A REPORT OF CHURCH OF GOD CAMPMEETING HELD AT
OKPOSI, EBONYI STATE FROM 25-30 DECEMBER 2015
The long awaited
campmeeting of the church of God for 2015 in Nigeria began on a joyful note as
brethren arrived from various residences across the country at the camp venue,
Federal Government College, Okposi in Ebonyi State. We had a glorious time
together with the Lord in sixteen different meetings including morning
devotions and the arrival service. There was at least one teaching or message
in each of the sessions except the last session. On the last session, it was a
galore of testimonies, singing and admonitions. God honored the campmeeting
with various healing in answer to prayers, as well as repentance and conversion
of souls.
A total of twelve persons
were baptized by immersion as a public declaration of repentance from a life of
sin. Among the happy souls are Brothers Chukwudi Okike Joshua, ThankGod Nwofoke
and Lucky Michael Jackson from Uyo in Akwa Ibom State. From Tombia in Rivers
State, Brother Omiete John and Sister Martha Isaac also got immersed in the
watery grave. Sister Abigail Epelle from Bori and Brother Emmanuel Nwanje from
Port Harcourt City, both from Rivers, were among those baptized. Brother
Emmanuel Nwanje testified before in the Youth Session how he decided to defect
from the Olumba Olumba Obu sect (The Brotherhood of Cross and Star) to follow Jesus Christ in “the church of God,
which he hath purchased with his own blood” (Act20:28). He was due to be
initiated into the caucus of the religious society which has many mysteries when
he made up his mind to follow his boss, Bro Silvanus Eferebo to the
campmeeting. Others who got baptized in the campmeeting include Brothers
Chukuemeka Okike from Nsukka in Enugu State; Philip J. Nwankwo from Onicha,
Ebonyi State; Itoro Akpan from Badagry, Lagos, as well as Sisters Deborah
Emmado from Ellu, Delta State and Blessing Nwofoke from Abakaliki in Ebonyi
State.
Nineteen congregations from
Nigeria and Ghana were represented, namely: Okposi, Onicha and Abakaliki, in
Ebonyi State; Nsukka in Enugu State; Benin in Edo State; Uyo in Akwa Ibom
State; Badagry and Ajegunle in Lagos State; Ellu in Delta State; Tombia, Ogu,
Bori and Port Harcourt in Rivers State; Yenagoa in Bayelsa State; Mgbidi and
Owerri in Imo State; Tanuso, Asaukare and Kumasi in Ashante Region of Ghana.
The messages and teachings
centered on the theme: “Awake to Righteousness”. These include the arrival
service exhortation by Bro Chinwendu Nwachukwu from Hebrews 12 verses 25
through 28, with an appeal that we refuse not the voice of “him that speaketh
from heaven”. The arrival service was held on the late evening of the first
day, that is Friday, the 25th of December, 2015. In the morning
devotion of the next day, Bro Onimite Alalibo spoke on what is required to win
the fight of faith. The next message came during the morning session. It was a
teaching by Bro Igbanibo on the theme of the campmeeting. The terms in the
theme were well defined and our hearts were well watered to receive the good seeds
of God’s expectation for our life on earth. The afternoon teaching was taken by
Bro Bartholomew Nwachukwu. The topic was The Need and Value of Repentance. He
laid much emphasis on godly sorrow being the bedrock for a genuine Christian
experience, while mourning that many were overlooking this all-important
feature of spirituality. He implored everyone to think about the last time we
wept before the Lord for shortcomings, being convicted by the Holy Spirit. This
is the door of entrance into the church of God. Anyone who passes through some
other means into the church is a thief and a robber. In the evening service, Brother
Okechukwu treated “Christian Marriage and how it should be”.
In the morning devotion of
the third day, Bro Eric Okhuakhua (Winter) entreated the church that the soil
of any heart should not be hardened to the rain of truth the Lord was pouring
on the camp. Hardened hearts have always proved a hindrance to work of God in
every generation. Bro Onimite Alalibo presented an exposition about the Kingdom
of God in the morning session of that day. The afternoon session was for the
Youth; Bro Chinwendu Nwachukwu handled a lesson by the grace of God on the
“Good work which the Lord has begun in us”. Soon it seemed a floodgate had opened
for many young people to come out and share their personal experiences with the
church, when Bro Hardrich Opoku from Ghana testified how his family had found
the church. Bro Silvanus Ibietale Eferebo was followed by Bro Mercy Garden
Brown and Sis Health Evborein, who testified how she got to know about the
church and accepted the truth when the “gospel train” carried Bro Chinwendu and
few other brethren from Port Harcourt to Benin some years ago. Brothers Ibelema
Keribo, Emmanuel Fenibo and Emmanuel Nwanje were not left out. While Brothers
Ibelema, Ibietale and Mercy Brown gave words of encouragement and advice,
others shared testimonies. A handful of elderly brothers rounded off the
session with sound counsels. In the
evening message, Bro Joshua Okike, in an attempt to recall our minds to the
previous messages and teachings in the meetings brought out a number of points
in the message he titled “Awake to Righteousness and Sin Not”.
Bro Francis Egwu spoke
about love in the morning devotion of the 4th day. The morning
session was for the children. Various renditions were received from children
from various congregations after an exhortation from Sis Grace Garden Brown.
The afternoon session was for the mothers and elderly sisters. Sis Adaku
Achilike gave a lecture on the Beauty of the Christian Woman. We had several
other words of admonition and renditions of special songs. Sisters Walaba
Seleiyi, Evelyn Nwaka, Rachel Agbonlahor and Crown were among the speakers.
Sister Nwaka’s emphasis was on Modest dressing. Sis Crown gave a testimony how
she was given to worldly adornment until the Lord convinced her to give it up.
In the evening meeting, Bro Udoh preached on forgiveness.
Bro Emmanuel Dokubo, in the
morning devotion of the fifth day, clarified the assertion: “I die daily” in
the right context of 1Cor15:30-31. Supporting the verses with Romans8:36-39,
Psalms44:22, Acts20:20-27; 21:10-14, it was clarified that the apostle was continually
exposed to death for the sake of Christ. He did not love his life unto death,
prepared to lay it down. Bro Silvanus Ibietale Eferebo did an exposition
thereafter about the New International Version of the Holy Bible. It was seen
that many verses that support the divinity of the Lord Jesus Christ were omitted
in the version. We were advised to cleave to the King James Version. In the
morning session, Bro Emmanuel Dokubo rendered a touching lesson on Restitution.
Many souls responded to the altar calls.
The last session was for
testimonies and singing. It was all joy as brethren recounted the Lord’s help
for the success of the campmeeting in spite of the infernal attacks suffered by
not a few members, before and during the event, which could have disturbed us
all had the Lord not intervened. The Lord’s blessing and miraculous healing
power in our midst was sure proof of His approval of our fellowship with Him
and one another. It is truly a sure blessing to camp in God's presence. With
joyful hearts, the church is looking forward to the next campmeeting if Christ
tarries. Praise God!
