CITIZENS COMPASS —The Women’s Fellowship Conference of the Diocese of Lagos, Methodist Church of Nigeria, has called on Christian mothers to rise and contend for the faith by ensuring total sound doctrines of Jesus Christ are taught to their children.
They underscored the importance of teaching God’s words to children at home in order to safeguard them from moral decadence that is fastly eroding godly virtues and responsible behaviours among young people.
The admonition was contained in the communique issued at the end of the 61st Annual Women’s Fellowship Conference, held at Holy Trinity Methodist Church, Sango Ota, Ogun State from August 24 to 27 2023, with the theme, ‘Contending for the faith’ (Jude 1:3).
Speakers as well as participants in their various submissions during the four-day conference, said part of the spiritual battle which women must engage in is to imbue in their children the total Christian doctrines.
They enjoined all women in the household of faith to shun evil in all its ramifications wherever they are, be it at home, in the Church or society at large.
“Contending for the faith is not a physical fight with human weapons; it is a spiritual battle to protect the total Christian doctrines that we have received,” they said.
They added that, “As women of faith, we must respond urgently by putting our homes in proper perspective through the teaching of God’s words. Let our children be grounded and rooted in the word of God because by so doing, they will never fall into the hands of heretical teachers.”
The conference participants further stressed the importance of family altars where the undiluted words of God and godly counsel would be shared among families, as well as offering prayers to God.
“As women of faith, we are enjoined to erect an altar for God in our homes. Be watchful, be careful and be wise; wrong teachings and doctrines are prevailing all over,” they asserted.
Earlier in his goodwill message to the conference, the Archbishop of Lagos, His Grace, Most Rev. (Dr.) Isaac Ayo-Olawuyi, quoting from Jude 1:2-5, stated that the admonition of Apostle Jude to God’s children was that believers should not feel contented in view of the challenges they live with daily, hence the need to always contend for their faith in God.
According to the cleric, children of God should also seek to grow in the Lord by praying always, steadfast in the love of God and depend on the mercy of God.
“The best way he (Jude) opined that believers should contend for the faith is that we should live it. The way we contend is as important as the content of our lives. This implies that you can win with your logic but lose with your life. So, contending with the faith is tantamount to contending with our action and inaction daily,” he stated.
Archbishop Ayo-Olawuyi was represented by the Presbyter, Methodist Church Nigeria, of Ota Circuit, Very Revd. A.I. G Agbeluyi.
President, National Women’s Fellowship, Deaconess Maria O. Abah, in her address, noted that children of God must strengthen their faith in God no matter the challenges they face in life.
“In all the challenges of the world, we should not allow our faith to grow weary; Christians everywhere need to contend earnestly for the faith that was delivered unto the saints,” she said.
Deaconess Abah advised women as the backbone of the family and church to continue to stand in the gap for families, the nation, church and society at large, adding that they should not allow the current economic hardship being experienced in the country to discourage them from praying and interceding.
Her words: “We should not be tired of praying for our children, like Susannah Wesley, we should be praying for them mentioning their names.”
Other important dignitaries that graced the conference included the President of the Diocesan Women’s Fellowship, Sis. Nneoma Funmi Olawuyi; conference mummies; important dignitaries, and delegates from across the seven circuits in the Lagos Diocese.
