By Brown Chimezie

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On Sunday, June 18, 2017, members of the Church of the Advent, Diocese of Lagos Anglican Church Communion, Alahun Osumba Estate, Mazamaza, Lagos State, rolled out the drums to celebrate fathers in the congregation.
While tracing the history of the day and the role of fathers in nation building, the vicar, Rev. Goodluck Nwosu, said Father’s Day was inaugurated in the early 20th century to complement Mother’s Day, by celebrating fathers and male parenting. He noted that fathers were expected to exhibit exemplary conduct that would mould children into future leaders. According to the cleric, it is the responsibilities of fathers, as the first teachers of their children, to teach them, from early childhood to become clear-thinking and enlightened citizens who participate in decisions concerning society. He regretted that most men have failed in their responsibilities as fathers to inculcate in their children good moral values.
Guest speaker, Evangelist Patrick Aliene, in his sermon, said the lack of good moral values was responsible for hate speech and the quit notice to the Igbo by some groups in the North. He urged fathers to live up to their responsibility by discouraging their children and wards from engaging in vices cable of dividing the nation. He advised them to obey God and keep His commandments, noting that in return their children would obey them.
“God is looking for fathers He can release unlimited blessing to for the purpose of healing our ailing nation,” Aliene said and called on fathers to support their wives to bring up their children in the fear of the Lord.
While charging wives to be submissive to their husbands, the preacher cautioned that men should not fail as breadwinners as well as in their marital, financial and other obligations. According to him, God handed the family over to the man as a father and would ask the man to give account of his stewardship as a father on Judgment Day. The cleric tasked fathers to discipline their children whenever such children were going astray, even as he charged them to always defend their families from external negative influence.
Responding on behalf of fathers of the Church of the Advent, president of the fathers group, Mr. Darlington Gilbert, assured the congregation that the men would do everything to discharge their responsibilities as fathers. He thanked wives for their understanding and efforts to keep the home front intact while the men were away, looking for the daily bread.
The event featured a drama presentation by the Girls Guide with the title “Father is a visitor.” Other side attractions at were the presentation of gifts to fathers, exchange of gifts among families as well as the unveiling of this year’s harvest banner entitled: ‘Unlimited blessing.’