His Lordship Bishop Godson Udochukwu Ukanwa
By Ignatius Soroibe, Owerri
Anglican Bishop of Isi Mbano Diocese in Imo State, His Lordship Bishop Godson Udochukwu Ukanwa has warned political leaders against taking the Church for jamboree.
Bishop Ukawa gave the warning during the 2024 Diaconate/ Priestly Ordination held at Saint Peter's Anglican Church, Amaraku, in the Isi Ala Mbano Local Government Area of the state.
He lamented that iniquity has continued to grow higher due to greed - a lack of contentment by people especially the leaders in the society.
According to him, what is happening in society is a product of greed where people are amassing wealth for themselves and their third and fourth generations.
Bishop Ukanwa condemned the political class for their selfishness, opining that "they only take the Church for a jamboree.'
He said politicians only come to church when they are contesting elections but after being voted into the seats of authority, nobody would see them in the Church again."
"Churchanity," in his words, ends, or 'they lose touch with the Church.'
The Bishop pointed out that if the church continues to pray, a positive difference would become possible in society.
He said, "If we continue to pray, the Church will make a difference," insisting that" When we cease from praying, when we cease from contentment, when we cease from being set apart when we cease from righteousness, automatically there will be trouble in the society."
Ukanwa described the Church as the conscience of society while speaking on the homily entitled, "Set apart to make Impact." He pointed out that society would have been worse considering how things are with the persistent effort of the Church.
He insisted that priests must make a difference, noting that those who "name the name of the Lord must depart from iniquity while advising the twelve priests ordained in the Church to take the charge as a task.
"He has impacted by laying hands on them so that they would impact the generality of the people," he hinted.
He thanked God for the Church, noting that without the Church, society would have been worse than it is today.
He expressed the belief in a situation where those who name the name of the Lord must depart from iniquity according to Paul's charge to Timothy in the holy scriptures.
He frowned at the situation where pastors and priests are chasing after things of the world, taking the real estates and mercantile with the word of God, etc.
Bishop Ukanwa further maintained that with the twelve apostles ordained today, "the church will move forward and become better."
Reacting to a question on whether he was going to change his style of teaching and preaching, the Anglican Bishop said that he was not going to change his style but "to add more efforts through the enablement of the Holy Spirit."
His words: "Changing my style is joining the bandwagon, the greatest problem of the Church today is because many people that you call men of God are joining the world, they are joining the world in real estate business, they are joining the world in money business, they are joining the world in oil business, you see people making mercantile of the gospel, that is the problem.
"You hear the leader of KICC, he is no more preaching, he is now into real estates business, some other big pastors are gradually leaving the pulpit because they have made so much money, they have made estates and so on and so forth, we are not going to leave the pulpit, we are priests forever, we are called by the order of Melchizedek.
"We believe that by the grace of God, it's gonna be alright; one day, things will change; that is our prayer."
Asked how soon, he said, "In God's economy, you cannot determine the time, there is what we call "Chronos and kairos," you talk about the timing of the clock in Chronos while in kairos you look at God's time, the appointed time when the Messiah will come everything will be wonderful, he concluded.
Earlier in a homily entitled, "Love and Glorify God," Bishop of the Diocese of Niger West, Bishop Johnson Ekwe insisted that children of God must pray to "influence the world" to the glory of God.
In a solidarity message, the Imo State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Hon. Ruby Emele urged the newly ordained priests and deacons to work hard "in the new spirit of their calling," and she pledged her support for them.
The Church service was attended by clergymen from other denominations, reverend sisters and seminarians from the Catholic church, family and friends, traditional rulers, and a Council of Knights.
The highlights of the occasion included Thanksgiving by the newly ordained priests and deacons and a rendition of songs and praises.
"Indeed Heaven came down", According to a visitor, Mr Victor Fineman, and his amiable wife Bibiana, who came from Bayelsa state.
Among the newly ordained priests and deacons were Revd Chidozie Benjamin Ubochi, Revd Onyekachi Cyril Ezeji, Revd Chibueze Okoroji, and Revd Akano, among others.
