Bayelsa State Deputy Governor, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo has warned that the church is losing its impact and relevance in society because worshippers do not give their hearts to God.
Ewhrudjakpo, who stated this on Monday when the Charismatic Bishops Conference of Nigeria visited him in Government House, Yenagoa, the state capital, also expressed concern over the proliferation of churches across the country.
He said the development is an indication of a lack of unity and divisive tendencies within the Body of Christ, which is weakening the strength of the Church.
According to him, ‘in present-day Christianity, most believers seem to only give their mouths to praise God, but their hearts are actually far from Him, and therefore, making the Church to lose its impact and relevance in society’.
Ewhrudjakpo used the occasion to call for more concerted prayers for the leadership and people of the state and urged the Church not to relent in preaching and promoting morality to reduce criminality, as well as save souls for eternity.
He appreciated the group for its untiring efforts in preaching the gospel and assured it of the government’s continued support for its programmes aimed at edifying the Church and uplifting the people.
In his words, ‘Are we sure that what we are doing is helping the body of Christ in our country? Because when we continue to divide the body of Christ and start to operate in silos, how will it stay as one?
‘It’s like the hand saying that because I can pick everything, cut me away from the rest of the body. Or the leg saying because I can move to anywhere, cut me from the body, so I can move the way I like.
‘I believe that if all of us are from the same stock of Christ, then why are we not having a more united body representing all of us? Honestly, I think we already have too many Christian bodies. This should be food for thought to all of us’.
Earlier, the state Overseer of the Charismatic Bishops Conference of Nigeria, Archbishop Kojo Benson Sikpi said the visit was to formally thank the Deputy Governor for supporting them to participate in the 2025 Charismatic Bishops Conference and Synod in Abuja and to also brief him on their activities and programmes.
