The Anglican Christian Men's Fellowship (ACMF) of the Ideato Diocese has ended its 2017 annual conference where men were advised to be good husbands to their wives.
The conference, which rounded off at St. John's (Ang) Church, Osina, in Ideato North Local Government Area of Imo State, has as its theme: What a friend we have in Jesus (John 21:15).
Speaking on the theme, the Archbishop of Owerri Ecclesiastical Province and Bishop of Ideato, the Most Rev. Caleb A. Maduoma, observed that most Christian fathers have abandoned their faith in Jesus Christ while they pursue worldly things that do not last.
According to him, some errant fathers have gone ahead to make themselves enemies of God by engaging in fetish, immoral and ungodly acts, thus delaying their blessings from the heavenly father.
He reminded the fathers that man, from the beginning of creation, was assigned the responsibility of taking care of his family.
He regretted that man has turned his back on God, hence the high rate of wickedness ravaging the world today, and called on fathers to love God truly to be able to face the challenges in life.
Also speaking, the spiritual director and chaplain of the ACMF in the diocese, Ven. Ramsay Okeke, said that by being a friend of Jesus Christ, the Christian father would have distinguished himself from other fathers in the villages who may have been friends of deities and other fetish interests.
He, however, pointed out that nominal attendance to church only does not mean being Jesus's friend, and charged them to be active in worship of God.
Rev. Philip Ukaekwu of Christ's (Ang) Church, Ntueke who preached the sermon, described as worrisome the rate at which most fathers practise idolatry, engage in immoral acts and belong to occult groups.
He expressed optimism that the conference would yield the needed fruit making the fathers to turn a new leaf.
Speaking to Christian voice after the conference, the director of clergy affairs in the diocese, Ven. Josiah Chigozie, said that the conference created a wonderful opportunity for the fathers to deliberate and mediate on lingering issues in the Anglican churches in the rural areas.
Adding his voice, the Diocesan coordinator of the fellowship, lay-reader Fran Muneke, said that fathers must draw closer to God to be saved from the present adverse situations in the country.
He praised Archbishop Maduoma for his leadership saying; “He is a wonderful man. Our prayer is that God will continue to strengthen him more and more”.
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