The Bishop of Okrika Anglican Diocese in Rivers State, Rt. Reverend Enoch Atuboyedia, has said there was the need for the Church in Nigeria to intensify in prayers for the country and communities.
Atuboyedia stated this on Tuesday at the All Souls’ Anglican Church, Abuloma, Port Harcourt, while briefing journalists on the forthcoming second session of the Seventh Synod of the Diocese, with the theme: “We Wrestle Not”.
The synod, which will have in attendance Rivers State governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, will hold at Saint Peter’s Cathedral, Okrika, with the Anglican Bishop of Ondo Diocese, Rt. Reverend Stephen Oni, as guest preacher.
The Okrika Anglican Bishop said the diocese decided to come up with the theme of the synod because it has become obvious that the Church was not praying as it ought to pray.
He stated that the Anglican Diocese of Okrika, which was created in 2003, held its first diocesan synod in 2004 with the Saint Peter’s Cathedral Church hosting the first session of the first synod.
Atuboyedia said: “From 2004, we started having our Diocesan Synod and Saint Peter’s Cathedral Church, Okrika hosted the first session of the first synod. Thereafter, other institutions have been hosting the synods of the diocese.
“This year, the Cathedral Church will be hosting the second session of the Seventh Synod of the Diocese of Okrika. It is starting from Thursday, May 4, 2023 to Sunday, May 7, in the year of our Lord 2023, with the theme: ‘We Wrestle Not’.
“We decided to chose the theme of the synod because we believe it aptly describes the Church in our present generation.
“Talking about ‘wrestling’, it is all about praying, it is all about being involved in spiritual warfare. It is open to all of us that the Church today is doing less praying. So, we decided to come up with a theme: ‘We Wrestle Not’, to say that as a Church, we are not praying as we ought to pray.
“We believe that the guest preacher during his address on Saturday at the synod, greater light will be shown on the theme of this year’s synod, to awaken all of us as believers, all of us as Nigerians, to stand on our ground and pray for our country, to pray for the Church and for us to pray for our various communities, for peace, for unity and for love.”
