By Job Osazuwa
Members of the Good Shepherd Society of Archbishop Vining Memorial Church Cathedral, Ikeja, Lagos, were in a boisterous mood on August 13. That was when the society marked its 45th anniversary.
The society, as gathered, was founded in the church to propagate the gospel of Jesus Christ and
cater for the needs of the less-privileged within and outside the church.
The group had, in January 2015, embarked on a building project for the deaf to worship
God. Having completed and dedicated the multi-purpose building, the members described it as the most pronounced achievement of the society in recent years.
During a thanksgiving mass at the church, the President of the society, Gabriel Okoli said the
faithfulness of God and generous donations by the church members as well as non-members facilitated the multi-million naira building.
While expressing gratitude to the church for its prayers and financial support, he urged the members and other congregants not to relent in their efforts in donating to God’s work.
He told Daily Sun that the worship centre was carefully designed to meet the yearnings of the
hearing-impaired people. He regretted that the society often neglects such category of people, especially when public facilities are being built. He expressed the optimism that the beneficiaries’ spiritual commitment to God, would, henceforth, be strengthened as they now have a conducive environment and the right equipment to worship.
“I thank those that God raised to ensure the completion our building project for the Christian Mission for the Deaf Centre at Akpata Street, Somolu, which was dedicated on August 7, by the Bishop, Rt. Rev. James Olusola Odedeji. I also thank the immediate past executives of the society for keeping the flag alive,” he said.
He pledged to take the society to the next level by strengthening the evangelical team through
the support of all members.
Okoli said he was privileged that the centre was opened during his tenure, adding that he was
delighted to see the plight of the downtrodden being ameliorated.
The presiding priest prayed for all members of the Good Shepherd Society for re-dedicating themselves to the service of the church and the society at large. The members promised to continue to be honest and selfless in their daily activities.
The priest charged them to live a life without spot or wrinkle, saying that God does not harbour evil. Amid singing and dancing, they thanked God for helping them to complete all the projects they had embarked on in the past years, and the rest of the congregation rejoiced with the society.
New members were admitted into the society, and they were presented to the church and prayed for.