The Seventh-day Adventist Church in the lower Niger region in Nigeria has been conferred with a new status of a UNION CONFERENCE with Pastor Dr Bassey Udoh elected as pioneer President.
Other Principal officers elected include:
Pastor Moses Njoku Secretary
Elder Emmanuel Manilla Treasurer
Pastor Kingsley Anonaba Field Secretary
Inaugurating the former Eastern Nigeria Union Mission into a Union Conference in line with the action of the Annual Council of the World Church taken in October this year, the General Vice President at the World Headquarters of the Church in Washington D.C., Pastor Benjamin Schoun expressed delight over the growth and development that have taken place in the Eastern Nigeria Union Conference culminating in the granting of Union Conference status to the filed.
Pastor Schoun commended the commitment, dedication and patriotic spirit of the membership of the Church in Nigeria particularly Eastern Nigeria Union Conference which he noted has made remarkable progress within a short period of operation as a Union Mission.
Also speaking, the Associate Treasurer of the World Church, Elder George Egwakhe, expressed joy over the development and progress being made by the Adventist Church in Nigeria, particularly Eastern Nigeria Union Conference. He urged both the clergy and the laity of the Church to continue to unite and work together for the progress of God’s work because doing the contrary would amount to going back to Egypt.
Speaking earlier, the President of the West-Central Africa Division (WAD) of the Church, Pastor. Dr.Gilbert Wari commended the vision of the pioneers of the defunct Eastern Nigeria Union Mission which has translated into a dream come through with the conferment of a Union Conference status on the former mission.
Pastor Wari also lauded the efforts of the present leadership of the Union Conference and the supporting role of the membership of the Church in catching the vision of growth and expansion to bring the administration of the Church closer to members stressing that the new status is a sign of good things to come, maturity, responsibility and self-determination.
The WAD President urged both the leadership and members of the new Union Conference to work hard and do more towards the creation of the envisaged Union Missions within the Eastern Nigeria Union Conference.
In his acceptance speech the newly elected President of Eastern Nigeria Union Conference, Pastor (Dr) Bassey Udoh expressed gratitude to God and called for continued unity and support of members and promised to serve faithfully to move the new Union Conference to greater height.
Top ranking officers from the World Church Headquarters, the West-Central Africa Division (WAD) and Sister Union Conference in Nigeria who graced the inaugural session of the Union Conference include Executive Secretary of WAD Pastor Dr. Onaolapo Ajibade; President of North-Western Nigeria Union Conference (NWUC), Pastor Dr. Oyeleke Owolabi; Pastor Okei Okonkwo (NWUC), Elder Markus Dangana, (NWUC), Vice Chancellor/President of Babcock University Prof. James Kayode Makinde; the Vice Chancellor/President of the Clifford University (Proposed), Prof Chimezie Omeoun and Pastor Dr.Sylvanus Chioma as well as the pioneer President of ENUM, Pastor Gideon Nwaogwugwu retired.
Reported by Communication Department
Eastern Nigeria Union Mission
Pastor Uzoma Nwosi
Director
Elder John Abbey
Associate Director