St. Michael’s and All Angels, Obudi Agwa in Oguta LGA, Imo State, has celebrated its 100th year of existence as a church.
The centenary celebration was a historical moment and epoch event with great nostalgia spanning from 1921 when the church was established with absolutely nothing to start with at inception.
It has other features like the praise and worship session and prayers for the church and Nigeria, cutting of the century celebration cake, and laughing with Chief Chibunna Ubawuike, the Chief Launcher, and Hon. Godday Nwabeke, the Chairman of the occasion.
The priest in charge, Ven. Uchenna Kalu appreciated God’s faithfulness, love, protection, and life.
He especially thanked the abroad members, who made it to the 2024 Christmas Celebration and stayed to celebrate the anniversary despite the tough economic situation of the country. Rev. Kalu used the opportunity to remind the church of the importance of the anniversary and awards, noting that a centenary celebration is a call for joy and rededication to God’s services because it is not a joking feat.
In other ways, the giving of awards to individuals in recognition of their different ways of service to God and humanity is to encourage people that good works pay and to emphasize that God is a record-keeping God.
According to a brief history of the church, before 1920, there was no trace of a formal establishment of the Anglican Church in Agwa except for the Roman Catholic Church, which began in Agwa in the late 1920s around Umuomi Central School before it was relocated to Uzii in 1921.
Mass celebrations according to history, were disrupted in most cases by the adherents of Agwa Owu or Okoroshi followers, especially Obuokwou worshippers, which caused fighting between the church members and the Owu followers.
This development prompted Obuokwou worshippers, who are the head of the Owu in Obudi, to withdraw their membership.
The history credited 8 members to be highly integral in the establishment of the Anglican Church at Obudi, the first of its kind in Agwa.
They were Nze Obi Ajujumbu Ikoro, Nwoke Akubukor, Nze Idimi Ejiogu, Nze Emeka Atta, Osuoha Uwakwe, Anushiem Ajurunwa, Ogbonna Okoronkwo, and Nze Igbo Anyaegbu.
The history further revealed that these men assembled in the house of the oldest man in Obuokwou, then named Njoku Ojiure, and decided to establish an Anglican Church in Agwa, after which they went to St. Mark’s Anglican Church, Ejemekwuru, to officially request the formal church planting of the Anglican Church in Agwa.
These pioneers made a financial commitment to contribute the sum of seven pounds (£7) as an official fee required for a church agent to be posted to them.
Performing the award ceremony, the Bishop on the Lake, Rt. Rev. Chijioke B. N. Oti, PhD, presented two categories of Meritorious Awards to deserving persons. Barr. Benson Akunya was given a Meritorious Award as a Pillar of Motivation and Support; Mr. Godwin Elukwere, Pillar of Motivation and Support; Sir. B. C. Uzoma, Pillar of Motivation and Support; and Ven. Japhet Anumudu, Church Revival Partner Award.
Posthumous awards were given to the late Pa Fidelis Ohakwe, Philimon Uzoma, and the late Rev. Young Enyinnaya as some of the Church’s figures of strength, service, and dedication.
Reacting to the award, Barr. Benson Akunya, the President-General of Agwa Central Union (ACU), who was represented by his brother (names withheld) appreciated the church for finding him worthy of the award.
Akunya expressed his heartfelt joy that, as one of the members of the church, it is a great honor to him to be part of the Century Anniversary of St. Michael’s and All Angels’ Church and pledged to continue to do his best in serving the Lord.
Akunya donated One Million, Four Hundred and Seventy-Five Thousand Naira (#1,475,000).
Sir. B. C. Uzoma, who was the Chairman of the Anniversary Celebration Committee, donated the sum of Nine Hundred Thousand Naira (#900,000) on behalf of himself and his family. Mr. Godwin Elukwere, who first received an award on behalf of the Lagos branch and himself, also donated the sum of Five Hundred Thousand Naira (#500,000) and Two Hundred Thousand Naira (#200,000), respectively.
Others who also made cash donations to support the church include; the late Rev. Young Enyinnaya’s family with the sum of One Hundred Thousand Naira (#100,000), Pa Fidelis Ohakwe’s family led by Rev. Benjamin Ohakwe, New York, USA, with the sum of One Million Naira (#1,000,000) for his family and another One Million Naira (#1,000,000) in memory of the late Sir. Patrick Njirinze, and the family of late Pa Philemon Uzoma with the sum of Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira (#250,000).
Members of the clergy who graced the anniversary were Rev. Cannon Divine Okoro and Rev. Cannon Abiola Nwrikochi, Ven. Eugene Iheanacho, Rev. Chidiebere Obiechefu (Bishop’s Chaplain), Rev. Chima Egbujor, and others.
