The Nation Newspaper

Tag: church

  • Church cleans up communities

    Church cleans up communities

    Mindful of the maxim that cleanliness is next to Godliness, members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints penultimate Saturday went to the streets of Lagos and other areas in 22 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to clean up filthy environments. This they did for three hours each day.

    The cleaning exercise was in commemoration of the annual “All Africa Helping Hands Community Service Project.”

    The exercise, which held simultaneously in other countries of West Africa, was carried out in conjunction with the Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA).

    The theme for this year’s project was “Hand in Hand, Serving the Community.”

    The starting point of the clean-up exercise in Lagos was Awori Street, off Capitol, Orile-Agege, where over 20,000 members of the church and its partners converged, armed with work tools before going to different areas of the state.

    The members engaged in clearing of blocked drainage systems, tree planting, building bridges, beautification of sites, painting and renovating public buildings and cutting overgrown grasses in markets and public places. The service will be extended to orphanage homes and the prisons.

    The project was carried out simultaneously in the FCT, Abia, Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Enugu, Imo, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Jos, Kwara; Kaduna, Plateau and River states and 30 African countries.

    The immediate past Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of LAWMA, Mr Ola Oresanya praised the church for articulating their faith and belief by eradicating contagious diseases and solving immediate problems facing communities.

    Describing the partnership between the church and the waste managers as fruitful one, Oresanya thanked the church for donating labour and time to service of humanity.

    Some of the areas which benefitted from the project include the Oba’s Palace and Town Hall in Ondo, the Akure State capital and the king’s palace in Ile-Ife and Abeokuta; clearing and cleaning of Ipata Market, Ilorin East Local Government Area; painting and clearing of the palace of the Olubadan of Ibadan.

    In Ijebu-Ode, the Outpatient and Children Emergency Units of Ijebu-Ode General Hospital were repainted, its surroundings cleared, trees were planted in the premises, medical equipment such as litmus, stethoscopes and sphygmomanometer were donated and abandoned patients were reached out to.

     

  • Church to assist the poor

    Regular succour would soon be coming the way of widows, orphans and other less-privileged members of the seedy and ancient community of Igbo Olori Ota, in Ado/Odo/Ota Local Government Area of Ogun State.

    A century-old church in the community-African Church, Nigeria, said it has concluded plans to have “special collections” in monetary form from its members on a regular basis in aid of the widows and other less-privileged persons not only in its fold but also for others in the missionary environment.

    Beside the monetary assistance, the prospective beneficiaries would also receive gift items as well as entrepreneurial trainings in soap and cream-making, among others to enable some of them to be productive and have modicum sources of income of their own.

    Igbo Olori Ota is home to the imposing St Michael Bethel Cathedral, the seat of the newly created Awori Central Diocese of the African Church (Nigeria). It is believed to have been built in 1904, and situates few metres away from the Palace of the Olota of Ota.

    The Bishop of Awori Central Diocese, Rev. Ade Fagbayi, who was enthroned on Sunday as the Pioneer Bishop by the Primate of African Church in Nigeria, His Eminence, Emmanuel Josiah Udofia, unfolded this agenda at the Cathedral in commemoration of the maiden anniversary of the diocese.

    Fagbayi, who noted that Christians should impact on the society positively, said early church grew steadily because of love and care shown to people in their missionary areas.

    “Charity begins at home for the people in the household of God; but that does not mean we should close our eyes to the needy in the society and our neighbourhood.

    “We still have to help others and give beyond the shores of the church, to reach the widows, young unemployed graduates and other less-privileged persons.

    “The society and the church are symbolically related; to a reasonable extent, they are inseparable. Church members live within the society and members of the same society attend the church.

    “So, it becomes imperative on us to demonstrate the virtues of love, charity, holiness and truthfulness which characterised the early church and enhanced their steady growth,” Fagbayi said.

    The Bishop, however, rued the proliferation of churches in the society, saying it has only had “little impact on morals and good character” of Christians.

    According to him, Nigerian Christians must guard against losing the saltiness in them as the “hope of a better society, to a large extent, rests on the church.”

  • God will disgrace those plotting against me – Wike

    God will disgrace those plotting against me – Wike

    Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has declared that those planning to truncate the lifespan of his administration will be disgraced by God.

    Addressing members of Lord’s Chosen Renewal Charismatic Ministry in Port Harcourt on Sunday, Governor Wike said that his victory at the polls was ordained by God and made possible by prayers of clerics including those of Pastors of the Lord’s Chosen.
    ” Those who are fighting and plotting to truncate the lifespan of the mandate freely given to me by the people of Rivers State, will be disgraced by the God of the Lord’s Chosen .
    “The way the God of the Lord’s Chosen did it on April 11, that is how he will do it again “.
    The governor recalled that it was at the Lord’s Chosen Renewal Charismatic Ministry, Rivers State headquarters that he made a vow that if the rumour that he was a member of a cult, he should not win the governorship election.
    He said he won the governorship election because the rumour spread by the opposition was false.
    The governor said that his administration be virtue of strategic planning has confounded those who claimed that road construction cannot take place at the height of the rainy season.

