Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Lagos i Rt. Rev. Dr. Ifedola Senasu Gabriel Okupevi, Anglican (right), Directorate of Societies, Ministries and Fellowships, The Venerable Folorunso OreOluwa Agbelusi, Ph.D., during the presentation of back-to-school bags to some of the pupils.
Chinyere Ikeanyi
The Diocese of Lagos (Anglican Communion) on Friday officially flagged off its maiden Back-to-School Outreach, driven by the conviction that no child should feel forgotten because of family circumstances and with a clear vision to eventually reach tens of thousands of students.
The ceremony took place at the Diocesan Board Room, Marina, Lagos. Director of the Directorate of Societies, Ministries and Fellowships, The Venerable Folorunso OreOluwa Agbelusi, Ph.D, said the initiative was born from a simple but powerful conviction and marked only the first phase of a larger journey.
“This initiative was born from a simple but powerful conviction: that no child should feel forgotten because of the circumstances of their family,” Agbelusi declared. He stressed that ministry must go beyond the church walls and stand with families in practical ways, describing education as one of the greatest gifts the Church can help preserve for the next generation. He invited individuals, organisations, corporate bodies, parishes and friends of the Diocese to join the effort, calling the day “an invitation to everyone who believes that investing in a child is investing in the future” and “the beginning of something much bigger.”
Diocesan Bishop, the Rt. Revd Dr. Ifedola Senasu Gabriel Okupevi, formally flagged off the programme. He described it as “a practical expression of our collective faith” and a ministry that “reaches into our communities, responds to genuine needs and touches lives in practical and meaningful ways.” Quoting Mark 10:14 and James 2:17, the Bishop said the Church was ensuring no child is hindered from knowledge and godly character for lack of basic resources such as books, pens, water bottles and bags.
He framed the support as a partnership with parents, urging them to train their children in the fear of the Lord (Proverbs 22:6), and told recipients the materials were “seeds sown into the lives of our young ones” — an investment in future leaders. Citing Matthew 25:40, he thanked all donors and volunteers before declaring the outreach officially open “to the glory of God and for the benefit of mankind.”
The maiden edition positions the Diocese of Lagos as a church translating faith into large-scale, sustained care for children’s education and future.
For a better society
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