The Excellent Glory Christian Centre, located in Iju, Lagos, recently celebrated its 19th anniversary with a three-day programme that featured worship, teaching, healing, and deliverance. The event, which was held under the theme "Enlargement," was attended by members of the church and other Christian leaders. The Senior Pastor of the church, Rev. Prince Obed Ezeonye, urged Christians to build their capacity as a key step towards growth and progress in every area of their lives.
According to Rev. Ezeonye, the theme "Enlargement" was drawn from Isaiah 54:1-2, where God instructed His people to enlarge the place of their tent, stretch their curtains wide, lengthen their cords, and strengthen their stakes. He emphasized that enlargement is a covenant right of believers and should be reflected in every area of their lives. Rev. Ezeonye also shared his personal journey of leaving his job with the Federal Ministry of Defence and a private school he founded in Kaduna to answer the call to ministry.
The guest minister, Rev. Femi Bolaji, described enlargement as capacity building, which reflects the glory of God upon a person's life. He stressed the importance of vision and the mind in achieving growth, adding that "God cannot give you what you cannot see." Rev. Bolaji also noted that the mind has two major functions: memory and imagination, and that every successful person is first a person of dreams and vision.
Rev. Bolaji further emphasized that Christians do not need to struggle for enlargement because "the price of enlargement has already been paid on the cross of Calvary." He explained that God is not waiting for believers to build enlargement, but to build capacity to accommodate what He wants to bring into their lives. Using the story of the widow of Zarephath in 1 Kings 17 as an example, Rev. Bolaji illustrated the importance of building capacity.
Reflecting on the journey of the church, Rev. Ezeonye described it as a long journey of destiny with God, driven by his understanding of God's vision for his life. He disclosed that he began his ministry with gospel crusades across towns and cities in Northern Nigeria in the 1990s, before moving into church planting. The church has since extended its work to various parts of Nigeria, including Lagos, Anambra State, and Abuja.
The mission of the church, according to Rev. Ezeonye, is to liberate mankind from the oppression of the devil and restore glory through the message of faith and healing. He said the ministry has produced numerous testimonies, with beneficiaries spread across different parts of the world. Rev. Ezeonye also explained that the choice of the anniversary theme "Enlargement" was based on a direct instruction from God, which was confirmed through Isaiah 54:1-3.
The 19th anniversary celebration of the Excellent Glory Christian Centre was a significant milestone for the church, which has faced challenges over the years, including interruptions that made it skip some editions. However, Rev. Ezeonye expressed gratitude to God for bringing the ministry to its 19th anniversary and trusted God for many more years of excellence in ministry.
Key points
- Christians have been urged to build their capacity as a key step towards enlargement and progress in every area of their lives.
- The theme "Enlargement" was drawn from Isaiah 54:1-2, and emphasizes that enlargement is a covenant right of believers.
- The church's mission is to liberate mankind from the oppression of the devil and restore glory through the message of faith and healing.
