ARCHBISHOP IBEZIM DEDICATES CHURCH IN EBENEBE, COMMISSIONS BOREHOLE

By FELIX OTI, AWKA.

Archbishop Ecclesiastical Province of the Niger, and Bishop Diocese of Awka Anglican Communion, His Grace The Most Revd.  Alexander Chibuzo Ibezim PhD had dedicated a new church building at St. Peter’s Church  Umuji, Ebenebe, Awka North local government area of Anambra state. 

The Church dedication ceremony attracted some government functionaries, including  Hon. Ferdinand Onwuje (Mayor Awka North)  among others. 

Hon Onwuje thanked the Archbishop for his commitment and dedication to Development hence, he would continue to support the Anglican Church even when he is a Roman Catholic Church member.

He thanked the priest in charge of the church for his steadfastness in utilizing the resources generated for the project, hence the support he is enjoying.

He insisted that he doesn’t discriminate over any Religion, adding that ” I am a pure Christian”.

Archbishop Ibezim expressed happiness on the efforts made by Ebenebe Anglican Community in erecting a worship place for God and urged them to start evangelising.

He urged them to use the Church as the house of prayers and whenever they pray God will answer them. 

Meanwhile, he sanctified all the parts of the church including,  the Pulpit, Prayer desk, Alter rail, Lectern, Holy table, Altar table, among others even as he turned the Sod of a new Church building and commissioned a borehole.

Archbishop Ibezim, who took his Bible reading from the book of Acts of the Apostles  Chapter  2 verse 43 reminded the congregation that without persecution one cannot be a true  believer. 

His words: ‘Umuji Ebenebe, God will add more souls to you. I know that today is a great day. I know that you passed a difficult time and I know that once one is passing through tough hardship, that is when God is preparing for a miracle. 

‘But, what makes me happy  is that you did  not allow persecution to bring you down rather you yielded good result for God .That shows that God special  wisdom. What I saw today shows that  God’s hand is in your life and that God’s  hand  in you will be permanent. God will not allow you to fail. 

‘Again,  I found out that you people have the zeal to do work for God.  As of today, no one will say that there is no money in Ebenebe. Money is in Ebenebe wealth is in Ebenebe, Lifting is in Ebenebe. There is nothing that you will use to work for God that is not in Ebenebe. 

‘Now is time to evangelise, Every Nkwo market will be for evangelism in the market. God’s hand is in what we are doing, Wake up! 

‘So the Early church were together, one of the marks of the early church is persecution. Without persecution, you will not be a through  Child of God. 

:As your faces are different so your persecution, some are poverty, some ill-health, It can come in different ways. But Holy Ghost made us understand that any persecution you are passing through, God knows. So I speak to you today that your problem will turn into a miracle in Jesus name. 

‘All of you in Umuji should see yourself as people sent by God through  Holy Ghost to evangelise. Remember what we read in the book of first Corinthians, that anyone that destroyed  Church that God will destroy the person.  Holy Spirit is the owner so I can see the Holy Spirit in the Umuji community moving people. 

‘This will unite the community, there is a link between those that have and those that do not have. This is what we have seen going on in other communities. I pray that the Church will move forward and the Holy Spirit in the life of those that have and those that do not have will move to become one. 

‘God has demonstrated it in your midst today. All of you are one because what you have done will unite your community. This is because those that do not have will know that those that haven’t neglected them.

This will lead women to be coming to sweeping the Church knowing that there are some of their  Children that God is a blessing that is building the house of God.

You will see that each time you pray here, God will hear and bless your children and those that sweep, God will raise their children to be part of those that bring to support the Church. That is what God told me to tell his Church. 

‘All the villages should learn this principle. I pray for you every darkness in your life, place of work, the business will disappear.

He further urged the members to start evangelism. 
“that it is time for action, you have to move, move to possess the land, move to do the work.  God is calling you to move. 

‘In a short distance time, we will come again because the house will be roofed and before the end of this year the church building will be completed. 

‘You are blessed, just do things in unity, Don’t look left or right for God is here. Our God is not a God of  Liar, Keep praying here for this is the house of prayers. As of today, I decree on to you that God will answer your prayers, even before you speak  God will hear your prayers. 

‘There must be an accountability for people to support more”, he concluded. 

However, for the engine movers or these projects, for you have made the lords place beautiful, the Lord will make your house beautiful, the Lord will make your place of work beautiful, You will enjoy the beauty of the lord, you will not be in scarcity and for the person that gives us borehole, The Lord will give you  Mighty territory, your horizon will change, you will not die prematurely. The Lord will bless you. Angels will dig boreholes for you and the water of life will not stop in your family in Jesus name. None of you will go empty.

Some of the members who have been supporting the good work told www.odogwublog.com that God has been faithful hence, his sanctuary work is going on at an alarming speed.

According to Mrs Obianuju Enyi nee  Ekeyi ” Despite it was inborn, my father worked in the vineyard of God as a venerable, I was motivated to do this because  God has been so faithful to me and my family and we were all born and brought up in the wisdom and faith in God. Child upbringing contributed its own by making us understand that all you have belonged to God not you. 

Elochukwu  Ekeyi  (Ozo Nzedinobi Ebenebe)  who is also the chairman project committee said” it’s God’s grace, I laid the foundation of the two  Churches before our friend came to our rescue after seeing the challenges we were facing financially.

After the DPC, he took over  and continued 
I laid the foundation of this one and see that we have a little space at the back we restructured it including my younger sister. I took over the borehole.

‘Generally, it is Ekeyi family that is doing it but individually, we do it together as a family, other of my siblings also assisted especially  Mr Ejike assisted tremendously not as if we are doing it individually,  it is Ekeyi’s family project. We should all gather together and help. 

Ekeyi’s family thanksgiving service added colour to the ceremony.