The President of the Mothers Union and Women’s Guild of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), Mrs Angela Eberechukwu Ndukuba, has admonished the wives of the Archbishops and bishops of the Church of Nigeria to develop themselves to being vessels of honour for Divine use.
Ndukuba, who is also the wife of the Primate of all Nigeria and Leader of the Archbishops and Bishops’ wives addressed them at a national Retreat, with the theme, “Bishop’s Wife A Vessel unto Honour” (2Tim. 2:20,21), hosted by the Province of Jos at the Ibru Centre Agbarha-otor from January 13 to 16, 2021.
Reminding the Bishops’ wives that the Retreat was a set apart to prepare themselves for the task of co-shepherding with the bishops, the Leader enjoined them to work hard to enhance their value and relevance. “Sisters, we are all vessels, made of different materials. The particular material does not really matter, but being of honour. It is not automatic to be of honour, but worked out. Being vessel of honour is not about being honoured by people, but comes from within. Let us not feel that we have arrived, but work out our salvation to become vessels of honour for our Master’s use. We should be exemplary, available, and trustworthy,” she said.
Welcoming the Bishops’ wives to Ibru Centre, the Archbishop of Jos and Bishop of Yola, the Most Rev. Marcus Ibrahim, said they were compelled to host the Retreat at Ibru Centre because of the insecurities in the North East and urged them to make use of the beauty of the Ibru Centre for deeper meditation that connect them to the Lord for Divine Encounter.
In her welcome address, the Jos Archbishop’s wife, Mrs Lai’atu Marcus expressed appreciation for the opportunity to host the Retreat and appealed to the participants to take the programme seriously so that they would go back to their various dioceses better to do exploits for the Lord
Earlier in a Holy Communion service, presided by the Archbishop of Jos and Assisted by the Bishops of Bauchi and Langtang, the Rector of Ibru Centre Agbarha-otor and some clergy from Diocese of Ughelli, to begin the programme, the Bishop of Langtang, the Rt Rev Stanley Fube urged the women to endeavour to be the cause of upliftment and blessing, rather than the destructions of their husbands. Citing the Biblical stories of Eve, who made her husband eat the forbidden fruit; Jezebel, who asked her husband: “Are you not the king over Israel” to oppress and act in impunity; Abigail who intervened in the case between her husband and the king and the Shunamite woman who convinced her husband to receive a prophet, he underscored the great influence of women on their husbands both negatively and positively, stressing that women are capable of both bringing their husbands down and lifting them up.
Fube also poured encomiums on his wife and wished that other bishops’ wives should be so good for their husbands to sincerely speak good about them. “If testimony of your life can be shared by your husbands, children, clergy wives and parishioners, you are a virtuous woman”, he said.
Other speakers in the programme include the Rt Rev. Dr Olumuyiwa Ajayi (who led the Bible Study), the Rt Revds Prosper Amah, Godffery Ekpenisi, John Aruakpor, Foreman Nedison, the Rev. Canon Dr Alex Akpodiete (who gave a Health Talk), the Most Rev. Dr Cyril Odutemu (who did the exposition on the theme) and the Ven. Dr Princewill O. Ireoba (who gave the Final Charge)
