(Seventh Day) Nigeria Conference forthcoming convention
By Okechukwu Keshi Ukegbu
Other things being equal and God willing, precisely on the Easter weekend ( April 15-17) the low and mighty in The Church of God (Seventh Day) Nigeria will gather at Omoku, Ogba Egbema Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State for the national convention of the church. The occasion will feature worships and praises sessions, inspirational teachings, choir ministrations and other musical renditions. A little clarification is deemed here: the occasion falling on an Easter weekend is a mere coincidence. It is not that convention Easter date is to commemorate the Easter celebration because the church’s teaching highly oppose Easter celebration.
The convention is remarkable for some reasons: One is that the Pastor Monday Elechi- led national leadership will be remembered scores of years after the leadership must have expired for holding a national convention. Two is that Hon. Felix Obuah, a strong financial pillar of the church and the People’s Democratic Party Chairman, Rivers State has not ceased to support major programmes of the church ( both nationally and internationally), and this programme is one of the projects, Bro. Obuah, as fondly called by members of the church, is heavily funding.
It will be recalled that when the present administration was elected, members across the conferences of the nation gathered in Pot-Harcourt, Rivers State to witness the epoch inaugural service facilitated by Bro Felix Obuah. I am highly constrained by time and space in this piece If to highlight the laudable contributions of Bro. Obuah to the development of the church. I have no other words to appreciate the laudable gestures of this illustrious member rather than to say thank you, may God continue to enlarge the coast of Bro Obuah for all his good deeds .Also, for those itching for melodious renditions, keep a date with the forthcoming convention as the choirs will be in attendance to thrill the congregation.
The church’s sojourn in this part of world, Nigeria in particular dates back to about 1939 through the instrumentality of Bishop Benjamin Tikili of blessed memory.
Tikili, who was initially of the Seventh Day Adventists faith was later converted to the church and became the pioneer missionary of the church in Nigeria. Tikili account was graphically captured in his article”The church comes to Nigeria” pages 12 and 13 of November 1980 edition of the Bible Advocate.
” During the time I served in the Teacher Training College, Andrew N. Digger wrote to me and offered me an appointment as an overseer charged with establishing the Church of God in Nigeria, West Africa. I wrote baxk, pointing out what it would mean to me here in Nigeria should I resign from my affiliation with the Adventist Church. I resigned from the Adventist denomination on September 30, and trusting in the Lord, I returned to Aba with my family of seven.
“Two weeks after my arrival from Ibadan, I started to work as a preacher. The Lord used me to bring men and women with their families into the faith. I laboured with two or three converts ( from 1939 to 1942)…,” Tikili wrote.
One of the greatest challenges the church has faced over the years is the issue of misidentification. People always identify The church of God (Seventh Day) in Nigeria as the Seventh Day Adventists. Unfortunately, they are distinct denominations with distinct beliefs, though some beliefs relate at some point.
The Church of God (Seventh Day) has over 20 beliefs. Some of its beliefs are distinct from other denominations. The church distinguishes between clean and unclean meat as supported by Genesis 7:1-3; Leviticus 11:2-23, among other scripture texts.
The church also believes that marriage was instituted by God and is intended to last as long as both parties. Unlike what is obtainable in today’s world where marriages are dissolved with the snap of the finger, the church asserts that” those who remarry after divorce, except the divorce was for cause of fortification, commit adultery. Similarly, those who marry persons who have been divorced except for the cause of formication commit adultery(Genesis 2:18-25, Matthew 5:31,Mark 10:12, Luke 16:18, among other scripture texts).
The church believes that celebrations such as Easter, Christmas, Lent or Halloween do not have scriptural support .2 Corinthians 6:14-18; Jeremiah 19:2-19; Matthew 12:38-40).
The church believes that baptism should be by immersion. On Sabbath keeping, it is the belief of the church that” God set the Sabbath apart in the beginning as a memorial of creation, and it was by Jesus and the apostles”.
