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More Photos of the Golden Wedding on 6th August, 2016

Photos of the Golden Wedding

Wedding of Barr. Obioha Okoro and Miss Olaedo Azubuike @ SS Peter and John Cathedral Nkwerre on 6th August, 2016

July Itinerary for the Archbishopthe

1Fri -       Funeral service of Lady Joy Asiagbu in the Cathedral 11am  [b]Baptism of the son of Rev                   Canon and Mrs Gideon Nnanemere and Rev and Mrs Ikechukwu Asodike in the Chapel of    the Healing Cross  Bishopscourt
 Nkwerre at 4pm

11th mon   Episcopal synod of province of owerri at st.peter's cathedral Arondizuogu at 10am

12th tue     Clergy and wives school at ALL Souls D.C.C. The Eucharist at 10am

13th Wed    Meeting of Imo State University Council Owerri 12noon

14th - 17th   A.C.M. Conference in St. Andrew's Church Ebenator

15th Fri        Funeral service of Late Sir Obi Agi in the Cathedral at 11am

16th Sat        Opening Ceremony of A.C.M. Conference at St Andrew's Ebenetor at 10am. Te Dean to stand in for me.

17th Sun        Trinity 8: Conference and Admissions into M.U. and W.G. for Amokwe Parish and Awo Idemili North Parish in Christ Church, Awo-Idemili at 10am. candidates to be prepared separately by their Parish Priests. the Archdeacon to examine and present them. Wife of the Parish Priest of Amokwe presents MU and wife of PP of Awo-Idemili North to present the W.G. Ven. Collins Ugbede to preach, Archbishop gives his charge.

18^th Tue           Part of Annual vacation

21^st Thu           Eucharist Chapel of the Good Shepherd, Bishopscourt, Nkwerre 8am

22^nd Fri            Funeral service of the Church Teacher Gideon Onuoha at 11am St. Paul’s Church Okporo. Ven. Collins Ugbede to stand in for me

b) Funeral service of Mr. John Chukukere in St. Mathew’s Ow/Nkworji at 10am. Rev Canon Gideon Nnanemere to stand in for me.

23^rd Sat            Diocesan choir rededication in the Cathedral 10am

24^th Sun           Trinity 9: C.M.S. anniversary special Sunday collection

24^th -25^th Aug   Senior Clergy course at Ibru Centre Agbaraoto. Clerical Secretary to arrange.

25^th Mon          Feast of St. James the Apostle (a) Diocesan Clergy Association in the Cathedral at 10am. All Clergy to be present.

27^th Wed          Celebration of CMS anniversary throughout the Diocese

28^th Thur          Eucharist Chapel of the Good Shepherd, Bishopscourt Nkwerrre 8am.

29^th Fri             Funeral service of Ezinne Catherine Oledibe in St. Peter’s Church Ogberuru at 10am

31^st Sun            Trinity 10: EFAC, AYF special Sunday Collection b) Thanksgiving for the fruit of the womb after seven years of marriage and successful graduation of M.A., Nnamdi Azikiwe University of Rev Canon and Mrs Gideon Nnanemere in St. Stephen’s Church, Abba at 10am. Archdeacon of Nwangele South, Ven. Ezechinyere Duruanyim to stand in for me.

AUGUST

5^th Fri             EFAC opening ceremony at St. Silas Church Ihioma 10am b) Senior Clergy course  ends at Ibru Centre, Agbaraoto

6th Sat            The transfiguration of our Lord. Wedding of Barrister Obioha Ben Okoro and Miss Olaedo Azubuike in the Cathedral Church of SS Peter and John the Divine, Nkwerre at 10am. Pray for God's grace upon the young couple. You are invited. Pray along with us for its success

7^th Sun           Trinity 11: Confirmation and Admissions into M.U. and W.G. for Okporo Parish, Okporo West Parish in St. Mary’s Church, Okporo at 10am. Each parish to prepare its candidates and to be examined by the Archdeacon and presented. Archdeacon’s wife presents M.U. candidates. Parish Priest’s wife presents W.G. Preacher – Rev Canon Christopher Onuoha and Archbishop gives his charge.

