Nigeria Evangelical Missionary Institute (NEMI)
As part of its custom,
the Nigeria Evangelical Missionary Institute holds graduation/convocation
ceremony for her graduates every two years. The 2018 graduation ceremony may
have come and gone, but the lessons will remain relevant and evergreen in the
lives of the graduates and participants alike. The graduation took place at the
school’s premises. One distinguishing feature of this year’s event was that the
29 graduates were commissioned and sent to occupy for the Lord as missionaries
to the nations. This was witnessed by a wide array of dignitaries, friends and
families and was duly covered by about five media houses in Jos, Plateau State,
Nigeria. The occasion was under the chairmanship of Rev. Stephen Panya Baba who
was represented by his special Assistant (SA), Rev. Dr. Elijah Ipole.
Speaking on the
occasion, the chairman congratulated the graduates for attaining such a
wonderful feat in life and urged them to use the training to follow the
footsteps of the Lord Jesus Christ at all times. He charged them to go into the
world in order to transform its darkness into light, adding that the coming of
missionaries to Africa in general and Nigeria in particular has transformed
people from darkness into God’s marvelous light. Speaking on some of the
challenges facing the school, he told the management that they would not
abandon the institute since it is a child it gave birth to because ECWA as a
denomination is one of the founding fathers of the school. He further affirmed
the partnership of the denomination to the school by playing its fatherly role
as it should. He thus used these and many more words in encouraging the
school’s management not to relent in this daunting, yet rewarding task in view
of the number of missionaries the school has churned out over the years.
Also speaking at the
occasion, the Guest Speaker, Rev. Dr. Jim Piomoki Stephens called on the graduates
to remain steadfast in the grace of God that brought them to NEMI, adding that
they would also need God’s grace to sustain them, especially now that they were
expected to go into full missionary practice. He further told them that what
God invested in them is not for their personal consumption alone, but for them
to use in mentoring others. Hence, he challenged them to equally live lives of
daily relationship with the Holy Spirit, and to have a deep devotion with God.
Also in his remark, the
school’s Principal, Pastor Samuel Olatunbi alluded to the fact that whatever
success they might have achieved as a school in preparing foot soldiers of
Christ for the expansion of His reign in the nations was largely due to
consistent prayer and solid financial backing, adding that the institution is
however in urgent need for the renovation of staff quarters and students’
hostel, more classroom blocks, a new female hostel, a multipurpose school hall
as well as accreditation and/or affiliation with a reputable institution. He
advised the graduates to uphold the teaching of the institution and be good
ambassadors of Christ wherever they find themselves as missionaries despite the
challenges that may confront them in the process of doing so.
Other highlights of the
event was the prayer and commissioning of graduates led by the Executive
Secretary of the Nigeria Evangelical Missions Association (NEMA), Uncle Mike
Adegbile; presentation of certificates to graduates, awards to deserving
students and outgoing Board members of the school, goodwill messages, joyful
celebrations by families and friends of the graduates, etc. To God be the
glory.
No comments:
Post a Comment