(BY VEN. FOLUSO TAIWO)

Money, materialism and heresy are three hydra headed problems among others waging war and consuming the Church today.

While preaching on the theme of the Retreat, “Called to serve faithfully,” for collation of Archdeacons and Canons, ordination of Priests and Deacons, and licencing of Lay Readers at the Cathedral Church of the Advent, Life Camp Abuja, the Most Rev. Edmund Akanya, Bishop of Kebbi Anglican Diocese called on those coming to priesthood to serve faithfully the Church and stand faithfully for the gospel, charging them to feed the flock of Christ by the authority of the Bishop.

He said that God has found them fit to serve in that capacity at a time when the Church is looking for who to serve faithfully, adding that they should serve as Priests of 21^st century, tested and worth his salt, with wisdom, encouraging those whose hopes are lost, dividing the word of truth in its perfect sense, preaching and teaching the word, and standing by the word and defending it, not for shameful gains but eagerly.

According to the ebullient frank preacher, the rate of unemployment in Nigeria is alarming; there is no job and the cheapest job now is to become emergency pastor, it has become an all comers affair. He urged the new entrants not to be lazy, preaching wishy washy sermon, but serve diligently with humility and love, not a lone ranger, but committed to taking care of the flock, putting Jesus first, by so doing the flock will take care of the shepherd. He warned them not to cheapen the collar they are wearing because of their stomach, but seek first the kingdom of God and these other things shall be provided because God cannot abandon His own.

He urged them not to war against the things of the world, reminding them that it is not where they are that matters but serving God with all their might and having the right relationship with their caller. Finally, Bishop of Kebbi said the ultimate is to reign with God adding that they should not be Priests who will lead others to heaven and they will miss the mark. According to the two time Archbishop, eschatologists have reiterated that all the signs heralding the coming of Jesus Christ the second time have been fulfilled except one. He asked all and sundry to believe in the name and blood of Jesus Christ, crave for it every day and be saved.

The three in one service was full of praises and altogether three (3) Archdeacons and three (3) Canons were collated; three (3) Deacons were made Priests, one Deacon was ordained, while nine (9) Lay Readers were licenced and installed, making nineteen (19) celebrities in all on the Advent Sunday, marking the beginning of the new year calendar in Christendom.