8^th Mon            H.O.D. for July at Committee Room at 10am

9^th Tue             Clergy School at the DCC. Eucharist at 10am

10^th Wed          Part of annual vacation continues     

11^th Thur          Eucharist Chapel of Good Shepherd Bishopscourt 8am

12^th Fri             Funeral Service of Mrs. Virginia Abazue in St. Mary’s Church, Amandugba at 11am. Ven Collins Ugbede to stand in for me

14^th Sun           Trinity 12: Education Sunday Special Collection

18^th Thur          Eucharist Chapel of the Good Shepherd Bishopscourt 8am

19- 20 Fri         Church workers children’s retreat at the DCC. Workers to send their children

21^st Sun            Trinity 13:

24^th Wed          Feast of St. Bartholomew the Apostle

25^th Thur          Eucharist Chapel of the Good Shepherd Bishopscourt, Nkwerre 8am

27^th  -31^st         Boys Brigade training at All Saints Amaifeke

21-31^st             Girls Brigade training at St. John’s Amurie Omanze

28^th Sun           Confirmation and Admissions into MU and WG for Ihiteowerre Parish and Obinugwu parish in St. Andrew’s Obinugwu at 10am. Parishes to prepare their candidates separately, to be examined and presented by the Archdeacon. Parish Priest’s wife of Obinugwu presents MU candidates and PP’s wife of Ihiteowerre presents WG candidates. Rev Canon Gideon Nnanemere to preach. Archbishop gives his charge.

PART OF SEPTEMBER

3^RD Sat             Dedication of St. Peter’s Church hall, Ibele and foundation stone laying ceremony of their new parsonage – preacher Rev Canon James Onuoha.

4^th Sun             Trinity 14: Attend the Golden Jubilee Anniversary of Lady Agbajiogu and Silver Jubilee of their wedding in St. Andrew’s Church, Obinugwu at 10am

14^th -17^th          All Clergy Conference at Benue University Makurdi

Your foundation is as important as your future

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth and He saw that it was good and from then till now it has been like that .The world we are enjoying today had a very good foundation

AMAZING GRACE

March the 21^st is a day to be remembered by me. I have never suffered it to pass wholly unnoticed since the year 1748. On that day the Lord sent from on high and delivered me from deep waters.

So wrote John Newton in his autobiography, aptly titled out of the depths it was on that day that Newton came into a personal, saving relationship with Jesus Christ.

Ever since he was a young boy John Newton had dreamed of following in the footsteps of his father, a sea captain. At the age of eleven his dream came true when he joined his father’s ship which sailed the warm blue waters of the Mediterranean.

Life, however was by no means a matter of lain sailing. Growing up, the young lad soon learned the ways of wickedness to his terrible cost. He fought with his father, clashed with his employers and finally ended up in jail. Punishment did nothing to change him, and on his release he continued his immoral living with unrestrained debauchery. Eventually, by a long sequence of tragic events, he found himself employed in one of the most despicable of all trades in those days, slavery.

But the bible proclaims that Christ Jesus came into the world, to save sinners. John Newton was all that a poor miserable wretched sinner.

And yet. It was in the lord’s great plan to save him and make something of him.

First, God brought Newton face to face with his word then he followed him with his spirit, year after year, until at last on that memorable day in March, 1748 when a violent storm off the North West coast of Ireland threatened to send his ship, and all aboard her to the bottom. This caused him to fear for his very life and he called upon the Lord for mercy it was given. John Newton was then 25 years old. At the age of thirty-nine he became a minister of the gospel and , from that time, served the Lord and the church faithfully until his death at eight two.

Towards the end of his life, he often told his audiences, “My memory is nearly gone but i remember two thing; that i am a great sinner and that Christ is a great saviour.

The last fifteen years of John Newton’s life were spent Pastoring the little church at Olney, England. During that time he and the great poet William Cowper worked together compiling a hymn book for use by the people of God. Newton himself wrote a number of hymns, including “How sweet the name of Jesus sounds’ and most famous of all, “Amazing Grace.”

“Amazing grace” has been a firm favourite with Christians everywhere for many, many years. I’m sure it will always remain so. It is Newton’s own testimony in song and tells the marvellous story of his transformation  from spiritual blindness to sight  and all by grace.

On his tombstone in the little churchyard at Olney are these words ”John Newton, clerk, once an infidel and libertine, a servant of slaves in Africa, was by the rich mercy of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, preserved, restored, pardoned and appointed to preach the faith he had long laboured to destroy’.

