David Onwuchekwa, Nnewi
Twenty three years ago, Diocese of Nnewi Anglican Communion, Nnewi, Anambra State had Bishop Godwin Okpala as the man in charge. But recently, Rt. Rev. Ndubisi Chukwuka Obi took over the mantle of ‘shepherdship’ of the diocese after due process.
The election, consecration and enthronement of the new bishop were divinely schemed and generally accepted by people, according to parishioners who spoke on the chains of events.
The enthronement of Bishop Obi, an indigene of Nnewi witnessed a big turnout of members of Anglican Communion of all ranks and non-Anglicans alike, at St Mary’s Cathedral Uruagu, Nnewi where the event took place. In fact, the premises of the cathedral got filled to the brim and there was even overflow from inside the church auditorium.
There were bishops, business moguls, captains of industry, Government officials, traditional rulers and indeed people from all walks of life who came to witness the enthronement of a bishop revered as a great evangelist.
He was enthroned as the second bishop of the diocese since inception, an assignment that was performed by the Archbishop of the Niger Province, Bishop of Awka Diocese, Most Rev. Dr Alexander Ibezim who represented the Primate of all Anglican, Nigeria, Most Rev Dr Nicholas Okoh.
In his sermon, Bishop Obi called for grassroots evangelism and emphasized the need to uplift the welfare of the parishioners. He admonished the congregation to add more efforts in spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ with love in every corner as much as they could, an assignment he described as God’s agenda. He said that the global end-time evangelism was now for every Christian to be involved.
He appealed for support and expressed his readiness to develop the diocese spiritually and physically.
The bishop thanked Nnewi people for their love and magnanimity and the pioneer bishop, Okpala for laying good foundation of Nnewi Anglican Diocese.
Governor Willie Obiano represented by his deputy, Dr Nkem Okeke congratulated the new bishop and expressed the hope that his spiritual experience would help him to work for God and humanity in the state.
Speaking on the enthronement service, Chairman of Governing Board, Pentecost University project, Ozubulu, owned by the diocese, Chief Ben Aghazu said when he listened to the new bishop preach, that he shed tears of joy that God had answered the prayers of the people to have brought “a vessel that could be used to change values for better.”
He noted that in this part of the world, people seemed to worship money, promoting money above God: “You know in this town, if someone is said to be doing well that means he has the money and nobody wants to know how he or she makes the money”.
Chief Aghazu said he was convinced that the new bishop would draw a lot of people close to Jesus Christ, as he thanked God for the vision he said Bishop Obi enunciated from the pulpit.
According to him, it was vision of evangelism, to try to bring more people into the house of God. He also noted that many people called themselves Christians, “but a very small proportion of them are actually the children of God.”