Abuja Diocesan Women’s Confab: Why personal knowledge of Christ is vital

The President of Abuja Diocesan Women’s Conference and wife of the Primate, Mrs. Angela Eberechukwu Ndukuba, has called on Christian women to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, saying this is beyond knowing the Lord’s name or having head knowledge of Him.

Enumerating ways of knowing Jesus Christ to include receiving and accepting Him as one’s Lord and personal Saviour, she observed that some Christians claim to be too busy with things that do not have eternal value or lack personal contact with Him and as such lead a sinful life that does not please God. She noted that this has exposed such Christians to know Jesus Christ by name without experiencing the power therein.

Mrs. Ndukuba who spoke at the 23rd Abuja Diocesan Women’s Conference that ended on Sunday at St. Matthew’s Church, Gwarinpa, Abuja, called on Christian women to be bold and have faith in Christ, adding that Jesus Christ is the only refuge to run to for security and to quell the nation’s fears.

With the theme: “That I May Know Him,” taken from Philippians 3:10, the women leader appreciated the Primate, Most Rev. Henry Ndukuba, for his support of the women.

The Primate in his opening service noted that any Church with shaky women’s ministry cannot stand, adding that mothers, women and wives play vital roles in the shaping of any family’s faith.

He observed that a prayerful mother has much influence on the family and enjoined the women to focus on God and seek to know Him.

The Bible Study leader, Ven. Festus Nwafili, in his contribution, urged the women to have experiential knowledge of Jesus Christ, which according to him, comes with conversion and obedience to the Lord’s teachings.

Nwafili noted that experiential knowledge of Jesus Christ is a call to greater intimacy with God, adding that today’s Church is a mixed multitude, not just the body of saints, but of sinners.

Rev. Canon Nelson Akinwande, who did exposition on the character of Esther, described the name ‘Esther,’ as a Persian description of a ‘star’ while her Jewish name, ‘Hadassah,’ signifies peace, love and prosperity.

He also identified some extraordinary qualities that were accorded to Esther including an orphan with a difference, a virtuous young woman, a loyal queen, a sacrificial leader, a courageous woman, a godly leader and defender of the faith, and admonished the women to emulate her.

Akinwande said: “Dear mothers and women, in the same way, we are born into or grow in Christian families, Esther was born a Jewess. She demonstrated extraordinary qualities because of her godly upbringing in the knowledge of God.

“Our degree of God’s knowledge is proportional to how much exploits we are able to do in the family, church and the nation.”

The conference ended with thanksgiving by the various Archdeaconries.

• Queen lmalue Phillips is the Diocesan Communicator, Abuja Diocese (Anglican Communion)