WELCOME ADDRESS DELIVERED AT 2023 DIVCCON
BY HIS GRACE, THE MOST REV’D DR. HENRY C. NDUKUBA,
THE PRIMATE OF ALL NIGERIA
THEME: WHAT IS THAT IN YOUR HAND (EXODUS 4:2)
Protocol:
Preamble:
We will exalt you, our God the King; We will praise your name for ever and ever. Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; His greatness no one can fathom.[1] We give immense thanks to the Lord who saw us through the period of the electioneering and transition. He delivered us from the plot of the wicked. It is by His mercy and power that we were not consumed. Malachi 3:6 says, For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed. You shall not be consumed, the hardship of this time will not consume you in. Indeed, we have every reason to thank God.
We are delighted to welcome you to the2023 Divine Commonwealth Conference (DIVCCON). We are grateful to the God Almighty for the gift of life, and for granting us the opportunity to gather at His feet. All who are here today have made significant sacrifices, given the biting economic condition of our dear country Nigeria. We appreciate this sacrifice and pray that through this Conference the LORD will enrich your spirit and soul, and began great a great revival in you in this end-time, in Jesus Christ’s name. Amen!
We express sincere appreciation to the DIVCCON Planning Committee ably led by The Most Rev Tunde Adeleye and all members of his team. We appreciate all our Archbishops, Bishops, Clergy, and Laity for your support and commitment to this vision.
OUR THEME: “WHAT IS THAT IN YOUR HAND?” (Exodus 4:2)
Introduction:
The theme for this year’s DIVCCON is “WHAT IS THAT IN YOUR HAND?” taken from Exodus 4:2. It is both timely and prophetic, and introduces a new season and a fresh motivation for the people of God. The context of the text reveals that God had seen the oppression of His people in Egypt and had remembered His covenant promise to Abraham (Gen. 15:13-16, Ex. 3:7). At the fullness of time God called Moses at the scene of the ‘burning bush’, and revealed Himself to him by the covenant name, YAHWEH, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Ex. 4:14-15). God gave Moses a clear mandate: “Come now, therefore, and I will send you to Pharoah that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt” (v.10). Moses, however, was worried about a possible unbelief of the Israelites in Egypt.
The question, What is that in your hand? was in response to Moses’ expressed concerns and worries. It was at the event of the “Burning Bush,” when God called Moses to confront Pharaoh and lead the Israelites out of bondage in Egypt. Overwhelmed by self-doubt and inadequacy, Moses questioned his ability to fulfil this monumental task and gave one excuse after the other, why he should be excused. But God insisted, Moses had to frankly express his fear of rejection and failure: “But suppose they will not believe or listen to my voice; suppose they say: ‘The Lord has not appeared to you’”[2] and God responded by asking him, What is that in your hand?
There are similarities between the experience of Moses and the Church of God in Nigeria today. Moses was gripped by doubt and insecurity, doubting his own capabilities. In the face of a crucial divine task, he expressed his inadequacy and fear of rejection. Likewise, the Christian church is inundated with internal and external battle. The battle is fierce now than ever, internally we are contending against the evil revisionist agenda of homosexuality, bestiality etc with deceitful manipulation of poor nations with money. The global Church is under fierce attack of heresies and revisionist ideology of the West. We must continue to stand strong against them in the power of God with the little resources in our hands. God always has His remnants and witnesses in every generation, we are not afraid to stand alone with God in this battle! Externally, we are confronted with radical and vicious Islamic jihadist movement. In Nigeria today, the church is under huge attack of land grabbing, killings, injustice, insecurity, institutionalized corruption, economic hardship, and severe oppression of the common man. Like Moses, it is natural to sink into despair and disillusionment in the face of such threats and enormous challenges. However, the question, “What is that in your hand?” reinforces God’s willingness to help us despite these myriads of challenges. And like Moses, God want His church to contend with the forces of darkness with the Gospel of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. We have the mandate of hope amidst hopelessness, peace and love in the midst of trouble and hatred to heal our broken society. This is the conviction God intends to bring upon us in this Conference – there is no room for excuses or exemption. We must launch out of this Conference with the gospel of Christ Jesus.
