The four-day 2026 Annual Synodical Convention of the Lutheran Church of Nigeria has ended with a call on Christians who understand the myth of Jesus Christ, to serve as catalysts for positive change.
The National President of the Lutheran Church of Nigeria, Arch Bishop Christian Ekong made the call at a thanksgiving service to round off the convention held at the Luther Hall Cathedral, Obot Idim in Ibesikpo Asutan Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom.
Giving insight on the theme: ‘‘Christ for you: a catalyst for change’’ taken from Ephesians 2:6 and John 3:17, Arch Bishop Ekong said Christians who were dead to sin, have been moved away from the condemnation of sin after acceptance of Jesus Christ, to be alive in Him, with the notion that He came to bear the sins of the world through His death and resurrection.
According to him, ‘‘Being absent minded on earthly marriage is rare among humans, but most Christians have been absent minded in their marriages with God. Do you involve in fraudulent activities? Are you into drugs? Are you always tempted to be drunk? What makes you involve in sexual immorality? Are you into cultism? Let us emulate the Ephesians as seen in Galatians 2:10.’’
The Akwa Ibom Commissioner for Ministry of Trade and Investments, Captain Iniobong Ekong (retd), who was the Chairman of during the N300 million Fund raising for Evangelism/Lutheran University Project during the service tasked believers on the need to be advocates of the desired change longed for in the society.
Ekong said, ‘‘the theme of this year is a call to action, a reminder that it is not all about fundraising- that our mission in church is not just about wealth, but about deeds, about being agents of transformation in a world that desperately needs transformation. As we gather today, we are not just raising funds, but we are investing in the lives of people, in the future of our communities and in the spread of the gospel that Christ’s love is not just a feeling, but a force that drives us to make a difference.”
The immediate past Head of Civil Service, Amb. Effiong Essien appreciated God for an awesome outing and the leadership of the church for leaving him with the responsibility of planning the occasion.
Essien said ‘’the catalyst for change had taken place even before the word was preached. As you can see, God has already done it for us in the Lutheran Church of Nigeria, He has turned the hearts of our friends and the members of our church by causing them to turn out in large numbers.’’
While expressing optimism about the University Project, he noted ‘‘It may not take up to five years, Lutheran University will be alive. It is a matter of some administrative arrangements, for classes to commence. The level of completion of its infrastructure is very encouraging for the university to start and I believe that with this year’s convention and the fundraising the church will maximise the gains that have been realized from the convention.’’
In the same vein, the Chairman of the Lutheran University project, Dr. Emaeyak Ukpong who harped on the project as indigenously funded, described it as a signature project of the church that is bound to commence in no distant time.
Ukpong said, “the idea came about 12-14 years ago. We are trying to build an indigenous university without support from our foreign partners. People always believe that Lutheran doesn’t do anything without foreign partners. This time around, we said we will challenge ourselves and bring our friends within the environs to build a model university that we can call our own, so that it stands out as a signature project of this church.
‘‘You know that Lutheran Church is one of the first faith-based groups that established a secondary school and you are familiar with prominent figures that passed through its high school- the late Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Nsikak Eduok; former State Chief Judges: the late Justice Effiong Udo Idiong and Justice Edet Robert Nkop. We have so many prominent people that this secondary school has produced. We want to replicate that in the university so that our products will represent us outside.’’
Notable personalities in the environs included: the Chairman Ibesikpo Asutan Local Government Area, Evangelist Edidiong Inyang, Obonganwan Esther Ekong, a representative of Lutheran Alumni Association in the Diaspora, Chief Launcher on the Occasion, Nsikanabasi Ikono, PDP and APC Stalwarts, some captains of industries among others, lauded the significance of the University Project in the locality and supported the projects with personal donations.
The Event on Sunday session, which had Rt. Rev. Daniel Eshiet as the Moderator, began with a procession led by the National Choir and Ministers. It captured confession of sins, prayers for the nation and state, several scriptural readings and climaxed with the consecration of four bishops designate; Rev’d Nathaniel Obot Essien, Rev’d Monday Bassey Jacob, Rev’d Chikere Onyeukwu and Rev’d Joseph Enu Abang into the sacred office of the Bishop and holy communion among several other features.
Earlier, an administrative session on Health Talk embracing Nutrition and Exercise as tools for healthy living and body building by Dr. Bibiana Akpan, had taken a centre stage for Saturday’s session, amid counselling segments from several experts on Security and Conflict Resolution, Education/Career Choice, Spiritual Growth, Leadership and Church Administration, Entrepreneurship/Vocation, and Family/Children Education, among others.
Reported by Mary Akpan