  • Multiple blasts in Jos Church

    Four blasts reportedly rocked Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) in Tudun Wada area of Jos North Local Government of Plateau State on Sunday morning.
    The bomb planted in the hall of the church was discovered by the security men on duty.
    Plateau Police Command confirmed the incident and said the IED has been evacuated by its anti bomb squad by 10am.
    Police Spokesperson ASP Abu Emmanuel said the bomb did not explode in the church and so no casualty was recorded.
    He said the scene has been cordoned off and security beefed up in all worship centers in the city

  • Church holds exhibition

    Thirty colourful works created by children and teens will be on display between July 11and 12, at the St Andrews Anglican Church Gallery, Ojota, Ogudu, Lagos.

    The exhibition tagged What colour is God, is organised as part of the church’s 2015 Harvest of Increase celebration to be hosted by the Apostle of Peace (AOP) society.

    The Chair/Programme Director of the Harvest 2015,  Eze Afieroho, made this known at abriefing organised last week at the church office in Lagos.

    Afieroho said “this exhibition align with our vision as a society and is an important opportunity to showcase who God is to the community, kindling the creativity of our children and to provide the flavor of what the church intend to achieved when the proposed children and teen church is completed.”

    He noted that “AOP inaugurated in 2013 is one of the rapidly growing societies in the church that is committed to spreading the good news and reaching out to the community through various social welfare program; like the Food Bank during festive periods, Health/Wellbeing program and the Water project to the Ogudu community.

    Afieroho stressed that the programme encourages curiosity, critical thinking and ongoing collaborative investigation with the main objective of bringing the society back to God.

    “The project is beyond being a part of the church’s 2011 harvest programme,” according to the Vicar of the church, Ven Kelvin Tope-Tapere  said that it will also teach our young people the power of creative thinking as a medium to reflect the quality God imputed in them. Every human mind is imputed with God’s kind of capacity for creativity; a blessing when used rightly and a curse when wrongly used.”

    He said that the the children developed art works around the theme of God’s nature as love, purity, kindness and mercy with support from professional artists and the Sunday school teachers.

    The consulting artist, Adubi Mydaz Makinde, said that the exhibition will serve as a medium of reach and big inspiration to the immediate church community and society at large.

    ’What Colour Is God’ art project[1]  has already exposed the participating children/teens to a world of creativity and the beauty of teamwork. “As the facilitator, my main goal is to help discover and unlock hidden talents amongst them as well as show to the world that when and if led well in the way of God, children are indeed the greatest part of our future”, he said.

     

     

  • Suicide bomber kills 5 in Church

    A male suicide bomber has killed five people, including a woman with her baby at a church in Jigawa area, outskirts of Potiskum, Yobe state.

    According to eyewitness, a tricycle rider dropped off the bomber at the church premises where he disguised as a worshiper before carrying out his mission.

    A rescue worker who does not want to be mentioned informed that one of the victims, a woman was killed with a baby strapped on her back.

    The Church is one of the out-reach station of the Redeemed Christian Church of God .

    A source at the Potiskum General Hospital told our correspondent that five people were brought in dead with one person injured.

    “We have received five dead bodies plus the suicide bomber. Only one person is injured,” the source informed.

  • Church to build school

    Church to build school

    The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Dominion Chapel, 32, Pure Water Street, Arepo, Ogun State, will establish an ultra-modern school in commemoration of its fourth anniversary.

    The thanksgiving service was attended by Assistant Pastor-in-Charge of Province, Bisi Olowoyo, Pastor-in-Charge of Area (PICA)  Kunle Taiwo, their spouses, members of City of Refuge and House of David (Youth Church) parishes.

    In his message, “How God works”, Pastor Olowoyo identified faith, love and joy in knowing God as the three basic things that attract divine attention and blessings.

    He said the parish has lived up to its foundational prophecy as “the Church in Arepo”, when it was established four years ago.

    The Pastor-in-Charge, Victor Ayodele, appreciated God and the congregation for their support, which he noted, has helped the church’s growth.

    In his remark, “Our Beginning”, Ayodele said the love of God is visible in the modest landmarks recorded by the parish.

    He said there are more grounds to be covered.

    Ayodele spoke of the parish’s plan to build a school on a parcel of land donated by a family at Magboro.

  • Church decries endorsement of same-sex marriage

    Last Friday’s ruling of the United States (U.S.) Supreme Court, legalising same-sex marriage has been described as “an attack on the church, Christianity and traditional values”.