Our Identity and Heritage
The rod in the hand of Moses identified him as a shepherd; it was a symbol of his trade. Moses’ identity could not be mistaken as a proud prince of Egypt – his rod gave him away as a humble shepherd in the Wilderness. For us as believer in the finished work of salvation in Christ Jesus, our identity and spiritual heritage in Christ cannot be hidden . We are God’s children, adopted into God’s family and made new creations in Christ Jesus (Jn. 1:12, Eph. 2:19, 2Cor. 5:17). We have been redeemed by the precious blood of Christ, justified by faith in Christ, and being sanctified, we become the righteousness of God (Col. 1:14, 1Cor. 6:11, 2Cor. 5:21). We are seated with Christ in the heavenly realms above principalities and powers, we have overcome the Evil One and are more than conquerors in Christ Jesus (Eph. 2:6, Rev. 12:11, Rom. 8:37). We are heirs of God – joint heirs with Christ, sharing His inheritance with Him; we are citizens of heaven (Gal. 4:6-7; Rom. 8:17, Phil. 3:20). We are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.[3] God’s utmost concern is to draw our attention to our identity and spiritual heritage in Christ Jesus. This is the ‘rod in our hands’. It is the divine instrument for dismantling every siege of oppression in our families and the society. Our theme calls us to discover our heritage in Christ – the great work that God has wrought in us. This is because God considers us fit for the task of liberation of the souls of men and transformation of our nation. So, discovering our identity and heritage gives us the confidence to stand up to the challenges of our time.
Surrendering Our Ordinary things
Moses identified the rod in his hand, an ordinary shepherd staff; he then surrendered it to God, demonstrating his yieldedness. This was the beginning of Moses’ transformation. God is calling us to wholeheartedly surrender our lives to him. When we humbly yield our rod to the LORD, we shall see God’s supernatural abilities demonstrated: the ordinary becomes extraordinary, the mundane becomes miraculous, and the commonplace becomes a conduit of God’s power. In an era of religious apostasy and national uncertainties, God asks His children: “What is that in your hand?” It is a call for unreserved surrender of our talents and treasures to God. For only what is yielded to God can be useful in His kingdom. Imagine what would have happened if Moses could not identify the rod in his hand or yield it to God’s use. The consequences would be horrific: the nation of Israel would have remained in slavery; countless people would have died oblivious of the power of God; Moses would have passed away in obscurity; and the rod would have perished as an ordinary rod. Perhaps the siege in our time lingers because God is yet to find Christians who are willing to yield their rods to Him.
Our Ordinariness Becoming Inestimable Potential In God’s Hand
God does not require us to possess extraordinary resources or talents to accomplish His purposes. Often, He chooses to work through the seemingly insignificant and ordinary aspects of our lives. God’s question to Moses challenges our perception of our own limitations and compels us to recognize the potential in what we already have.
God has often used what are in people’s hands to do mighty things, for instance:
- 600 Philistines were killed with an oxgoad in the hand Shamgar, son of Anath (Judges 3:31).
- 1000 Philistines were slain with a donkey’s jawbone in the hand of Samson (Judges 15:15,16).
- The terrorizing Giant, Goliath, was killed with a stone and sling in the hand of a shepherd boy, David (1 Samuel 17:49)
- Over 5000 were fed with Five barley loaves and two small fish in the hand of a little boy and 12 baskets of leftover fragments gathered (John 6:9-13), etc.
Invitation to Offer What Is In Our Hands To Him,
“What is that in your hands?” invites us to take stock of the gifts, talents, and resources that God has uniquely entrusted to us. Each one of us has been blessed with a variety of abilities, whether they are intellectual, creative, relational, or material in nature. These gifts are not by chance or accidental; rather, they are providential or intentional endowments from God, who, by asking this question, challenges us to embrace a posture of stewardship. He desires that we appreciate what we have been provided for His glory and the betterment of others. It is a call to recognize that our possessions, skills, and opportunities are not solely for our own benefit but are, also, to be employed in service to God’s kingdom.
“What is that in your hands?” is a reminder of the potential and responsibility we carry as individuals and as a community of faith. God has provided all that we need to survive and succeed in our background, training, experience, intellect, position, relation, expertise, personality, wealth, connection, knowledge, etc. We don’t really need to go out begging or bowing to the Devil for help. All we need is to answer the question by truly knowing what we have and making best use of them under God. We are challenged to reflect upon the gifts, talents, and resources that God has placed in our hands for His glory and the service of humanity. Each one of us has been uniquely endowed by God with abilities and opportunities to make a difference in the world.
God invites us to offer what is in our hands to Him, to surrender our resources to His guidance and direction. When we place our ordinary offerings in His hands, He has the power to transform them into extraordinary instruments for His work.
