Bible Standard Church Convention 2023: The Call to Move Forward

By Obong Akpaekong

The 2023 Easter weekend of April 6 to 10, may have come and gone, yet the memory of a call to move forward in life will continue to linger in the minds of many.
Those who will not forget the weekend and the call in a hurry include the 527 persons who surrendered their lives to Christ at the 2023 Annual Convention of Bible Standard Church, which held at the church’s Miracle Campground, Ndon Uruan, in Uruan Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, with the theme “Forward Ever, Backward Never.”

Those who were born again at the event and those that got spiritual revival, received various miracles like healing or were delivered from demonic attacks and powers of darkness will also keep long memories of the event and season.
It was learnt that 142 persons including 34 children were baptised by the Holy Ghost at the event.

Six other persons were delivered from demonic possession while 29 others were baptised in water by immersion. These, alongside all that attended the event will always remember that weekend as well as seek to move forward. However, those crawling in discouragement, those that are being dazzled by failure and victims of circumstances will also seek to move forward from where they find themselves.

The church had designed the event to move Christian faithful and Nigerians generally away from the stagnation, the sorrowing, the traumatic cashless policy, the spiritual deadness, and lots more that had enslaved the nation.

Pastor Umoh Ekwo, general overseer of the church, in a sermon titled “Moving forward spiritually” told the convention participants to move away from a life of sin to that of holiness and a close walk with God. “You can move away from the level of a sinner to that of a saint” he said. He also charged the new Christians to maintain their new life in Christ and to avoid anything that could make them to return to a life of sin.

He took them through the Bible’s account of some people whose lives were transformed from that of sinner to that of saint. Among them was Paul the apostle, who he noted had volunteered to persecute followers of Christ but later repented and became a disciple of Jesus and a frontline preacher of the gospel.

Pastor Ekwo said it was surprising for the Jews to see the former persecutor of the Church spending his lifetime preaching and winning souls for Christ.
“If you’re moving forward spiritually, forsake immorality, telling of lies, drinking, smoking and other sinful acts and follow God”, he said. The pastor said women should not put on men’s attire, paint themselves or expose their bodies even as men should not be effeminate. He recounted that in the city of Ephesus, some Jews and Greeks burnt their magical books and other fetish items upon their repentance (Acts 19:17-20), insisting that every born again person must give up his or her former way of life.

Pastor Ekwo admonished those who are born again to grow in the Lord and join in bringing others outside the family of God into it through their lifestyles and evangelisation. He also told the close to 8,000 convention participants to continue in their Christian journey and not go back to the world whatever the challenges that they might face in life.

In his admonition of the people, Rev. Imeobong Udoh, JP, vice president of the church, speaking on the topic “Grace to move forward”, said that believers must make obeying the word of God a way of life, ensure there is peace and harmony in the family, the church and the society. He said believers must not be idle but get busy in the service of God as well as get themselves jobs to eke a living. He assured that the grace of God was always available to move them forward in life.

Also addressing the convention was Pastor Simeon Simeon, Rivers State overseer of Bible Standard churches. He spoke on the topic “I will never go back to the world” insisting that all born again Christians must make a firm decision not to go back to sinful life. Pastor Simeon cited some men and women in the Bible including Joseph, Ruth, the 12 disciples of Christ as good examples of people who decided to follow God. All of them were adequately rewarded, the pastor said.

Pastor Edwin Ene, zonal pastor for Uyo in Akwa Ibom State spoke to the congregation on financial responsibility. “Christians must find a way to make money and spend it well”, he said. He said they must invest in profitable ventures, in their children, pay their tithe, give offering in the church and lead generous lives. Ene warned that those who served God or invested their money in the things of God yet led sinful lives had nothing to profit. He called on Christians to obey God the way Abraham did (Gen. 12 ) and the way Isaac did (Gen. 26) if they must prosper financially and in other areas.

Pastor Asuquo Nyong, pastor of the Abuja congregation who spoke on “Holy Ghost Power to move forward”, noted that the miracles people were looking for depended on their continuing to trust in God. He insisted that the power of the Holy Spirit was going to lead them and give them the needed grace to do well in their Christian lives. “Do not go back on your faith. If you do, it will affect your prayer life, consecration and your devotion to God”, he said. He admonished them to always depend on the Holy Spirit for instruction and guidance.

There were faith-building Bible study sessions on the topics “What Christ’s death brought to us”, “Faithfulness, the answer to success” and “Gideon’s Three Hundred”, which had Pastors Magdalene Umoh, secretary of the church; Edet Raymond, zonal pastor for Nsit Atai in Akwa Ibom and Obong Akpaekong, Cross River State overseer as lead teachers.

Also were great ministrations from some 25 choir groups; time out for prayers for family, prayer requests, national leadership, Nigeria affairs and the global community. There were separate seminar groups for pastors, marriage issues, those needing healing, business people and traders, students in higher institutions of learning, secondary school students, etc.

As in other years, the event had a vibrant children section. The Power House (official name for the camp’s prayer centre), was as lively and significant as ever. You could hear demons mentioning their names and yelling as prayer warriors ministered deliverance to those possessed by demonic spirits. All manners of sick people also found their way to the Power House. A special 24-hour chain prayer also went on in the Power House. Healing miracles were not a few.

When he closed the gathering at midday of the Easter Monday, after a session of testimonies of what God did for people in the course of the event, Pastor Ekwo, reading from Exodus 14:13-15 among other Bible passages, told the people to continue to worship God in spirit and in truth, assuring that the challenges of life they may be facing were being consumed by the power of God.

“The Egyptians that you see today, you will not see them again” he assured, adding “You must not stop your journey halfway. You must not go back to Egypt. You must always go forward.”

Undoubtedly, the event was a total package for soul salvation, success in life and development of men and women into strong believers in Christ that will hold onto their faith to the end.

The convention was indeed, the place to spend the Easter.