By Odogwu Emeka Odogwu
A journalist working with a broadcast station, Alpha Fm Nnobi, Ordinand Ifeanyichukwu Ekeka was last weekend ordained a deacon alongside 28 others by the Bishop on the Niger, Right Reverend Dr Owen Chiedozie Nwokolo at the Basilica of St Andrew’s Odoakpu Onitsha.
The deacons include: Rev Omelebele Anunobi, Rev Ifeanyichukwu Ekeka, Rev Godson Ezenagu, Rev Emmanuel Ibegbu, Rev Chukwuma John, Rev Michael Kamuche, and Rev Godswll Mbaegbu.
Others were: Rev Chukwunwem Molokwu, Rev George Nwaisaac, Rev Benneth Nwajagu, Rev Mmadudili Nwoda, Rev Ndubuisi Nwoka, Rev Amaechi Nwokike and Rev Ikechukwu Ogidi.
The rest included: Rev Uchenna Ogugua, Rev Uchenna Okafor, Rev John Okafor, Rev Godwin Okafor, Rev Odinakachukwu Okolie, Rev Chijioke Okonkwo, and Rev Chinedu Okonkwo.
The remaining of the priests were: Rev Emmanuel Okoye, Rev Onyekachukwu Olisa, Rev Emmanuel Omonogun, Rev Christian Onwuzuligbo, Rev Ebelechukwu Onyebuchi, Rev Samuel Onyedinma, Rev Kingsley Uwaezuoke and Rev Emmanuel Uzokife.
Bishop Nwokolo who presided over the ordination had during the rites subjected the ordinands to various oaths of allegence to God, the Church and the Diocese as they swore not to have been members of any cult nor had been sexually disoriented.
This is coming as Christians have been accused as the major cause of the apparent acceptability problem of their Faith.
Most Christians were in no soft language chided for allegedly being the architect of the many seemingly woes challenging the image of the contemporary Christianity.
A senior minister in the diocese, Ven Dr Izuchukwu Obiekwe, expressed the concern in his sermon, during a solemn church service preceding the ordination of the 29 deacons at the Basilica of St Andrew’s, Odoakpu, Onitsha.
He roundly indicted most christians for causing the observed poor image of Christianity as a result of the manner he said they criticised the Church, their ministers and fellow brethren in public.
He explained that the singular natural consequence of such incautious talkativeness was breeding of bad image which he said the Church was now experiencing.
According to him, “Because of this condemnable public attitude of this few members, Christianity is now having acceptability problem”.
Ven Dr Obiekwe was visibly worried over the degree of harm which he said the reckless utterances of the said christians had caused, especially, among the youths locally and globally.
“That is one of the causes of the major challenges facing us today as Christians — the rejection of the Christian faith. Today Christianity is locally and internationally being rejected and no wonder a good number of people is now going back to idol worship. Some youths no longer want to go to church any more. If you go out now, you will see them playing football.    
“Cultism, fetishism and ritual practices are now on the increase among them. This, in fact, is local and global matter for which we should be greatly concerned, so that Christianity will remain and become more acceptable”, he appealed.
The Ven Dr Obiekwe who was the retreatant to the newly ordained, regretted that in decades past, there were a few churches, a few denominations, and a few ordained ministers but that the acceptance status level of Christianity was very high.
He was contrastingly, however, physically disturbed that “today we have many churches, many denominations, many ordained men and women of God but we are experiencing very high level of rejection and diminishing returns facing Christianity. This, to say the least, calls for prayers”, he said.
He therefore compassionately entreated both the old and the newly ordained ministers to join hands to redeem what he called the fast dwindling image of Christianity.
“We therefore, need, in a time like this, to desire to become evangelists and missionaries. This is one way of responding to the contempt we now experience, with regard to the apparently dropping image of Christianity.
“My brothers of the 29 deacons, you are going out to becoming missionaries, evangelists, and servants commissioned to win souls.
“I challenge you, my brothers and your wives to ensure that the foundation of your ministries is based on the blessed Holy Trinity and ensure that you do not bring anything strange into the altar or to the pulpit.
“There is the urgent need for us to genuinely seek unadulterated and uncompromised Christian spirituality”, Ven Dr Obiekwe admonished the deacons.