Living In Partnership With God
As God’s workman created in Christ Jesus unto good works.[4] God desires to partner with us to achieve His eternal purpose on earth. When he created man, he empowered him to subdue the earth and have dominion over every living being[5]. Our theme, “What is that in your hands?” reveals God’s desire to partner with us and use our feeble resource and skill to demonstrate His power and glory. You must overcome our fears and step out in faith, trusting God to bless our endeavors and crown our efforts with success. Like Moses, we may feel inadequate or ill-prepared or not equipped for the tasks before us. However, God’s question reminds us that it is not about our own abilities but about His presence and power working through us. Do not be deterred by your perceived inadequacies or the enormity of the challenges before you. God uses the ordinary things to accomplish the extraordinary. When we offer what is in our hands to Him, He multiplies our efforts, magnifies our impact, and brings about His kingdom on earth. When we trust in Him, He equips us and enables us to fulfil His purposes.
Eschew Excuses
When God calls us to serve Him or walk with Him in any task He expect us to trust Him for its accomplishment. We must eschew excuses when it comes to the work of the Kingdom. The excuses of Moses were not welcomed by God[6] because they indicate his lack of faith in God. Likewise, God is not pleased with our excuses. Our excuses only demonstrate our lack of faith in God. What Moses failed to understand at this time was that when God calls, He always guarantees and furnishes all that is needed to accomplish His will. It’s important to point out that for each excuse Moses expressed, God had a satisfying and abundant provision. This is also true today. When God calls a person to do something, He always guarantees and furnishes all that we would ever need.
The provision of God, like the shepherd’s staff, may not be obvious immediately, but with faith and submission to God, it becomes instrument of power and transformation. As Moses’ trust in God grew, so did the magnitude of miracles God work through him. We should learn to take the step of faith and heed the call of God. Excuses are not acceptable!
Call unto Mission to the Nations
As God sent Moses to Egypt, so, He is sending us to the nation today. As the Church of Nigeria, we are entrusted with the mission to proclaim the Gospel to the nations of the world. We are called to heal the broken-hearted, and to bring hope to the despairing. With the Gospel of Jesus Christ in our hands we possess the power to effect positive change in every communities, to uplift the downtrodden, and to advocate for justice and righteousness. But it all begins by recognizing the potential of that Gospel in our hands and launching out in faith. God is calling us to be agents of His transformation. We must not be ashamed to share the gospel in our neighborhood, work places and everywhere. Apostle Paul said, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.[7] In a world and society marred by division, violence, and injustice, God calls us to be His hands and feet, to utilize the resources at our disposal to bring about transformation. It may require stepping out of our comfort zones, standing with God in difficult places, stepping out in faith to the mission’s field, invade the social media with gospel of Jesus Christ, and embracing the marginalized. It may demand sacrificial giving and intense intercession. Missions to the nations is a task to be accomplished – there is no room for excuses. This gospel of the kingdom must be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.[8]
Our Potential for Kingdom Mandate
The rod of Moses surrendered unto God became the supernational ‘hand of God’ that God brought judgment upon Egypt, delivered the Israelites from captivity, and performed great miraculous signs in the Wilderness. Likewise, the power to accomplish the mandate of the kingdom lies in ‘the rod in the hands of the Christian church’. The church must no longer stand helplessly decrying the hopelessness of Nigeria or despairing about the seemingly impossible nature of her mission in a corruption-battered country. Never! Although Nigeria’s situation is deplorable, it is not irredeemable. Hence, our attitude should not be that of resignation, but of realigning with God’s mandate for liberation and transformation. A great supernatural power is embedded in our identity and heritage as the people of God. We must not be discouraged or intimidated, but we must deploy our ‘surrendered rod’ for the Kingdom mandate. This is the Kairos time and the Almighty has set out in battle for His name’s sake. The hardened and cynical cabals who reject God and perpetuate the machinery of corruption and oppression shall be overthrown in judgment through the instrumentality of the church. For those under demonic bondage and human-orchestrated slavery, there shall be deliverance. When we have deployed the rod in our hands for God’s use, it shall be that “the Egyptians we see today, we shall see them no more”[9]
Missions, Evangelism and Discipleship: By the leading of God, the period 2020-2030, was declared as “The Decade of God’s Reign”[10] The Gospel which we proclaim is the Gospel of the Kingdom of God. The Ministry which we exercise is that of the Kingdom and our prayer is focused on the Kingdom, the Authority and Power of the Sovereign God, our Creator, Redeemer and Sanctifier. His will and purpose shall be done in His world and in His Church. Our Focus will continue to be on Missions, Re-Evangelisation and Discipleship, as well as Spiritual and numerical growth of the Church. The Church of Nigeria will focus on individual discipleship for us to be able to raise more volunteers for missions and service. The goal will be that people will be discipled enough first that they may grow in faith, love, hope and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ and be so prepared to be deployed in future church-planting efforts both in Nigeria and the Diaspora.
