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By Young Erhiurhoro, Warri
St. Mark’s Anglican Church, Unenurhie town in Ughelli North LGA of Delta State has joined multitudes of Anglicans across Nigeria to congratulate the new Archbishop of Bendel Ecclesiastical Province of the Anglican Communion, Most Revd. Dr. Cyril OdiborOghene Odutemu.
Dr. Odutemu, was presented recently at the Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity, Lokoja, Kogi State by the Primate of all Nigeria, Anglican Communion, His Grace, the Most Revd. Nicholas Okoh.
In a chat with to our correspondent, after the Mothering Sunday service, vicar of the church, Revd Peter Atumremu, said, “On behalf of this church, I send our congratulatory message to our new archbishop, the Most Revd. Dr. Cyril OdiborOghene Odutemu, on his successful presentation to the church, and the entire world, as the new Archbishop of the province.
“This is a great achievement to the entire Urhobo people and not only the Anglican family, because he’s the first Urhobo Anglican priest to mount that exalted priestly office. I want to implore all Anglican priests in Ughelli Diocese and the laity to support our archbishop with prayers every day so that he can succeed in his new calling.
“I’m even the happiest person because we are from the same place. His home town of Orere and my place, Okparabe are very close, they are riverine communities. I thank God for searching and choosing His own from my place. Once again, I say congratulations to my new archbishop,” the vicar said.
In his words, the oldest man in the church, who is also a lay reader, Evang. Michael Okreghe, poured encomium on the new archbishop and advised the youths of the church to emulate him as a divine role model to the younger generation of Anglicans, not only in the province but in the entire Nigeria.
“God doesn’t choose His servants based on age or human influence. His ways are different from ours. This is why He’s God. The antecedents of Most Revd Odutemu will always speak volumes for him even right from when he was a junior priest until he rose to become the bishop of Ughelli Diocese. The same records are still speaking for his promotion. Today, he’s now the new Archbishop of Bendel Ecclesiastical Province. It’s a higher and larger calling by God. And I strongly believe that God that called him into this new divine position will also give him the grace and wisdom to pilot the affairs of the province.
“As an old Anglican, I must also advise our youths in this church to emulate the new archbishop by pursuing their education with all seriousness. This is one of those things that opened the way for our archbishop. He’s well read. He’s also faithful, generous, meticulous, resilient and obedient to the Lord’s calling. Again, I join our vicar and other members of this church to say congratulations to our new Archbishop,” he said.
