Kunle Adelabu
His Eminence Julius Olayinka Osayande Abbe, the Primate of The African Church Nigeria and Overseas, and his amiable wife, Lady Evangelist Dorcas Abbe, paid a Primatial visit to the Seat of the Bishop and headquarters of the Lagos West Missionary Diocese in Ikorodu on Sunday, March 21, 2021.
The visit marked the first year anniversary of His Eminence Abbe as the Primate of The African Church.
On arrival in Ikorodu, the Bishop of the Lagos West Missionary Diocese, The Rt. Rev. Hezekiah A. Adetoro, led the Diocesan and other officers to welcome the Primate at Ita – Elewa and walked him to the Cathedral located at the Aga junction.
The spiritual father of the Church, thanked the General Committee, representatives of the Women’s League, African Church Youths Association (ACYA), TACEF, clergy and others that stood firm against creation of two Primatial offices in the Church.
He also delivered the sermon at the special service.
Special prayer was offered to the Primate by The Rt. Rev. Hezekiah A. Adetoro, the Diocesan Bishop, Lagos West Missionary Diocese, to commemorate his one year in office anniversary while gifts were also presented during the service.
Primate Abbe, addressing the congregation, which included the Vice lay President, Lagos West Missionary Diocese, Odofin Adebola Bodunrin Gbolahan Obayan, Diocesan executive members, Archdeaconry officers and Parishes representatives under the Diocese and members of The African Church Bethel Cathedral, Ikorodu, said that he is convinced that the Church is on the right path to greatness.
“I am happy that the Church has taken a definite position to move forward.
“You know that today is the anniversary of my one year in office at the African Church and their intention was to retire me but Ikorodu, Lagos Diocese and others stood firm.
“There will always be challenges from the devil but every satanic strategy will be crushed and defeated.
“God has instilled fears into them and made them realize that they are just mere mortals.
“I thank Ikorodu and the entire Lagos Missionary Diocese for standing firm at the last national conference of The African Church. I thank your representatives and the general members”.
“I thank the General Committee, representatives of the Women’s league, ACYA, TACEF and others for doing good work to protect the image of The African Church by rejecting the proposal to have Primate 1 and 2 in the Church.
“Today, we only have one Primate”.
The Primate, while expressing his fondness for The African Church Bethel Cathedral Ikorodu and Lagos West Missionary Diocese, said that he would prefer to worship once in a month in the cathedral but that time and engaging spiritual and office schedule would not permit him.
He charged the Vice Lay President of the Lagos West Missionary Diocese and its executives to ensure that the work that he started when he was the Bishop- of Lagos Diocese from where the Lagos West Missionary Diocese was created, is completed.
“I always look forward to coming to Ikorodu and this Diocese and if I have my way, I will be coming here once in a month but for the schedule of my office.
“I am happy to come here today and we must ensure that the work in building the Diocese and making it a full-fledged one with good financial standing is completed.
“The Diocesan Vice Lay and his executives have assured us that the good work will continue to progress and the Bishop Court will be completed soon.
“This is a blessed Cathedral with enormous human and material resources”.
Commending the Bishop of the Diocese, Primate Abbe described him as a workaholic and highly spiritual and pleaded that he should be allowed to expand evangelism to every aspect of the Diocese, build new Parishes and Archdeaconries.
“Your Bishop is a workaholic, energetic, highly devoted and committed Bishop. He is also a highly spiritual Bishop.
“He is not moved by things of this world.
“I moved him with mixed feelings from his former Diocese to Lagos West, because he started that construction of the Bishop Court there and while it was about to finish, the transfer came. So, I was hesitant to move him because I wanted him to enjoy the house that he labored for but the work has to go on.
“Please, give him a chance to evangelize to every part of the Diocese and not keep him down at the Cathedral here. Allow him to build new parishes and Archdeaconries to further the work of God”, the Primate pleaded.
Odofin Adebola Bodunrin Gbolahan Obayan, the Vice Lay President, Lagos West Missionary Diocese, earlier in his address, said that the Diocese is restrategising to be a full – fledged Diocese.
“Your Eminence, we are on our second missionary trip of mercy. A restrategising time. We are mindful of the Conference directive that all Missionary Diocese created after four years that are yet to be full-fledged should be revisited by the Verification Committee.
“Let me say it openly that we are taking off because of the unnecessary struggles and crises that we went through. I wish to inform you that when you were Bishop of the defunct Lagos Diocese, in the time of our Mama, the Vice Lay President, Chief (Mrs) Dr Obayomi Balogun, eleven years ago, you started the Bishop’s Court project.
“We are just taking off and with God factor in our equations, I want to say boldly that with the zeal in our new bishop, the management and the entire congregants of all the Churches in the Diocese, the Bishop’s Court will be ready for effective occupation in due course.
“On the long awaited full – fledged status of the Diocese, the ‘Union jack’ flag of the Missionary Diocese will be lowered soon to give way to a full – fledged Diocese. Archdeaconries will spring up. Our God will make us forget the past and sing a new song as prophesied in Isaiah: 43 vs 18 – 19″.
