Anglican Bishop ordains 7 Priests in Oniitsha

By Julie Sylvia, Onitsha

No fewer than seven reverends were today Sunday, at All Saints Catheral church, Oniitsha, Anambra State, ordained Priests by the Onitsha Anglican Bishop, the Rt Rev Dr Owen Nwokolo.

Bishop Nwokolo who Presided over the Trinity Ordination with the assistance of more than 15 archdeacons, had while examining the candidates, categorically reminded them of the need to abide by their oath of office.

In a solemn Episcopal ascent, the bishop intoned, “You are to love and serve the people among whom you work, caring alike for young and old, strong and weak, rich and poor”.

Continuing, he emphasized, “You are to preach, to declare God’s forgiveness to penitent sinners, to pronounce God’s blessings, to preside at the administration of holy baptism and at the celebration of the mysteries of Christ’s Body and Blood, and to perform the other ministrations entrusted to you”.

In addition, he told the ministers, “In all that you do, you are to nourish Christ’s people from the riches of His grace, and strengthen them to glorify God in this life and in life to come”.

However, apparently weighing the enormity of responsibilities levied on the priests, with some words of encouragement, the bishop soothed them, saying; “Because you cannot bear the weight of this ministry in your strength, but only by the grace and power of God, pray that He will each day enlarge and enlighten your understanding of the Scriptures, so that you may grow stronger and more mature in your ministry”.

Earlier in the stages of the rite of the ordination, the bishop had made the candidates take some oaths of allegiance to God and to the Church during which they declared that they were neither homosexuals nọr bisexuals nor members of any secret cults.

In a 30-minute sermon that preceded the ordination, a Diocese on the Niger Minister, Ven Dan Uche, called on the ordination candidates to always make themselves available for God’s use.

In the sermon which he entitled, “You are My battle axe”, he reminded the new priests that God wants to use them as His battle axe but said that they ought to first, prepare their hearts for the call.

Ven Uche assured them that whenever they were ready for God’s work, He, God, would provide them the necessary wherewithal.

He therefore appealed to them to surrender themselves totally to God and His purposes, urging them to neither disappoint their families nor the church and prayed them to make themselves true battle axe of God.

The seven ordained priests were, Rev. Alexander C. Anyanebechi, Rev. Odigonma J. Eze and Rev. Emmanuel C. Ibe.

Others included, Rev. Chijioke E.Nweke, Rev. Prince K. Ndubuisi, Rev.Uchechkwu N. Nzegwu and Rev. Dr Christian Umeanwe.

Thanking God, the Bishop and his mentor, Obediah Okonkwo, to have been ordained a priest, Rev. Chijioke N. Nweke recalled that it had been his mind to be ordained a Priest to serve God.

Fielding questions from newsmen, he reiterated that he would not deviate from being Fisher of men and prayed God to continue to guide and protect him.

In his contribution, another new Priest, James Ezeh, said that, “From the gospel of today, you will not become what you want to be but what God wants you to be. I know that God has called me to be a priest but I thought I could run away from it.

“After so many years of doing businesses I decided that I can’t run away from it, this is where I am today. I believe that God that called me to serve will give me the grace to serve Him. More than 20 years I was doing all manner of businesses still no progress,” he further explained.

Pics show the Bishop, new priests and Chancellors of the church.