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The General Superintendent of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry, Pastor William Folorunso Kumuyi has rounded off the first phase, the September edition of his effort to rejuvenate the spiritual well-being of Akwa Ibom State through a quarterly programme christened, “Akwa Ibom State Government Partnership with the Holy Ghost”.
Pastor Kumuyi who was in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital city in the morning for a Sunday worship service at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium (popularly known as the nest of champions) and executive session at the Government House Banquet Hall in the evening where he played host to top government functionaries, captains of industry, political leaders, clergymen and other business moguls in the state.
The Deeper Life spiritual leader who preached using only one verse of the bible, the book of Numbers Chapter 13 verse 30 captioned his message, “Making Progress Towards a Prophetic Future”. He narrated the story of the report brought by the spies who were sent by Moses to explore the Canaan Land while the children of Israel were on their journey to the Promised Land. He noted that negative report has the capacity of weakening leaders and the followers if not properly managed.
The man of God who used mnemonics to describe the word, FAITH with consecration to God with reference to the experience of the children of Israel admonished his rapt audience to 1. Focus on God 2. Abide in God’s presence 3. Ignore the giants 4. Trust your guide and 5. Hold your ground. He also noted that to succeed as a state or individual, there is need to develop strong self-determination and be highly principled and every decision made in order to get to the desired destination.
Pastor Kumuyi, a former University Don and a bible teacher per excellence whose message was presented in a simple, clear but pungent manner charged his audience to always be positive in their disposition and conversation by always adopting the ‘I can, I will and I must’ do attitude to develop faith that conquers at all times. Explaining FAITH to conquer giants in line with the Caleb experience, the man of God adopted Aide-mémoire in place of FAITH drilled his listeners to always 1. Forget the giants 2. Act like a giant 3. Isolate the giants 4. Take on the giants and 5. Hush the giants. He stressed that partnership with God is the ultimate that brings enduring success and called on all to develop confidence in God to guarantee long lasting progress as state, nation or individual.
In his response, the Executive governor of Akwa Ibom State, His Excellency, Deacon Udom Gabriel Emmanuel expressed joy and a sense of fulfillment on the visit of the man of God and expressed the hope that the visit will ensure spiritual rebirth and enthrone prosperity in the state especially during the period of hash economic situation in the country. He noted that in a time like this, it was necessary for the state to seek Divine intervention.
The State Chief Executive explained the rationale behind the partnership was to dethrone the old practices of the forebears who did not believe in God but deities, pouring of liberation and wickedness. According to the governor, such practices are inimical to growth, progress and development, “if you could look back, you will discover that the Americas built their nation in God, that is why their motto is in God we trust and all their institutions, structures and ideas are growing till today but you see ours that was built on liberation and wickedness, everything has deteriorated and collapsed, that is why we gather here”, he explained.
While chatting with Century Newsfront, the Permanent Secretary, State Budget Office, Pastor Nicholas Ekarika who also the State Coordinator of the Deeper Life Campus Fellowship expressed joy over the success of the event. He said that prior to the event, all Deeper Life Church locations across the state embarked on effective preparation, planning, prayers and publicity, “I want to say that God has honoured us in this state, before now, the entire church across the state embarked on serious prayers for Divine intervention and today, we have seen it in our eyes that even the rain obeyed us”. He pointed out that the essence of partnership was very necessary for God to come into the affairs of men, “I want to assure you that this state cannot remain the same, very soon, economic turnaround would be experienced in all facets of the economy’, he noted.
The event featured prayers for the prosperity of the government and people of the state; actualization of government’s development plans and dreams; peace and stability in Akwa Ibom State; prayer for God to rise against all anti-government and anti-development forces in the state; choir rendition; violinist display by a chorister, worship and praises while Pastor Kumuyi prayed for the government and people of the state.
Present at the event were the Deputy Governor, Mr. Moses Ekpo; Secretary to the State government, Sir Etekamba Umoren; members of the state executive council; the State Chief Judge, Hon. Justice Stephen Okon and members of the judiciary; members of the Legislature; permanent Secretaries; the chairmen and members of local government Transition committees and their spouses. Others were the present and immediate past chairmen of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN); the Prelate emeritus and the immediate past chairman, World council of the Methodist Church, His Grace, Dr. Sunday Mbang; other Clergymen and women within and outside state. Deeper Life State Pastors of Abuja, Rivers, Edo, Cross River, Delta while Akwa Ibom State Overseer, Pastor Obinna Nkemjika led all the 13 Region Overseers in the state for the event. They were: Pastors Sunday Inyang, Eket; Effiong Okwong, Oron; Mkpandiok Mkpandiok, Okobo; Lordswill Amos, Etinan; Alex Ebenyoh, Ikono and Okure Daniel, Ikot Ekpene. Others include John Etuk, Ikot Abasi; Alex Daniel, Abak; Enoch Abraham, Ibeno; Aniedi Akpan, Itu; Godwin Akpan, Nsit Ubium and Udo Udo Peter, Ukanafun.
