Akaiso Eyo-Akaiso, Uyo.
The Presiding Bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, for Nigeria, Uganda and Tanzania, Rt Rev. Prof. Uduak Usen Effiong has admonished Christians to put their trust in God and not in man.
Prof. Effiong who gave the admonition on Sunday during the thanksgiving service on the topic “When Jesus passes by,” to bring to official closing the 95th session of Nigeria Annual Conference and Anniversary (1930 -2025) held at Metropolitan A M E Zion Church, Uyo, pointed out that it was only Jesus who has compassion enough to lives whenever he passes by.
The biggest event in the church calendar, annual conference with the theme “The A. M. E. Zion Church – Serving This Present Age: Being Creative In Our Methods”, which started on Thursday drawing participants from churches across the Eastern West Africa District of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church came to a successful end that Sunday.
Preaching further, he stated that except Jesus as a charismatic Leader, who touched the ten lepers no other worldly leader had ever touched his followers just by passing by.
Drawing his homily from the gospel of St. Luke 17: 11-19 with particular emphasis on Luke 17:17 the Clergy who spoke on importance of thanksgiving, advised the faithful of African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church world wide to love the Lord with all their hearts, noting that it is by the grace we are touched.
He reiterated the fact that Jesus values thanksgiving which was why, when one of the lepers went to thank him for his cleansing, he had to ask “were they not ten healed where are the nine?.” Shortly after the thanksgiving service, some appointments and amount of about Four Million Naira raked in through offerings and other donations were announced by the Presiding Bishop who closed the gathering with the benediction.
The event also featured conferment of different categories of Faithful service, Outstanding Mission Support, Outstanding leadership, Future leadership and posthumous awards on some Zionists and friends of the church.
The breakdown of the awardees was as follows: Faithful service awardees – 19, Outstanding Mission Support awardees – 16, Outstanding leadership awardees – 15, Future leadership awardees – 15 and Posthumous awardees – 15.
Speaking on the criteria for the awards, The Presiding Bishop said “the church had to dig into history of each of the awardees and came to conclusion that the awardees deserve the awards based on their commitment to the church.”
“For those that were honoured posthumously, it was the first time the church has bestowed such awards in honour of our departed heroes and heroines and their families were happy for it,” he added.
Also speaking, one of the Faithful service award recipients, Bro. Nse J. Edem appreciated the Bishop and Missionary Supervisor for their visionary leadership aimed at repositioning the church for greater produco0⁰ppptivity and love for one another as body of Christ.
Nse who is the Regional President, Men of Zion Ministry, Eastern West Africa District, noted that since Prof Uduak Effiong assumed office as the 105th Bishop there have been remarkable development in the church.
On the award he had this to say:
“To tell you the truth I don’t receive awards. I don’t do anything for man to see. As a son from parsonage, I only worship God because of his faithfulness upon my life.
But for this award I am appreciative because it comes from the body of Christ on the persons to bring the Church to add value to humanity,” he concluded.
