PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS
Presented to the
THE 1ST SESSION OF THE 5TH SYNOD OF
THE DIOCESE OF ABA NGWA NORTH
BY HIS LORDSHIP
RT. REV. NATHAN C.O. KANU PhD, JP. Bishop, Diocese of Aba Ngwa North
THEME:
BE OF THE CHURCH NOT IN THE CHURCH
(John 17:14 & 16; Rom.12:2)
HELD AT
ALL SAINTS’ CATHEDRAL ABAYI UMUOCHAM
FROM THURSDAY 10TH – SUNDAY 13TH OCTOBER, 2019
SYNOD PRAYER
Oh God our Father, we heartily thank, and adore You for granting us another opportunity to gather as a Diocese to worship You, fellowship together and seek the good of your Church and our society.
We sincerely confess that we have not been the Church You called us to be. The Gospel of salvation in Christ, we have grossly adulterated; the way of righteousness and peace, we have abandoned. We have followed the ways and devices of our hearts. The worldly garments we are meant to cast off, we have preferred and adored; we have left your Church Spiritually impoverished but worldly enriched that it has become so difficult to differentiate between The Church and The World. Have mercy on us, for Christ's sake, we pray.
Visit us as we gather and use this synod to create in us the right Spirit in our heart, mind, and body. Cause every member of our Diocese in particular and the Church in general to seek a deeper and personal knowledge of Christ that conforming to His image, we may become the agents of positive and godly transformation of our world.
Bless the leadership of our Diocese and National Church. May all who put their trust in you be clothed with righteousness and empowered to your glory, honor and the redemption of the world. These we ask through Him who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, Jesus the Christ our Lord. Amen.
Beloved people of God,
It is with a heart of joy and sense of responsibility that we welcome you to this first session of the fifth synod of our dear Diocese. We sincerely ask that you join us to thank, adore, and worship our God and Father, the Desire of all ages and our Rock for the grace to gather once again in this holy convocation. To Him be all glory, honor and adoration now till the end of the age. Amen.
We welcome our Chancellor, Registrar, Deputy Registrar, Legal adviser, and other legal and diocesan officers here present, my noble nominees, members of the house of clergy and their wives, Council of Knights and the ladies, our distinguished guests, delegates and all other diocesan staff members and their families. We know that some of us are here for the first time as synod delegates, this being the first session of a new synod. We believe your presence and participation will honor God, strengthen your faith and bring Blessing to our Diocese.
On your behalf we humbly welcome the Archbishop of the Ecclesiastical Province of Aba, and the Bishop of Umuahia, His Grace, The Most Rev'd Ikechi Nwachukwu Nwosu PhD. Your Grace, we are pleased to have you with us. We appreciate the presence of our grand mentor, the immediate retired Archbishop of Aba Province and bishop of Aba, His Grace, The Most Rev'd Dr. Ugochukwu Uwaoma Ezuoke, and Mama Hon. Mrs. Chinonyerem Ezuoke. Your Grace and Mama you are heartily welcome.
We welcome as well and officially introduce the Archbishop elect of our Province, His Grace, The Most Rev'd Isaac Chijioke Nwaobia, PhD, the Bishop of the Diocese of Isiala Ngwa South. My lord bishops here present, we are honored to have you. We extend our warm welcome to all our political and traditional leaders. To all security and uniformed organizations here present, our choirs, the press, and the rest of us, we say welcome and be blessed.
Beloved, please join me in welcoming the President of our women ministry, Mama Aba Ngwa North, my favor, Princess (Mrs.) Odionyenfe Nworoni Chinenye Kanu.
DIOCESAN MESSAGE TO THE YOUTH
Youth!
Fellowship!!
Fellowship!!
In Christ Jesus, The Perfect Man!!!
Beloved,
Greetings of love and peace to you all as we welcome you to this year's celebration. On your behalf, we offer our unreserved expression of worship, praise and adoration to The Triune God, creator and preserver of all life, through Jesus the Christ our Lord, the lover of the Youth.
We are delighted by your commitment, zeal and response to our life and ministry as a Diocese. The effort of your leadership in aligning you with our vision is glorious and brightens our hope of a better tomorrow. We applaud and bless all our parents who through their life and support contribute to your godly positioning. To all our Patrons and Patronesses, may your labor of love be divinely rewarded.
As we celebrate this year, all youth of our church are reminded that God in creation has given us responsibilities for our individual and collective blessing. As our theme reminds us "The things which are impossible with men are possible with God” (Luke 18:27). This means that God has graciously blessed every young person with ability to affect our destiny. And so it is only those things which we have not been endowed with the ability to do that we must look up to God for. Therefore no young person has any excuse when we don't devote our life to the Lordship of Christ. Through the ministry of our Diocese and Church, we are daily empowered to strive for righteousness and shun all desires for lust, greed, and all other forms of ungodliness. So we must diligently commit ourselves to the programs and activities of the Diocese that we may continue to improve on our ability to strive to be like Christ, our Lord and The Perfect Man. All other impossibilities of our life would be made possible through our Faith in Him
Once again we congratulate all our youth as you celebrate and pray that your youthfulness continues to be renewed with the knowledge of Christ and your days be long and bright.
And to Him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you faultless before His throne; to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ be all honor, glory and dominion now till the end of the age. Amen.
Your Friend and Father in God,
†NATH, ABA NGWA NORTH.
PROPOSED CATHEDRAL BUILDING IMAGES