We are in the process of restructuring and repositioning our Missions enterprise in the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) into Home and Foreign Missions in a view to launch out into every part of the Globe by the grace of God. This will be very demanding financially, but we are trusting God. The Lord of the Harvest to provide all that is needed.
The Church of Nigeria Missionary Society (CNMS): The CNMS is the major Missionary Body of the Church of Nigeria under a New Mission Board headed by the Primate and assisted by The Most Rev. Tunde Adeleye. The CNMS Management Team is doing well under the leadership of the Executive Secretary- Ven. Dr. Adepoju. They are based in the Bishop Samuel Ajayi Crowther Mission Centre and Institute, Osoogun. They have trained and retrained many Missionaries for the Missions of the Church. The First Batch of trained Missionaries graduated and were commissioned on Sunday 22nd October 2023 in the Osoogun.
They will continue to engage and Consult with all our Diocesan Evangelism and Mission Directors to build a platform to harness, learn and reengage our indigenous Mission field. We have ensured that the salary and welfare, as well as the retirement and pensions of our Mission Partners and workers, are taken care of. This has given us more results and push in Missions Fields. CNMS is poised to do greater work and engage wider Mission fields in Africa and beyond. We are very grateful to those individuals and families who partner with us in building the Mission Centre in Osoogun, and meeting the needs of some needy Dioceses and support for Mission Partners.
The Church of Nigeria has established a special Training Programme to train workers for the Francophone Mission Fields in West Africa. The Crowther Graduate School for French Theological Training Programme is doing well with 8 students. We have already received expression of interest from some Anglican Provinces in Central Africa. Nigeria will partner with our African Provinces to Develop Strategic Partnerships to enrich the Mission and Ministry of the Church across our Continent.
OCTOBER will remain our MISSION MONTH FOR THE CHURCH OF NIGERIA. This will be anchor by CNMS throughout the month of October. We request Dioceses and Provinces to participate to plan towards this Mission month programs.
Nomadic and Diaspora Mission: The Nomadic Mission is enlarged to include the Diaspora outreach to all those people who have moved from one part of the country to another, in search of better life, or who have been displaced by insecurity or other reasons. The challenge of insecurity has created a huge opportunity to gather the scattered people groups. These are new Mission fields that God is opening for the Church. We thank the Bishop and Diocese of Ika for hosting a National Consultation on Nomadic and Diaspora Missions in June 2023. This was held in partnership with CAPRO and other Mission agencies that are into similar Missions. We are looking into the recommendations from the Conference. There is need for collaboration between Dioceses and Provinces in this huge mission field. There is also the need for commitment and financial support for this Mission.
Joshua Generation Youth Mission: This remains our flagship missions’ program to our youth. The third edition held in Moshood Abiola National Stadium from 10th – 15th April 2023 was a huge success. We had over 22,000 young people physically present. Thousands of these young people gave their lives to Christ and similarly thousands responded to Mission call. Out of the 70 Youths we trained in Christian Drama, Cinematography and script writing, many have won national competitions and enlistment in film production. We are partnering with Mount Zion Drama Institute for the training of the increasing number of our young people who have expressed interest and calling into Christian drama ministries. We have now established and are in the process of registering a National Football Club with the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF), with players drawn from our Youth. The Rt. Rev’d Solomon Akanbi has been appointed as Anchor. We need sponsors and help, and there is serious need for mature Christians to mentor some of our young professionals. We also solicit your financial support and partnership in training and mentoring these young people. Our vision is that these young people will be released into the world-wide Missions of the Church of God. Please be part of this Vision as you invest in our Youth Mission.
Mission to The Boy-Child: There has been the outcry for the Church to seek, train and teach our Male Child who will grow up to be the man and father of homes and leaders in Church and society. To this end we are establishing the “OPERATION SAMUEL MISSION”. We direct that Dioceses and Provinces provide special Church group and fellowships to nurture and train our young boys. We know that some Dioceses are already doing this and do encourage all our Dioceses to provide for the spiritual and social nurture of our boy-child in all our Churches.
