By Christy Anyanwu
On Sunday, September 10, 2021, The Redeemed Evangelical Mission (TREM) headquarters in Lagos was agog with praise and worship. It was a day set aside to celebrate the leader of TREM, Bishop Mike Okonkwo, who clocked 76 on September 6.
Aside from the church choir, Evergreen Evangel Voices, DJ Sax took the congregation to another height of praise and worship.
Also present was the president of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Bishop Wale Oke, who walked into the church auditorium that fateful morning with an entourage of PFN top echelon.
Shortly after the worship, the PFN president mounted the pulpit and thanked God for keeping Bishop Okonkwo alive to mark 76 years in good health and sound mind.
“I give glory to God today for your life, to what you have been to me as a person, to the PFN, and to the body of Christ in Nigeria and globally.
“You are a global icon. You are a true father that has a heart of a shepherd, a man of impeccable integrity. I’m not playing on words, I’m an evangelist, I shoot straight, without any blemish,” he said.
According to him, the PFN delegates decided to surprise Bishop Okonkwo at the service because, he said, oftentimes the body of Christ forgets to celebrate its icons when they are alive, “but when they are gone, we blow grammar and start multiplying adjectives to qualify the demise.”
“Through the leading of the Holy Spirit, we decided we will come here today to celebrate a man who is one of the founding fathers of the PFN, a man of vision, a man who saw tomorrow, a man who created platforms for Pentecostals across Nigeria and across the world.
“He is one of the board of trustees of the PFN. He’s not just oneof the founding fathers who saw tomorrow, but a trusted person who laid down guiding principles and policies that have been guiding us till today through the wisdom God has given him,” he said.
Speaking further, he noted that Okonkwo was a truly detribalised Nigerian who did not care about origins but would open wide his arms to receive any child of God.
“If other Nigerians were really like Bishop Okonkwo, there would not be a problem at all. Nigeria would have been a paradise.
“I want to call on everybody in Nigeria, including politicians, traditional rulers, civil servants, the judiciary, academia, students, and market women to emulate a man like this,” he said.
He further declared that Okonkwo was a leader working for the unity of the nation and always bringing everybody together from all parts of the nation to make sure that Nigeria remained peaceful: “He is a profound spiritual leader, very prayerful; he loves worship and you can smell it in his church.
“He is a worthy example in every way. At the home front, we have never heard of any crisis between Baba and Mama Peace Okonkwo.”
The church leaders who came with Bishop Wale Oke included national vice-president of PFN, South West, John Osa Oni; Eyinnaya Okwuonu, Lagos State chapter chairman of PFN; Alex Bamgbola, the immediate past PFN and CAN chairman Lagos State; Emmanuel Oluwayemi and his wife, Akintunde Akinsanya; the chief of staff to the PFN president, Akinola Akinwale Damilare; national adminstrative secretary, Bimbo Olorunfemi; and media adviser to the president of PFN.
Bishop Okonkwo said he could not thank God enough for keeping him alive to witness 76 years.
He thanked the pastors and the congregation for their love and support that could not be quantified.
In an emotion-laden voice, he said, two days earlier, the Holy Spirit reminded him of God’s faithfulness, which kept him to witness 76 years on earth, otherwise he would not have been alive to witness the day.
“If I remember what I went through two or three years ago, I shouldn’t be alive but God has His plans for me. I thank God for the strength and my ability to still move around and engage in ministry work. It can only be God.
“I tell people that, if you are able to go to the bathroom, if you are able to dress up yourself, if you have appetite to eat, if you are able to do things for yourself, you should not take it for granted,” he said.
He also thanked the PFN leaders immensely for taking time out to celebrate him.
“I was surprised when the current president of PFN and his team entered the church unannounced. It is quite an honour and I don’t take it for granted that they are part of the celebration.
“We thank God for helpers. God will continue to keep the team and make the tenure of the PFN president a great success,” Okonkwo said.