The Presbyterian Church of Nigeria (PCN) General Assembly at its 24th meeting, held recently at Hope Waddell Chapel Calabar, Cross River State, has elected Associate Professor of Religious Studies at the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), Dr. Miracle Ajah, as its new Principal Clerk.
At his induction ceremony at the Presbyterian Church, Ehere Model Parish Ogbor Hill Aba, Abia State, 57-year-old Ajah, a native of Abia-Ohafia in Abia State, was said to have served the church in different capacities, such as former Rector of Hugh Goldie Lay/Theological Training Institution Arochukwu, pioneer Moderator of Synod of the West, former Clerk of South Central Synod and having planted more than 21 churches for the PCN, among others.
According to the Church, the new Principal Clerk “is passionate about leadership training and lay development, church planting, discipleship, small group ministries and Bible translation.”
Addressing the new Clerk in the presence of the clergy and other church members, PCN Prelate and Moderator, His Eminence Nzie Nsi Eke, described him as a beloved brother, saying “for as much as you have been called by the Almighty God to the ministry and have been received this day by the Church, I now charge you in the name of the Church to walk worthy of the vocation wherewith you are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering, patience, in a peaceful endeavour, for the perfecting of the saint, for the flock over which the Holy Spirit had made you overseer.”
The new Clerk, in his acceptance speech, promised the Church that following his belief in God’s Word, as contained in the Old and New Testament Scriptures, including accepting the PCN Constitution and Declaratory Article adopted at its Synod meeting on October 19, 1945, he accepted the appointment to be the Principal Clerk of the General Assembly.
He was further charged to be courageous, self-trusting, acknowledge God’s presence and suspect nobody but rather learn to trust God, while discharging his duties.
In another development, Catholic Archbishop, Bishops, the clergy and other church members gathered at Saint Paul’s Catholic Parish Church, Nunya in Isukwuato Local Council Area of Abia State for a Thanksgiving Mass in honour of the late 12th Secretary-General of the Catholic Secretariat Of Nigeria (CSN) Abuja, Rt. Rev. Monsignor Raphael Okechukwu Madu, who died in Owerri, Imo State on January 17, 2021 at the age of 65 and was therein buried.
Different persons and groups that associated with the late Monsignor described him as a de-tribalised Nigerian, who had solution for almost every problem under the sun. His Owerri Archdiocese said by his death, the church had lost one of its most illustrious, industrious, resourceful and trustworthy priests and the CSN Abuja. They said they would miss him as indefatigable Secretary-General. Nunya Community, where he hailed from, described the late Madu as a goal-getter and great achiever.
