TRINITY ORDINATION SERVICE OF DIOCESE ON THE NIGER HELD ON SUNDAY 9TH JUNE, 2013 @ CATHEDRAL CHURCH OF ALL SAINTS ONITSHA PRESIDED BY THE RIGHT REVEREND OWEN CHIEDOZIE NWOKOLO, BISHOP ON THE NIGER. To the glory of God the corporate service which featured Holy Communion, Ordination of four Deacons among other things that make up a divine service had as her Retreatant and Guest Preacher as The Right Reverend Chijioke Oti, the Bishop of Diocese on the Lake. At Ten o’clock dot, the Cathedral bell rang; and an orderly and colourful procession began. The procession had the choir, church teachers, order of Knights, the clergy who file out in the order of seniority; from Priests, Canons to the Archdeacons, the Chancellor of the Diocese accompanied by the registrar, two other Legal Secretaries of the Diocese while the fourth procession had the Bishop on the Niger Emeritus Rt Rev’d Ken Sandy Edozie Okeke followed by the Guest Preacher Rt Rev’d Chijioke Oti then the papa in the house Rt Rev’ Owen Nwokolo Bishop on the Niger accompanied by the bishop’s chaplain and his assistant. In the chancel the Bishop received the Boys and Girls Brigade in a colour party before the service commenced proper. The Bishop on the Niger Emeritus, Rt Rev’d Ken Okeke examined the Ordinands on behalf of the Diosesan as a way to determine their preparedness. This was followed by the Oath taken and Declarations as administered by the Chancellor of the Diocese and assisted by the His Legal team. Immediately after the LITERNY (Prayer of Repentance) the Bishop Rt Rev’d Owen Nwokolo ordained the four new Deacons namely: Rev’d Chukwudi Beluolisa Josiah Okafor Former general Secretary of DONAYF Rev’d Ord Matthew Uzochukwu Chukwuneme Rev’d Ugochukwu Alex Onukegbe Rev’d Innocent Onyekwere Ohaeri We congratulate these Reverend gentle men. In his sermon at the Ordination service, the guest preacher Rt Rev Chijioke Oti exhorted the newly ordained to be humble and shun every act of pride and strive to fulfill there ministry and calling. He spoke on the THEME: GOD CALLS THOSE HE WANTS, he took his text from the Gospel of Jesus Christ according to St Mark Chapter 3:13-16. He stressed the fact that Jesus had to call twelve to be with him, and work with him during his earthly ministry. He went further to pinpoint that there were four cadre of people who followed Jesus while on his earthly mission. (a) Those who wanted to find fault in his works. (b) Those who wanted and needed miracles of healing and so on. (c) Those who wanted to serve him (d) Those who were merely observers At this juncture the preacher put across a rhetorical question, “which class of people are you in the Church of God? Well, in the midst of the four class of people Christ called out twelve to work with on earth. Calling them He had four cardinal purposes He wanted them to serve. FOUR CARINAL THINGS JESUS CALLED US TO DO FOR HIM: (a) To be with Him ie- study his word, learn from Him and Live like Him. (b) To preach the word of God. (c) To heal all manner of sicknesses and diseases. (d) To cast out demons and evil spirits of all kinds. Bishop Oti, emphasized that the work of casting out demons is not meant for charlatans or prayer merchants, that it is the core right of every believer especially the ordained of God. He encouraged the newly ordained and the clergy even the lay evangelists to see this as the complete task of the master. See Mark 3:13-16 and Mark 16:17. Bishop Oti, stated that the Power to heal the sick or cast out demons are expressly available to us at all times; all we need do is activate it when there is need via fervent prayers, faith and purity as a prerequisite condition. CONCLUSION: “But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, (hardships) do the work of an Evangelist, make full prove of thy ministry”. 2 Timothy 4:5 With the above word of admonition from St Paul to Timothy, Rt Rev’d Chijioke Oti, charge the newly ordained and the clergy to be humble in the area of their services, to endure hardship which according to him must come though in diverse ways, to be prayerful and to see the work of preaching the gospel as their primary assignment by this they shall fulfill their ministry. This is because weeping may endure for a night but joy cometh in the morning. He finally prayed for Rev’d Chukwudi, Uzochukwu, Ugochukwu and Onyekwere that God may equip, uphold and commission them for the services in His vine yard. By Bro Lucky Onosike Ohia
Posted on: Sun, 09 Jun 2013 17:41:41 +0000
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