BISHOP NWOKOLO LAUDS AYF FOR REINVENTING ITSELF ON EVANGELISM

The Bishop of the Niger, Anglican Communion, Anambra State, the Rt Rev Dr Owen Nwokolo, has unequivocally lauded the Anglican Youth Fellowship (AYF) of the diocese for turning a new leaf from what he described as their former cold ash disposition to a firebrand fresh rebirth.
He said that the current revolutionary outlook and thinking of the organisation had long been expected of its members, expressing profound gladness for their present step change which he said ought rightly to be symbolic of a body like the AYF.

The Prelate who passed the value statement in his Bishopscourt, GRA, Onitsha, recently when members of the organisation paid him a courtesy visit regretted that long before the present radical twist by the body, the AYF existed nominally.
“In the past, they were not what they were supposed to be, they were crawling!”, he said, adding that AYF was supposed to be actively making meaningful noise instead of being complacent.
He therefore commended the members for effectively reviving the organisation, urging them to guard their present exploit jealously and with great zeal.
“Yes, there should be zeal in AYF. Youths must have zeal. Their zeal makes the difference. This is because the youths are supposed to be the motivating factor for all the organisations in the church.
” Without the youths, I don’t think the Church should be what it is supposed to be and function optimally”, the bishop said.

Earlier the Diocesan Chaplain of the organisation, Rev Onyebuchi Obinwa, had while introducing the members to the bishop explained that the visit was to formally inform him of their forthcoming annual Youth Week.
The President of the AYF, Sir Clinton Chubuike, also thanked the bishop for what he called exceptionally fatherly care which he said the organisation continually received from him, promising that the organisation would not disappoint him.
While reiterating the purpose of the visit, he appealed for the bishop’s prayers to enable them to organise a successful 2024 AYF Week.
In a brief interview shortly after the event, Sir Chubuike said the visit was a success and expressed satisfaction with the level of commitment of members of the fellowship whom he enjoined not to relent in the now-revived AYF.

Also, in separate interviews, the Chairman of the Committee, Bro. Chuks Onyenji, a one-time Youth President and Evangelism Leader of the Diocese, Bro. Nnamdi Ezeugo and Secretary, Ester Group of the organisation, Sister Ogochukwu Onigwe, thanked the bishop for the special way they said His Lordship handled the affairs of the AYF.
“We appreciate him and pray that God will strengthen him and add more years to him as well as give him the grace with which to carry the diocese along and to the next level”, they prayed.
Prominent highpoints of the visit were generous renditions of ancient and modern AYF anthems and chain choruses characteristic of Anglican Youths every bit of which the bishop savoured along with his guests.