    A statement from the leadership of Motailatu Church Cherubim and Seraphim Worldwide, signed by His Eminence, Senior Superintendent Gabriel F. Akinadewo (Omo Jesu II) and Senior Apostle Godfrey Dottie, described the action as unfortunate, “coming from a country which adopts ‘In God we Trust’ as its creed.

    “If individuals are involved in homosexuality, we didn’t expect the highest level of judiciary, the Supreme Court, to officially and legally okay such a satanic belief. It was even a surprise to us, as a church, that the highest level of executive, President Barack Obama, has also endorsed this luciferic belief that a man can marry a man and a woman can marry a woman.

    “There are countless verses in the Bible to knock off this belief but Genesis 1:27 tells us that God created man and woman. God created Adam and Eve, not Adam and Adam or Eve and Eve. Genesis 1:31 tells us that everything God created was good.

    “It is unfortunate that many Euro-Atlantic countries have moved away from their roots, God’s and Christian values by pursuing policies that challenge God’s wisdom in creating man and woman to replenish the earth.”

    “It is true that man has freedom but man’s freedom is not absolute before God. By having faith in God and also believing in satan, the world is gradually slipping away into destruction.

    “Since The Netherlands legalised same-sex marriage on April 1, 2001, about 20 countries, including Norway, South Africa, Sweden, Britain, Brazil, New Zealand, Uruguay, France, Denmark and now the U.S., have joined the devilish train of man sleeping with man and woman sleeping with woman.

    “It is a terrible thing for anybody to live without God or, directly or indirectly, fight God through satanic words and action. We, as a church, are telling the world to beware of evil influences capable of incurring God’s wrath. We are telling other parts of the world: ‘stop this satanic action now’.

  • Church donates to General Hospital

    The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Lagos Province 10, Orile Agege has donated items to Orile Agege General Hospital, Lagos.

    The church donated 15 mattress, 20 Chairs and 20 lockers to the Children Department of the hospital as part of its corporate social responsibility.

    Assistant Pastor-in-charge of the Province, Pastor Ayodele John said the donation was a way to give back to the society and to let them know that the Church is concerned about their needs.

    A Consultant in the hospital, Dr Aduke Odutayo who received the items, thanked the church for the gesture.

    Dr Odutayo said the action is apt because the church has met the needs of the department. She prayed God to enrich the church and make them to expand.

    The Principal Medical Officer of the Hospital, Dr Arikenbi Temidire said she was excited because the province promised them and fulfilled it. She said she will make sure the children enjoy all the equipments presented by the church and it would enable them to enjoy their stay in the hospital.

  • Church prays for the media

    Church prays for the media

    Our Lady Queen of Nigeria Pro-Cathedral, Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja, during its commemoration of this year’s Communication Day, remembered and prayed for the media.

    The event, which doubled as the Parish’s Cultural Day, witnessed lively outings of its members who were adorned in various traditional attires.

    It was a platform to pray for and celebrate media practitioners across the country. According to the Parish Administrator, Rev. Fr. Jude Nwigwe, the press is being engaged to gather and spread information to the general public;thus, the need to pray for and celebrate them.

    About 88 children also received their first Holy Communion. Rev. Fr Nwigwe stated that despite the fact that Christianity is a foreign religion, it could be internalised to foster unity among the various ethnic divides.

    According to the Priest, the 88 children who received their first Holy Communion are expected to grow in the doctrines of Christ.

    “We are celebrating the Communion but the Catholic Church set this day aside to celebrate the body of Christ which is the spiritual nourishment for our souls. As a Parish, we have many children, about 88 of them who are receiving their Holy Communion for the first time,” Nwigwe said.

    Also present at the event was the Chief Imam, Apo Legislative Quarters, Sheikh Nurakalid. The Muslim cleric identified the need for communication, stressing that it would foster mutual understanding and public enlightenment.

    For him, it is when members of the public are well enlightened through religious teachings that peaceful co-existence can be guaranteed.

    “If I respect my own culture, I have to respect your own culture and when I do that, our cultures will bring harmony to us. It won’t destroy us. So, by communicating our cultures, we are promoting unity.

    “They are my colleagues; we are men of God working for faith. We work for humanity and a better life. That is why I am here to honour their invitation,” the clergy added.

    Chief Matthew Onyechi, a parishioner praised the initiative. He said the Church doesn’t discriminate, so it was an opportunity to promote national unity.

    Secretary, Organising Committee of the event, Mrs. Henrietta Emman-Okechukwu restated that communication and culture through traditional displays are aimed at closing the gaps in the society.

    She said it was also meant to ignite cohesion and acceptability irrespective of the culture and ethnic background of the people. “We are committed to unity in diversity,” she noted.