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By Ngozi Nwoke
The senior pastor of Olivet Bible Church, Owen C.C. Nlekwuwa, has described 2023 as a very productive and awesome year. He made the declaration during the church’s annual thanksgiving in Lagos, which attracted a large crowd, including friends of the ministry.
•Members of Olivet Bible Church
The man of God quoted Psalm 68, vs 11: “The Lord gave the word, great was the company of those who proclaimed it.” Maintaining that the work of God takes a lot of time to fulfill, he stated that: “You may not know, you may never know all that happens in services is 25 percent of ministry. You may not know all the things that happen behind the curtains.
“Between Sunday and Sunday, ministries are taking place that nobody even takes note of. I want to thank God this hour for all the ministers, the servants who serve in Olivet Bible Church in any capacity.
“However, we will do more of that next Sunday, during our Love Feast. From the board of trustees to Church Council, to the pastors, who are self-motivated to move the work forward. I thank God for all members who are committed and dedicated to God’s work. I applaud them all.”
At the end of the thanksgiving service, the cleric gave an overview of the activities. He said: “Today is our annual thanksgiving day. It is the day, after taking inventory of what God has done in the whole year, we came to God to appreciate Him for His goodness, mercies and faithfulness.
“He has been good to us. So, we gathered today to thank Him. We have ample reasons to thank God. That is why there was so much joy in the Church, as they come to return thanks for the good things He has done for us.”
Nlekwuwa said he felt very glad and believed that God was honoured during the whole service. He stated: “My people came out in their numbers with a heart of gratitude to God. The purpose of the meeting was achieved and I feel fulfilled.”
Also speaking, Mrs. Joy Ngwakwe, Registar, Olivet Academy, said this year’s annual thanksgiving was one of the best the church had ever had.
“We have the thanksgiving every year. It is a time we gather to give God thanks, to recount what God has done for us. It is not possible to count all that the Lord has done for us.
“Our gathering here is to say, ‘Father, thank you’. We are conscious of the fact that He has done great things for us,” Ngwakwe said.
For Clem Ndubuisi, a member of Olivet Bible Church, “the difference between planning in the world and planning for the Kingdom of God is that human beings make their own plans, which must be presented before God for His assent and to make it real. This is because as humans we are limited.
“But, with God in our plans, you see everything happening. What happened here today was annual thanksgiving of 2023 for the Olivet Bible Church.
“From the beginning of the year, you begin plans concerning what God has been doing for you from January through December. He has done so much.
“There is none that can satisfy like God, none protects like God. When you put all these together, you mark a day to come out as a church, as a family, to say ‘Father thank You’.
“We appreciate what you have done. That was exactly what happened today. We came out with our traditional attire to thank the Almighty God.”
On his part, Mr. Iheanyichukwu Njoku, the youth leader of the church, said the significance of the event was to thank God for all He has been doing for the Church and its members. He said that the Lord has done much for the church and the youths.
He said: “We are thanking God that we are alive, we did not lack.” He called on the youths of the church and the country in general not to yield to the vices associated with the youths of the world.
Ogechi Odiah, coordinator, children arm of the church, said: “We are here for the 2023 annual thanksgiving; to thank God for being with us in spite of all odds.
“God has kept us. We have not lost anybody. We have not buried anybody. Our children have been doing well in their schools. We did not lose any of them. So, we have come to appreciate God. We are telling our children too that for everything, they should be thankful. I am happy and full of joy at this event.”