FOREIGN MISSION:
Our Global strategy shall be focused on the remaining half of the world that is yet to receive Jesus as Lord and Savior.
Church of Nigeria North American Mission (CONNAM) is the continuation of CANA (Our initial mission Organ). The Church of Nigeria mission in North America was a rescue mission to provide a safe haven for Nigerian Anglicans leaving the ECUSA/TEC Church. Bishop Nathan Kanu is the Supervisory Bishop of CONNAM. At the General Synod at Nnewi crucial decisions to move our missions in north America forward were reached and we have begun the process of its implementation. It is necessary that we revert and maintain the Mission status of our operations in North America and Canada. The Bishops and Priests will be accountable for Mission, Evangelism and Church-Planting in their Zones as assigned. Mission, Spiritual and Numerical Growth of our CONNAM churches will be the primary task of every Mission Region in CONNAM. CONNAM remains the Mission of the Church of Nigeria. There are so much ripe Mission opportunities in North America and some of our people have gone into other Nigerian churches, yet there is still more that can be done among different nationalities and groups. We need to work in partnership with other Mission-minded Churches.
UK/Europe Missions: The Foreign Mission is growing, and plans are in place to grow the Mission fields. We receive reports from Europe and UK; Japan; the Gulf and Asian Countries, South America, East and Central Africa, and the West African Region. For over forty years we have maintained Chaplaincy in England. The Church of Nigeria will maintain Chaplaincy in UK and the Countries in Europe. Bishop Ben Enwochola is the Coordinator for the Missions in UK and Europe. He travelled round to inaugurate some churches in some European Countries. Chaplains will soon be appointed for those countries. In this conference we shall commission one of our priest for mission work in Belgium. We are working on developing our Global Mission Strategic Evangelization Programme and CON Foreign Missions Policy. The greatest need is Funding and the right people to deployed for the Missions. There is need to encourage the Gulf Missions because of the danger and sacrifice required in the Zone.
World Missions Consultation 2025: The plan for the Church of Nigeria [Anglican Communion] to stir the worldwide Church unto Missions through a World Missions Consultation by 2025 is ongoing. We are indeed prayerful that this vision comes to fruition. We are going to work with National and Regional Mission Agencies and Partners to organize this Strategic World Missions Consultation. Please keep this in your prayers.
Bishops Intentional Discipleship Cohort: The Focus of the Mission of the Church is on Discipleship. The purpose of Intentional Discipleship is to nurture the Believer in obedience-oriented Discipleship. The Bishops Intentional Discipleship Cohort has trained 72 Bishops and Wives throughout last year. A new group has been taken on this year. In the Episcopal Retreat of this year 2023, we used this model for the maiden Retreat of Bishops and Wives. It was very enriching, and we trust God that it will continue to be a blessing to us. We are encouraging Bishops to embrace the Intentional Discipleship as a necessary tool for Mission and Evangelism in all our Dioceses. The various Provincial Coordinators are expected to organize a Provincial Discipleship Cohort for selected Senior clergy.
CHRISTIAN MEN’S FELLOWSHIP: The effort exerted into the National and Diocesan Christian Men’s Fellowship is yielding fruits. We encourage all men and Fathers to be committed to the Christian Men’s Fellowship. They Conference for all Diocesan presidents of CMF took place from Sunday 5th to Monday 6th Nov. 2023. The National Convention and Election for the National leadership will hold in 2024. CMF at all levels of the Church life must participate in Missions.
CHURCH OF NIGERIA CONFERENCE CENTRE, PIYAKASA, ABUJA: The Anglican Conference Centre and Institute of Church And Society, Pyakasa Abuja: The plans for the building of the Anglican Conference Centre and Institute of Church and Society, Pyakasa, Abuja has reached advanced stage. The Team of Architects and Engineers have submitted their final drawing. The Proceeds of the launching of the Presidential Address at National CON and the Advent Collections for the next Three Years will be dedicated to the development of the Conference Centre. We appeal to Provinces and Individuals to redeem their pledges so as to enable us to raise the Fund for the development of the Centre. The New Archbishop of Kaduna the Most. Rev. Timothy Yahaya, has provided proactive leadership to the team. We target that the Main Bowl of the Centre will be put to use by 2026.
