With gratitude to God, the members of the Power of God Healing and Deliverance international Church from their diverse branches rolled out en mass to mark their 25 years Silver Jubilee celebration.
The founder of the church, Apostle Ikechukwu Aloysius Akukwe, JP, also on the same occasion, marked his 50th birthday with the people.
The celebration which took place at the church headquarter in Mgbidi, Oru West Local Government Area of Imo State, followed a 3-day Crusade programme from Tuesday, October 26 – Thursday, October 28, 2021, organized by the church, with the theme,” Go, My People Are Perishing and Languishing “.
Apostle Akukwe who appreciated everyone that was present to share in their joy, especially the Pastor of Charismatic Renewal Church General Overseer, PST. Cosmas Ilechukwu, Ph.D, read out his autograph, saying, “the journey of my life began 50years ago, but took another dimension early 1996 when i began to pray to know why every business i ventured into failed.
“On September 26, 1996 everything became clear to me when I heard God say, ‘Go my people are perishing and languishing’. I don’t understand, I said to God and He said to me again, ‘Healing and Deliverance’, which was when I knew that he was calling me to serve him. I came back home from Lagos in late 1996 and the journey of answering the call began.
“I started my Ministry in a store, and from there moved to my fathers compound where we operated without canopies or chairs for a long time before we got some. It wasn’t easy as there was no finance and sometimes, from fasting it became starvation, but I never gave up, i kept on pushing, and with the Lord helping me, between 2005 and 2006, we bought a land where the headquarter is now situated. In 2007, the church foundation was laid and the cathedral was roofed in 2012. Within that space of time, we opened a branch at Orlu, and opened another at Egbu, in 2019.
“In 2008, God gave me the title, ‘Apostle’, in 2009, I achieved a feat of traveling abroad (Isreal) and so I became a JP, and God gave me another title, ‘Igirigiegbuenyi’, which signifies, ‘ the dew does not kill the elephant’. God made me understand that no attack, projections or arrows of any sort can kill me, as long as He exists.
“God has been faithful to us from 1996 till date, he has been using us to perform lots of miracles and Deliverances both within and outside the country. There has been lots of challenges in the ministry, but the lord has been seeing us through and has given me a supportive wife and godly children that encourages me all the way.
“I encourage all ministers of the gospel and Christians all over the world to be steadfast in God for He can never disappoint anyone that serves Him in spirit, in truth and with all diligence.
The Apostle’s wife, Rev. Mrs Ijeoma Jovita Akukwe, also attested to how God has been with them from the time they began till date, and prayed that God will not allow anything hinder them from continuously working in his vain yard.
Noting that most young ladies always shy away from marrying a man of God, advised, “if it is the will of God for you to marry a man of God, go ahead and do so for it pays to serve in God’s vain yard which am a witness to it. It doesn’t stop you from leaving off your dreams, for even as a wife of a man of God, I still have what am doing as a Civil Engineer, ‘she advised.
Speaking also, the Pastor of the Charismatic Renewal Church, Pst. Ilechukwu who earlier gave the sermon charging the congregation to ‘Know Their Authority in Christ; Colossians 1:11-18’, during the Thanksgiving service of the Apostle and his family, prayed for God’s blessings to rest upon them, and the ministry.
Adding his voice, the Assistant Pastor in the church, Pst. Ihetu Kelly Chidiebere, described the apostle as a jolly good fellow, saying that he, as his assistant have not had any course to regret serving with him.
Diverse groups and individuals danced out with various gift item to appreciate the man of God for what God is using him to do in their lives. The choir and Angelic Voice team were also there to bless the people with melodious songs. There were lots to eat and drink, and the high point of the event was the cutting of the cake by the Apostle, with his family and other members of the church.
