain drawn on Arise Congress 2.0, the voices of these youths highlight both the successes of the recent edition and the areas of growth needed to make Arise Congress 3.0 an even more impactful platform for the next generation of leaders.
