Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo has called for self-sacrifice, righteousness to transform Nigeria.
He spoke at the weekend during the 50th-anniversary lecture, award and dinner of the Shepherd Hill Baptist Church, Obanikoro, Lagos State, with then theme: The Role of Contemporary Church in Nation-Building: Pessimism, Optimism or Activism.
The church’s 50th anniversary began about two months ago with several activities and ended yesterday with the anniversary thanksgiving celebration.
According to Osinbajo, Christians must not sit at home and pray but must be involved to make the difference.
“There is a test of courage and faith that every nation-builder must face and we must be ready to be the salt of the earth, like Jesus Christ said,” he said.
Osinbajo said righteousness is what exalts a nation, maintaining that nation-building would also need the power of faith.
He added: “Righteousness exalts a nation. Our nation needs righteousness because without righteousness our nation cannot be exalted, we cannot build a nation without righteousness.
“Nation-building mandate can only be fulfilled by the overcoming power of faith in God and in His enduring word. Such faith is an active faith; faith that interfaces with its environment, forcefully advancing against the gate of hell and deploying appropriate strategies from activism to policy propositions and from advocacy to active policy and governance and upward.
“We must put our faith to work and we must be the salt of the earth like Jesus Christ. As a Christian we do not agree with our flesh; we must be righteous and ensure self-sacrifice, if we will transform our country. People will speak evil of us, but we must stand for righteousness.”
Osinbajo thanked God for what He is doing in the church in the past 50 years.
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“I pray He does more and all of us will be here in another 50 years,” he said.
The Chairman of the occasion and a former Nigerian Ambassador to Great Britain, Dr Christopher Kolade, noted that the church is relevant in nation-building.
He noted that how well the church responds to the changing needs in the society will be relevant in its contribution to transform the nation.
The guest lecturer and Senior Pastor of Latter Rain Assembly, Pastor Tunde Bakare, averred that it is the responsibility of the church to build individuals who will go out to build the nation.
The cleric decried the various economic problems in the country, saying there is a need for the church to influence all sectors of the economy.
Senior Pastor of Shepherd Hill Baptist Church, Rev Israel Kristilere, said the church had not done well in building the nation.
He said: “In building the nation, we, Christians, must be actively involved. Celebrating our 50 years makes us reflect on how we have been able to contribute to the growth of the nation by building godly men and women who are making influence in the nation.
“By the next 50 years, we aim to make more impact. That is why we are focusing on the theme.”
He said the church was founded on July 13, 1969.
“We are glad that it has pleased God to spare the church through the turbulence that might have happened over the years to celebrate 50 years,” he said.
