IPC: A Refreshing Momentum for Global Revival

Obong Akpaekong

Despite the many concerns caused by the economic recession and calls from various quarters for the break-up of the country, the latest edition of the International Pastors’ Conference, which held in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, was a huge success. The yearly event, in the expansive ultra-modern auditorium of Insight Bible Church, along Nsikak Eduok Street, from July 3 to 7, reminds one of a similar gathering in Bible’s Shiloh, where the people gathered to seek the face of God over challenges they were facing. It was at Shiloh that the barren Hannah prayed and received the blessing of pregnancy.

But the IPC is not just for prayers. It is a complete and somewhat complex retreat package for top clerics around Africa and parts of the world to reflect and deliberate on the delivery of quality service to humanity and how the global church can add more value to society.

When Sylvanus Ukafia, senior pastor of Insight Bible Church, and his wife, Erikan, first hosted the event in 1999, only 30 persons were in attendance. Almost all the participants were residents of Uyo. Eighteen years after, IPC has become a global event, attracting participation from well over 20 nations of the world.

With the very illuminating theme, “Celebrating Jesus Christ: The God of Awesome Wonders”, the resource persons comprising Bible scholars and top clerics drawn from United States, Europe, North, East, West and Central Africa and Nigeria practically did justice to the various aspects of Christian work, family life and human development into which conference topics were segmented.

One very important issue raised at the conference was the need for the clerics to be faithful to the one who called them; to watch their lives and be sure they were still vessels God took delight in. They were told that theirs was a divine call and not a job for the lazy mind.

When he addressed them, Rev. Uma Ukpai, founder of Uma Evangelistic Association, Uyo, emphasised prayer as a key factor in the success of their calling. Speaking on “Philosophy of Christian Leadership”, Ukpai told them not to tamper with their new birth experience and to pray well enough if they must make any impacts. He said at his age, he “still struggled to pray for six hours a day.” Ukpai told the clerics, “You are as prominent and eminent as your prayer life is.” He said those who prayed for the sick must feel the pain of the sick during prayer, for the anointing for healing to come.

Frama Dillimono, pastor of The Place of Grace Church in Port Harcourt, took the conference in two healing sessions. He admonished pastors to always create an atmosphere for healing and leave the healing job to God. He said there was no point worrying or doubting whether God would answer prayers, if it is offered from a pure heart and a willing spirit. This admonition was cemented by Simeon Afolabi, presiding overseer of Firstlove Assembly in Port Harcourt, whose teaching on “The God of Awesome Wonders”, assured that the grace of God was available for success in mission. Afolabi gave dimensions of God’s grace to include Saving Grace, Common Grace, Preserving Grace, and Sustaining Grace. He assured that God’s grace was always available for clerics who depended on Him for the work.

There were sessions on the history of the church and Christian education. It was very exciting listening to Rev. Efeffiong Effiom, founder and senior pastor of Nu-Life Church at Royal Park, London, teach on “500 Years of the Reformation”. It traversed the roadmap to the greatest event of the 16th Century, the five years of crisis in Luther’s life, the violent thunderstorm and lightening that burst where he stood causing him to exclaim, “help me Saint Anne, I will become a Monk”, his exceptional lifestyle in the monastery and controversy in respect of his sale of indulgences that ignited his famous 95 Thesis on the Castle Church doors at Wittenberg in 1517. Effiom said gradual departure from the word of God gave rise to the Reformation. He lamented that the church today was drifting from the standard Luther set and called for fervent prayer for revival to preserve the ideals that Luther fought for.

Somewhat, Effiom’s fears were given teeth by Ayibakuro Suobite, general overseer of the Houston, United States-based Revival Faith International Ministries, who told the gathering that, like in Noah’s days, all the predictions Paul wrote about world’s descent into the pit of immorality, violence and paganism had been fulfilled. He lamented that the nation’s culture had become secularised and paganised, with good people increasingly coming under attack; jobs lost and careers destroyed. He said in the United States, Christians were being sent to prison for speaking out against homosexuality.

Global terrorism and terrorists attack on the church in Nigeria was also looked at. Ndu Akuchie, president of Nigerian Institute for Christian Education and Leadership in Okigwe, Imo State, who handled the topic, lamented that religious terrorism was heavily directed against the church, even as a large number of people have been killed in the northern and north central states of the country. He said such attacks amounted to persecution, which Jesus and Paul spoke about in the Bible.

