Cleric extols chastity in marriage, urges parents to be role models

The General Superintendent, Holy Spirit Mission Church (aka Love Arena), Bishop Charles Ighele, has called on parents to be friends of their children with a view to encouraging and promoting chastity among the youth.

He gave the admonition during the marriage ceremony of Clementina Agbate and Oghale Ighele, who both maintained their chastity until they tied the marital knot at an event that took place in Ikeja, Lagos.

“It is possible to bring children up in the fear of God. The two remain virgins until this day and I am not talking of secondary virgins of those who messed up and later repented. The two have preserved themselves and maintained their chastity and this corroborates my encouragement to the youth that they can stay and keep their body pure.

“Certainly, there would be a temptation, like Oghale agreed that he was once tempted but by God’s grace was able to overcome the temptation. It all borders on determination like a girl we adopted who is in the University now but has vowed when she was in secondary school that she would never defile herself and she remains a virgin up till today and by God’s grace and power coupled with her determination would equally marry as a virgin.

“I am happy that Oghale is not the only child who maintained his chastity until he married, my daughter who also wedded in August last year in the United States of America (USA) at the age of 25 also married as a virgin,” he said.

He hinged the secret on the fact that he loves his children and always makes them realise that he is seriously averse to immoral life, adding that as long as parents make friends with their children, they would always tell them whatever type of temptation they are passing through which will make the parents counsel them aright and encourage them.

He also called on parents to be role models to their children in the area of chastity by redefining their values and inculcating into their children the importance of morality, honesty, faith and fear of God with a view to eradicating moral decadence among future generations.

The cleric, who conducted the wedding ceremony said, he came from a polygamous home where he did not see any love between his parents, but determined to change the status quo by loving his wife and demonstrating love to her before the children which have encouraged them to eagerly look forward to early married life dominated by love.

The cleric who named seven institutions that define culture as the economy, spiritual, education, entertainment, media, politics/government and commerce, condemned what he described as functional marriage devoid of love whereby the husband and wife adhere to their different roles at home mechanically without the input of love.

“I deliberately make love between myself and my wife to be growing by ensuring I take her out at least once in a week where we kiss and love and put fire in our marriage because any marriage without genuine love will become cold.