By Christiana Gokyo, Jos
The newly elected Vice President of the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA), Rev. Madubuko Chidi Joseph, has been officially sworn in, succeeding the outgoing Vice President, Rev. Dr. Stephen Sunday Ajise.
The installation and send-forth ceremony took place at the ECWA Headquarters Conference Hall in Jos and was conducted by the ECWA President, Rev. Dr. Job Ayuba Bagat.
Delivering the keynote message, the General Secretary of Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN), Rev. Associate Prof. Benjamin Pokol, emphasized that faith requires genuine conversion, complete surrender, and continuous submission to God from beginning to end, particularly for those in church leadership.
Speaking on the theme, “Christian Ministry: Starting Well and Finishing Well,” Pokol said effective leadership among God’s people requires following Jesus Christ through periods of testing and preparation in order to be equipped for both local and cross-cultural missions.
He noted that church leaders must remain humble and open to learning from others, citing the example of Peter’s encounter with Cornelius. According to him, churches should establish mission-oriented structures that move the church from mere maintenance to active evangelism and outreach.
Pokol reminded the congregation that patience and humility are essential qualities for successful ministry.
“Whatever we do, we must remember that the end of a matter is better than its beginning because patience is better than pride (Ecclesiastes 7:8),” he said.
He stressed that ministers should always serve with the goal of finishing well, noting that while starting and finishing may be different stages, they are closely connected.
The cleric also urged church leaders to emulate Jesus Christ by submitting to God’s will in all circumstances.
He expressed concern that many churches have become overly administrative in their operations at the expense of their missionary mandate.
According to him, church leaders must remain consistent in following Christ in order to experience continuous spiritual transformation and rediscover the life-changing power of God’s Word.
Also inducted during the ceremony was Rev. Dr. Ezekiel Babatunde Omidiji as ECWA’s Zone 9 Trustee, following the completion of the ten-year tenure of the outgoing trustee, Rev. Engr. James Asonibare.
In his remarks, Rev. Dr. Bagat expressed appreciation to the outgoing leaders for their dedicated service to the church and prayed that God would reward their labour with good health, wisdom, and continued grace.
In his acceptance speech, Rev. Madubuko Chidi Joseph thanked God for the opportunity to serve, describing Him as the One who lifts people from where they are to where He wants them to be.
He also expressed gratitude to the church for entrusting him with the position and appealed for prayers and cooperation to enable the leadership to succeed in preserving the church and advancing the Gospel in fulfilment of the Great Commission as recorded in Matthew 28:19.
The new Vice President assured members that, by the grace of God, he would work closely with the President, the ECWA Executive, EMS, the General Church Council, District Church Councils (DCCs), Local Churches (LCs), and mission partners to strengthen the church’s missionary enterprise.
“We must intensify church planting, evangelism, discipleship, and Gospel expansion across Nigeria and beyond,” he said.
The ceremony also featured the formal handover of responsibilities by the outgoing Vice President and outgoing Zone 9 Trustee to their respective successors.
Special prayers were offered for the incoming leaders, while goodwill messages were delivered by well-wishers and members of the congregation.