What else can we say than that John Newton was well qualified to preach and describe God’s amazing grace.

Amazing grace ! How sweet the sound,

That saved a wretch like me!

 I once was lost, but now am found,

was blind but now I see.

Twas grace that taught my heart to fear

And grace my fears relieved:

How precious did that grace appear

The hour I first believed.

Through many dangers, toils and snares,

I have already come,

Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far

And grace will lead me home.

When we’ve been there ten thousand years,

Bright shining as the sun,

We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise

Than when we first begun.

Newton, Rev. John 1725-1807, Anglican John Newton was born on July 24, 1725 in London. His mother, a religious woman, died when he was seven and he went to sea with his father at the age of eleven. Forced to enter British Navy as a midshipman, he deserted and became a slave trader. He had spells of being religious and on a trading voyage read the book “The imitation of Christ,” which deepened his religious interests. Through this study, his acquaintanceship with a truly Christian sea-captain and an experience of facing death one night at sea in 1748, he became truly converted. Upon returning to England he took up the study of Greek and Hebrew. After six years he was ordained at Olney, and began a brilliant and influential career. He remained at Olney as a curate (1764-1779), counting among his intimate friends William Cowper, with whom he wrote the “Olney Hymns” 283 of the hymns were written by Newton. He died in London. December 21, 1807.  

BEHOLD OUR NEW DEACONS

The 21^st century presents a lot of challenges in different spheres of the human life. The social, economic political, religious, scientific and technological changes taking place across the globe has made the work of pastors more challenging as ministers, we must be able to find the right responses to the questions posed and other issues raised by the developments of the times we are in. Nigeia is not left out in this ecomomic challenges and that should not make a clergy to deviat from his calling. The minister of God as suppose must not pretend about the ealities of our days byut must be sufficiently equipped to respond adequately to them fo him to positively carry out the great commission and affect the society as God expected.for a pastor to be effectively positioned to meet the challenges ahead, let him examine this questions.1 who is a pastor,minister,clergy may be determined by the organisation. What is ministery all about and what mandate or calling do you have to satisfy your diocese, organisation, self or God.

The Anglican ordination of deacons and priests is done in two liturgical seasons in the year namely Trinity and Advent ordinations The Incumbent Bishop conducts the service on a Sunday of the season and must be done in the presence of the congregation. Also there are two orders of ordination in the Anglican communion and they are that of a deacon and the priesthood. The bishops are consecrated while the Archbishop is presented. On the day of ordination the peopleto be ordained are already in their robes minus the stoles after the retreat arranged by the diocese three or two to the ordination time. They will move from the retreat centre to the ordination church or cathedral. The retreat is the time of decision for the deacons and priests to be ordained into the sacred order. Whether to go away or continue maybe because of the task ahead the way the work sounds is not the way it is. Those who are in may want to come out and those outside would want to go in. The retreat is as important as when you received the call into the ministry, the bishop laying his hands severally upon the head of every one of them the laying of hands determines the seniority. The bishop gi;ving them licences says “take thou authority to execute the office of a deacon”, If  it is a priest take thou authority to execute the office of a priest. Following this the bishop delivers to everyone of them the new testament in case of a deacon a full bible in case of a priest. After that the clergy director dresses the deacons with a white stole in a yoke form signifying that he has a limited function of the church work to do and he is strictly under order. The following things ust satisfy the bishop before any ordination. Sending out of Si-guis duely signed by his home Vicar and sent to the bishop. Again the examination by the bishop or his chaplains to know if he met the standards.

The third is the questions and the signing before the jurisdictions at the ordination service. With all this in place, the bishop ordains and takes responsibility of the priest. To post,and prefer. Ordination day is a memorable day in the life and family of the ordained. A day that marks the diffefence between the leity and the sacred order. The ordained must not forget that if any minister is to withness growth in the work he must identify and acknowledfge who the owner of the work is.

If the Holy Spirit is not in full control of any pastor’s work or church, then every work including the worker will faint, it is a matter of time.

2016 Synod Pictures

Pictures from the 2016 Synod of the Anglican Diocese of Orlu, Held at St. Andrews Church,  Orsu Ihite Ukwa