“In the circumstance of persecution that we found ourselves, regardless of who the persecutor is, we are commanded to respond with love, not hate, and forgiveness and not violence.” Akuchie, who argued that it was wrong for Christians to take up arms when attacked by their Muslim brothers, also called for initiation of genuine dialogue on the future of the Church in Nigeria, especially in the area of theological leadership, in the face of “monumental dangers facing Christians in the nation.”

Family and health issues were not neglected. Much was said on the need to strengthen the family for the good of society. Among those speaking on family matters was Ethelle Ekpe-Aderemi, senior pastor of the Front Porch International Ministry. She lamented that violence, immorality, idolatry and worldliness had eaten up the fabrics of society. Aderemi said technology, child rights and liberty laws had tended to bewitch and seduce today’s child rather than build him up. She called on parents to devote more of their time to tackling the challenges of breeding godly children.

Rev. John Obot of Assemblies of God, Uyo, spoke on the need to sustain good marriage. Obot said a good marriage did not happen by fiat but through deliberate effort. “Don’t mention divorce. Avoid infidelity. Handle conflicts in time. Communicate effectively. Give your spouse your time and see sex as a process”, were among tips he gave for the sustenance of good marriage. Obot warned: “Avoid scandal. Remember that when a pastor’s marriage collapses, his ministry is over.”

Prof. Aniekan Ekere of the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital spoke on “Maintaining Good Health”. He spent good time informing the gathering about signs of health situations, like cancer, hypertension, diabetes, sexual infections, stress, and their management.

Quite a lot was also said about effectiveness in Ministry. Those who addressed the delegates on this included Verah Orhobor of Morning Star Christian Centre, Warri. Hear her: “When a pastor loses sight of his true priority, what remains for him is a dead church.” Quoting Paul the apostle in Acts 20:28 and 1 Tim.4:16, Orhobor listed the priorities as watching over oneself, the congregation and the doctrines. She said if revival came to the church, it must begin with the pastor.

George Umanah, pastor of Word of Grace Bible Church in Eket, Akwa Ibom State, told the delegates, “Every minister, whether vocational or bi-vocational, in the sanctuary or in the marketplace, must determine to vigorously and earnestly deploy his or her God-given gifts, abilities, talents, opportunities and human resources to produce fruit and to produce the kind of fruit that will last.”

Cameroonian bishop, Robert Ondoa, said, “Biblical ministry is doing God’s work in God’s own way. It is receiving, holding and communicating faith to people in need to access God’s provision.” Ondoa called on the pastors to serve God faithfully and to proof that God will meet their needs while on earth and reward them even more in Heaven.
Mike Adegbile, executive secretary of Nigeria Evangelical Missions Association in Jos, speaking in the same vein, urged the delegates to maintain spiritual vitality and not lower standard. “Our calling in leadership is to lead people to experience God, submit to Him in obedience and live their lives to glorify Him in acts of worship and service,” he said. He said the success of any cleric in such assignment depended on the depth of his or her spirituality.

In his contribution, Abraham Umoh, CEO of Macpee Nigeria Limited, Uyo, called on the delegates to celebrate vision. He quoted Proverbs 29:18, “Where there is no vision, the people perish,” adding, “no matter what you want to build – house, business, empire, or kingdom – it begins with vision.” He urged the pastors to bring up vision and pursue it, saying God will help them to succeed.

American-born James Forlines, a missionary to North Africa and executive director of Go North (Africa), in Morocco, was at the conference. He took the pastors in two sessions on problems related with cross-cultural mission. Forlines was full of praise for the Ukafias and their church for putting up such a gathering. He called on the participants to turn their attention to North Africa, which he said needed so much of Christ and development. Forlines said Africa was blessed with a willing Christian population of 180 million people, quoting the 2010 Lausanne Conference on World Evangelism in Capetown, South Africa. The cleric said within the next 50 years, Africa will become the centre of the global church.

Ukafia and wife Erikan said IPC was packaged for God’s workers to meet and share ideas that would help them in the work. They described it as one of the most cherished leadership development programmes of their church.

–––Akpaekong writes from Uyo.