The governor of Rivers State, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi has given details of the role of the church. He said the church is to pray for the government, the nation and everybody without minding tribe and religion.
The governor said this through the Commissioner for Housing, Hon. Marshall Uwom at the 90th Anniversary Celebration and Dedication of the new church building of First Baptist Church, 93 Aggrey Road, Port Harcourt, as he appreciated the edifice advised the church to maintain the building which they have successfully erected.
The governor called on Christians to reflect their Christian life any where they are found in government, school, business among others.
The Commissioner maintained that they should add value to the society, stressing that the society is dynamic and multi-dimensional which the church and that they should recognize that God has purpose for their lives, quoting that they are the light of the world and salt of the earth.
A member of the church, Bro. Ike Obuzor Obuzor described the edifice as magnificent and a great building, advising the church not to be relaxed but continue in evangelism for the church to grow in numerical strength, and wished the church more expansions in the next ten years.
Likewise, an elder of the church, Isokari George advised that the church should put up evangelism asking God to add resourceful members so that they can maintain the structure which they have put in place.
He demanded serious minded leadership for the church. To the insecurity and killing of Christians in some part of the country Isokari described it as unfortunate and asked Christians to pray to God to intervene for them as He alone could end the killings. He said using their hands may result in to another thing.
He recalled how the church started in 1922 by a group of Yorubas from the then Western Nigeria, Lagos, Abeotuta, Ibadan, Ogbomosho etc, who were traders, contractors, artisans and professionals.
The church, he said, at inception met regularly at the home of Pa Abiodun Kuriji at 49 Victoria Street and later moved to worship at Late Falola’s house. Between 1930 and 1931 they moved to 62 Aggrey Road.
Within this date the church then called Nature Church, applied to the government for land allocation for the building of the church, school and personage. The application was supported by the FBC Lagos. The Lagos church supported and financed with ten pounds as they also took up the role of trustees of the land allocation deed which was executed by W. A. Amakiri.
The land deed was later transferred to the America Baptist Mission in 1943.
Having reached here in the journey so far Olusegun Adebiyi for the New Church building committee, admonished the church members never to forget the purposes for which the church was established, which was to keep on propagating the gospel message till Christ returns, as worship centres may come and go, but only the Almighty God endures. ####
Mene Gbarabe