ANGLICAN STUDENTS IN TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS MINISTRY: There is the need to have one united Mission Organ that is ministering to our young people in the Tertiary Institutions and the NYSC. We thank Bishop Nedison Foreman and his Team for their labour and work in this important area of Mission. We have the EFAC in Higher Institutions and the Anglican Students Fellowship. There may be some others, but our hope is that these Groups shall become one and work together to build one Fellowship that will engage in Mission in all Higher Institutions in Nigeria as the strategic Anglican Mission to these Youth. This is necessary because we lose the young people most in the Tertiary Institutions. This team is already consulting, discussing and working for this merger. By 2024 we trust God that the Church of Nigeria will have one single Mission reaching out to the Students in the Higher Institutions in Nigeria bearing the recognition and Mandate of the Anglican Communion. This will be a veritable tool for Mission with the Youth in Nigeria and for the Kingdom of God.
The Church of Nigeria All in One App (CONAIO APP)
The CONAIO APP is the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) official mobile application, developed to help us mobilize and harness our members. Diocesan representatives were trained yesterday on the usage of the APP as a tool to help us in our ministry and missions. You can download the APP on Goggle play store and Apple Store.
Prayer Mobilization: Prayer is very pivotal to the ministry and missions of the Church. We appreciate the Church of Nigeria Prayer Team led Rt. Rev’d Dr. Sosthenes Eze. We encourage all our Dioceses to engage in intentional intensive intercession for the ministry and missions of the Church.
Anglican Compassion and Development Initiative (ACADI): The Anglican Compassion and Development Initiative was established and registered with Corporate Affairs Commission as a Non-Governmental Organization and Faith Based Organization. We launched ACADI’s flagship project- Nigerian Anglicans War Against Drug Abuse and Addiction (NAWADA2) is gain much momentum across our Dioceses. We encourage all Dioceses that are yet to step down the national training should do so. They have conducted training across our Provinces, we want this training cascaded down to the parishes and grassroot. We encourage all our Diocese to establish Faith Based Organization that will enable effective engagement with the Communities and Government Agencies, if you need help contact ACADI Team they can help you. ACADI has commenced a new donor funded project with Ford Foundation in the area of Gender Based Violence tagged “CON Prevent GBV Project”. This project will be implemented in 122 Dioceses. They are working with the Medical Ambassadors International to establish and implement the Community Health Evangelism (CHE) program in partnership with all our Dioceses. The Training of Trainers and Visioneering meeting for Provincial Desk Officers will take place this Friday 10th Nov. 2023 and in February 12 to 16, 2024 regional training for all Diocesan Desk Officers will take place at Anglican Girls Grammar School, Gudu (Northern Dioceses), Dennis Memorial Grammar School, Onitsha (Eastern/Southsouth Dioceses) and St Matthias Anglican High School, Akure (Western Dioceses).
CHURCH OF NIGERIA MEDICAL AND HEALTH PROFESSIONAL CONFERENCE: The Mission of the Church is wholistic, Jesus Christ ministry remains our model. He was anointed by the Holy Spirit and He went about villages and Cities Preaching, Teaching and Healing all that are diseased and delivering them that are possessed by demons. As such the physical, spiritual and psychological or Mental health issues were things that Jesus did and the same He commanded Believers to do in the Great Commission. This Church is blessed with men and women who have distinguished themselves in Health-care delivery. We want to see a Gospel Mission driven Health Care system that will provide good and affordable healthcare, set a standard for the Government to follow as we did in the early Mission years in Education and Health care delivery. We need to transform our existing Church owned Mission Hospital and Clinics. The Church of Nigeria Medical Summit from Thursday 14th to Saturday 16th March 2024, at St. Matthias House, National Secretariat, Gudu, Abuja.
Conclusion
The theme, “What is that in your hand?” is a divine call for a renewed engagement in the missions and purpose of God to the nations. God is giving us a fresh mandate to reach out to the nations despise our limited resources, all He demands of us is total submission. We implore you to be open to the Holy Spirit’s workings in this conference. The Lord shall work mightily among us raising an army for His purpose. I draw your attention to the urgency of our response to God’s demand. A humble, sincere, and faithful response will bring healing and transformation. What is that in your hand? The Almighty God is counting on you!
The Lord be with you!
++The Most Rev’d Dr. Henry C. Ndukuba
Archbishop, Metropolitan, and Primate of All Nigeria
