THE CHURCH OF NIGERIA (ANGLICAN COMMUNION)

DIOCESE OF EVO REPORT OF THE DIOCESAN PRAYER MINISTRY We in the Diocesan Prayer Ministry have more than enough reasons to express very hearty thanks to God for his love and faithfulness toward us as we went about his business during the Synod year under review. Unto Him we ascribe all the glory, honour, power, dominion and majesty, whose grace energized and enabled us to carry out several activities successfully. Even while some of us sometimes had cause to drive through the odd hours of the night, His mighty hands sustained us and kept us from knocking our foot against any stone. Most gladdening is the fact that we do not have any known record of the loss of any prayer ministry member during this period. May we reaffirm that we were drive n in our ministry endeavours by a very strong desire to assert Gods ownership and authority over this Diocese and the constituting churches. Our mission is to build a strong and virile crop of intercessors who would noiselessly but effectively uphold the church of God and its ministers at the various levels in prayer. We desire to see in our generation, the perfect fulfillment of the scriptures, Matthew 16: 18: I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. This we do, while never losing sight of the truth of 1 Corinthians 1: 26- 31. In any case, having truly examined ourselves, we have no doubt that we could have fared much better than we have done. For this we pray for greater grace. ACTIVITIES/PROGRAMMES The prayer ministry engaged in several activities, including: 1. Regular monthly night vigils held at:
o St. Judes Church Oginigba Deanery on 6th August, 2010 o St. Simons Church Okporo Deanery on 3rd September 2010 o Church of Epiphany Pipeline Rumuokwurushi, 0n 1st October, 2010 o Church of the Holy Spirit, Eliozu, on 5th November, 2010 o Holy Trinity, Elimgbu Parish, on 3rd June, 2011 o Mount Zion Eliogbolo, on 1st July, 2011

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Three prayer retreat programmes were successfully conducted at New Covenant Church, Eliminigwe Estate, on 14th August 2010 Church of Pentecost Rumuogba, on 3rd and 4th December, 2010 A.C.M.G.S. Elelenwo, on 29th/30th April, 2011

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Monthly executive prayer meetings which doubled as special outreaches to the leaderships of churches prayer squads perceived to be lacking in zeal toward Diocesan Prayer Ministry programmes were also held across some Churches on a regular monthly basis. Some of the churches already visited for this programme are; All Saints Cathedral, Rumuokwurushi, St Nicolas Woji, St Matthias Atali, St, Marks Elelenwo Deanery, St Philips Oroigwe, etc. CHALLENGES/CONSTRAINTS 1. Please note that during the first quarter of this year 2011, the chaplaincy was unable to hold the regular night vigils. This is because the harmonized programme of the chaplaincies did not give room to this as is clearly visible from the bishop engagement for the first two quarters. It had always been an uphill task mobilizing the churches prayer squads to attend the activities captured in the bishops engagement, not to talk of when it is silent about it. 2. The ministry had cause to quickly reschedule the retreat billed for March 2011 to 29th and 30th April because it clashed with another major Diocesan programme; On the highways and Hedges. Such clashes impact very negatively on attendance to and participation in prayer ministry activities. 3. We have noted with regrets that certain elements within the leadership of the prayer ministry in some parishes and stations do not flow freely with the leadership of their churches. As such, most efforts to circulate information through such leaders fail as a result of break in communication at the local level. 4. Money answereth all things, says the wise teacher in Ecclesiastes 10:19. That means, in other words, that lack of it poses very serious hindrance to certain important matters. The leadership of the ministry have sometimes been put through unnecessary stress especially while organizing for retreats without the requisite funds. Sacrifices have been made and are still being made but we will wish to ensure that some of these very few wonderful assets do not feel overburdened or discouraged. 2

RECOMMENDATIONS 1. We implore His Lordship, the bishop, to use his exalted office to veto the issue of prayer ministrys monthly night vigil on the First Friday of every month and to encourage churches and ministers to help us mobilize their members for full and effective participation in all programmes of the Diocesan Prayer Ministry. 2. The Ministry also craves the indulgence of churches leadership to endeavour to sponsor appreciable numbers of prayer squad members to this years annual National Prayer Conference scheduled for November, and to do so annually. 3. Much as we try, as a ministry, to play down on money matters, there is no doubt that we will be sufficiently encouraged and motivated if the Diocese will, as a matter of policy, undertake to sponsor our major programmes. CONCLUSION The place of prayer in the personal and corporate existence of Christians and the church cannot be over-emphasized. Experience shows that prayer, by its nature, does not command a large followership. Nevertheless, it is also imperative to note that for the church of Christ to continue to maintain her victorious position in this evil world of darkness, Christians must cultivate the habit of praying in and out of season, and we must all learn to pray aright. Rev. Samson O. Abada Chaplain, Prayer Ministry