Diocese On The Niger Rededicates 100 Evangelists With New Robes

…entreats them not to abandon calls for selfish interests

By Alex Uzoigwe

Diocese on the Niger, Anglican Communion, Anambra State, opened a new chapter in the history of her evangelism endeavours, Good Friday, April 7, 2023, when she rededicated no less than 100 evangelists, reminding them of the dangers of abandoning their calls for selfish interests.

The evangelists who had earlier been commissioned by the diocese were spiritually reempwered each clad in their modern robe in a solemn church service held in the Calvary Chapel, Episcopal House, GRA, Onitsha.

The Diocesan, the Rt Rev Dr Owen Nwokolo, who presided the ceremony had in the 45-minute homily he said during the church service, commended the evangelists for responding to their individual calls into the evangelism ministry.

He encouraged them not to relent in their individual assignments, nor feel disappointed when things, according to him, become unfavorable to them.

While reanacting the dramatic experience of St Peter who he said contemplated going “afishing” having thought that Jesus had disappointed him, Bishop Nwokolo entreated the evangelists not to think same way.

“Like Peter, please, you should not contemplate “going afishing” under any unfavorable situation you find yourselves in the course of your ministries. Do not see Jesus as having offended you when things get wrong in your lives.

“You should not feel that Jesus has disappointed you for which you would think of going back to your former individual concerns”, he urged them.

The bishop explained to them about the dangers of converting from being “Fishers of men” to “Fisherman ministry” the phenomenon of which he described as a new type of ministry in the world today.

The “Fishermen ministry”, he said, “is used to pursue one’s own personal agenda especially when something transpires between you and somebody, then you will separate and begin to run your own ministry”, stating that the danger of the trend “is that when this happens, others will follow, thereby making way for something different from the original assignment handed out. That is why the issue of ‘going afishing’ was an embarrassing thing to Jesus”, he said.

Bishop Nwokolo therefore enjoined the evangelists not to ever argue with Jesus or seek for their own selfish interests in order not to crucify Him the second time, but rather to submit themselves wholly to Him and His work explaining that it would be dangerous to do otherwise.

Without mincing words, he told them, “When you go to seek your own for anything, you are on your own, for you are departing from your original calling by abandoning your responsibilities in the church and their accomping blessings for others to enherit”.

He prayed that they would disappoint neither God nor Jesus by abandoning their individual responsibilities.

The Coordinator of the evangelists, Evang. Peter Azombe had in a brief vote of thanks appreciated the bishop for what called the bishop’s various fatherly care towards them and pledged that the evangelists would, by the grace of God, keep to their oaths of allegiance and not disappoint neither God nor the Church.

Highlights of the ceremony were rededication prayers on them by the bishop and the recital of oaths of allegiance by the evangelists as the Calvary Chapel Choir added more colour to the service with various renditions.