SEMINARS BITES

While delivering the sermon at the Service of collation of new Archdeacons of the Diocese of Lagos West on Thursday September 15, 2016, the Rt Revd Abel Olu Ajibodu charged the newly collated to do the work of an evangelist in season and out of season according to the second epistle of Timothy chapter 4 and verse 5 of the Holy Bible. He highlighted the quality of an evangelist. According to him, an evangelist must be saved, called to ministry, prayerful, eloquent in speech, consumed with passion for God and compassionate for souls.

The Bishop Adjuctor of Ile-Oluji stressed further that the newly collated should not assumed that people are standing when they faced congregation but prepare messages to minister to both the saved and the unsaved. He charged them that their messages must be evangelistic. He continued that the way churches are run today is making sinners to be comfortable in the churches and that most pastor are preaching Churchialism and not Christianity and that the message of an evangelist must reveal the unknown God in order to connect sinners to God through Christ Jesus.

Bishop Ajibodu further highlighted some salient points to note.
1. Be instantly to be conscious that you are a child of God before you are a man of God.
2. Bear in mind that your first assignment is to represent the Christ in sharing with the Bishop in overseeing the church.
3. You should not see becoming Archdeacon as a mean of not demonstrating leadership by example and that God expects us to be model to others.
4. You are not god but a leader under God. Never lords anything on your subordinate.
5. Never talk any how. Ecclesiastic 10:20
6. Be true to yourself and to God.
7. Beware of Church politics or interest.
8. Be honest and loyal. Let your loyalty comes from a sincere heart that is truly committed to love your superior.

He concluded by encouraging the entire congregation to continue to pray for the new Archdeacons and prayed that the Lord would help them to fulfil their new office.

Reported by
The Revd Oluwole Ibikunle