From
Alphonsus Eze,Awka
The All
Saints Cathedral, Onitsha is not only the seat of the Bishop on the
Niger Diocese Anglican Communion, Church of Nigeria, it is also the first and
foremost church in Igbo land, since Late Bishop Ajayi Crowther and his evangelistic
team brought the first gospel to Onitsha in 188….
Since
then, the Anglican Church has continued to spread to other parts of
Igbo with just one diocese from the Cathedral, like fire that
it has now beget many other dioceses in the area and it still playing its
leading and motherly role up till today, sending missionaries and pioneering
churches in Igbo land, Nigeria and even in West Coast of Africa.
In a bid
to strengthen the Cathedral on the work of evangelism and preparing
the saints, the Bishop on the Niger, Rt. Rev. Owen Nwokolo penultimate Sunday
collated and inducted Ven. Obiora Uzochukwu as the sub-dean of the
Cathedral.
He replaced
Ven. Dr. Emmanuel Ekpunobi, who retired after a meritorious service
to the church.
Ven.
Uzochukwu who was until his elevation as an Archdeacon and sub-dean was the
Canon and Vicar of St. Faith Anglican Church, Fegge, Onitsha and secretary of
education of the diocese, positions that he was said to have discharged
creditably that Bishop Nwokolo was impressed that when he was searching for the
replacement of Dr. Ekpunobi, Uzochukwu became the natural choice.
Nwokolo,
who installed Uzochukwu with two other of his Bishops; Rt. Revs. Paul Udogu of
Afikpo Missionary Diocese and Bishop of Ehamufu Missionary Diocese. He charged
him to rededicate himself to the service of God and the people because the
elevation or appointment into the office of sub-dean is a call to serve.
He said
that people who are hard working in the vine yard of God are promoted or
given higher responsibilities to continue in the service of
God and charged the new sub-dean that his new appointment calls for more
service and dedication to duty.
Bishop
Nwokolo advised him to be more dedicated and committed to his work for the
church especially his pastoral duties.
To the
congregation, the Bishop urged to them pray for the ministers of God, so that
they can fulfill their divine mandate, noting that there was tendency for
the church members to be looking out for mistakes by men of
God instead of praying for them.
The
Bishop equally charged the members of the church to listen to the ministers of
God when they speak and prophesy, so that the word of God can
have impact in their lives and the society generally.
In his
sermon titled the Urgency of Missions in Igbo land, Bisop Udogu of
Afikpo Missionary Diocese decried the increasing
wickedness, idolatory and lack of fear of God in Igbo land
many years after the advent of Christianity, stressing that
there urgent and compelling need for the re-evangelisation of the area to
escape the impending wrath of God.
Bishop Udogu went down memory lane, when Late Bishop Ajayi
Crowther led a team of Church Missionary Society (CMS), and found out
that the natives were neck-deep into human sacrifices, barbaric tradition,
idolatry, wickedness in the form of slavery and immorality among other vices.
The Bishop of Afikpo Diocese lamented that after 157 years of
Christianity in Igbo land, said that wickedness and other forms of vices were
still manifesting in the highest order in the form of
kidnappings, assassinations, and other forms violent crimes.
He said
that the fear of God among the people is almost at the lowest ebb as kidnappers
and other perpetrators of criminality enter the church to search and
attack their victims.
The Bishop said that while these were going on, there was no serious
attempt to restore core Igbo values, rather idolatry in the name
of cultural revival are on the increase.
He said if the tide must be stemmed , there is compelling need for the re-evangelize of Igbo land by churches especially the Church of Nigeria,
Anglican Communion, and urged those who were collated to to be in the
vanguard of spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ in the area.
The Sub-dean said that his elevation was an
opportunity to serve God with all his determination so as to meet
up with the high expectation of the people especially, the members of All
Saints Cathedral Onitsha.
He however promised that by the grace of God, he will do his best
to lift the spiritual lives of the members of the Cathedral
as well as improve the physical condition of the Cathedral.
Uzochukwu
attended Bishop Crowther Memorial Seminary, Awka, Anambra State, St Paul’s
College, Awka where he obtained Dip. In Theology and B. A Religion. He
also attended Institute of Management and Technology (IMT), Enugu; and
holds Post Graduate Diploma in Management. He started his priestly career
at St. John’s Anglican Church, Umueze-Anam, Anambra West Local Government Area
of Anambra State where he later transferred to St. Faith Anglican Church,
Onitsha from there he was made an Archdeacon and appointed Sub-Dean.
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