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| The DCC Superintendent of CAC Yaba DCC, Pastor S.E.A. Oludare presenting award to one of the Senior Citizens |
By Akinsanmi Daniel Omotayo
In her quest to reward and appreciate all aged members who have served the Lord faithfully in the church, Christ Apostolic Church, Yaba Districts' Coordinating Council (DCC) headquarters, Yaba, Lagos, on Saturday October 19, 2019 held Senior Citizens Award Ceremony.
The programme, which is to honour members of the church from 70 and above, is divided into three – Gold (90 and above), silver (80 to 89) and bronze (70 to 89).About 120 aged members of the church were awarded. Out of the 120, 52 were Men, while 68 were Women.
The DCC Superintendent of Yaba DCC, Pastor S.E.A. Oludare said the aim of the programme is to make the aged ones in the church feel the love and care of the church while still alive.
He further stated that the programme served as a means of special appreciation to all the aged who have served the Lord faithfully in the church.
"As much as it is not possible in a church for all the aged people in the church to hold positions and offices (e.g Pastors, Elders and Deaconesses, Society leaders or departmental leaders) however, this service of honour will give all aged people a sense of belonging and recognition in the church. This will also make all bona fide members who have served the Lord in CAC Yaba to have a physical object to show anywhere they go or to be shown their children, grandchildren and great grandchildren whether alive or even after they have gone into glory."
"This event shall annually serve as an avenue for the aged members of the church to link up and synergize with the current and upcoming leaders of the Church. It will also serve as an attraction for the children of the aged ones in the church who have, for one reason or the other, gone far away from the church, to still have sense of belonging as being part and parcel of the church and also be able to partake in the development of the church. Finally, it shall be a means of immortalising the names of all those who have served the Lord meritoriously in CAC Yaba and by divine providence have lived to be 70 years and above."
According to him, the event has come to stay for several reasons and it shall be an annual event which shall be celebrated at a time agreed upon by the Board of Pastors and Elders of the church.
While commenting on the origin of the programme, Pastor Oludare said: "This event was first conceived by my humble self, Pastor S.E.A. Oludare the Yaba DCC Superintendent. It was an outcome of a special lecture delivered by a group of resource persons invited by CAC Authority to address the people who attended the 2018 General Council held at Babalola International Memorial Camp at Ikeji Arakeji in Osun State."
"The main focus of the talk was the care and honour of our aged people in our churches. They reorientated our mindset which makes us as a church feel that we can only honour our aged members by giving them befitting burial ceremony whereas we can honour them and make them happy even while they are still agile, strong and in sound health. During the course of the lecture, the spirit of God touched me and commanded me to go back home and organise a service in honour of all our old people in CAC Yaba,"
"After the lecture, I met the main speaker of the day one on one for better and further enlightenment and counseling. March 2018, the desire had been burning in me to organise this service for them. After returning to CAC Yaba, I prayerfully presented the divine directive to the Board of Pastors and Elders. We deliberated on it and it was unanimously agreed that we carry out the divine mandate.
Based on this agreement, we put the event on the 2019 Church Planner to hold on Sunday 23rd June and a committee was set up to plan the event. The committee swung into action and by the time their report was submitted to the Board, it was then we realised that it would be a major event in the Church. We therefore rescheduled it to hold on a day to the 79th Church Anniversary Thanksgiving Service which service which shall by the grace of God hold in this church on Sunday 20th October, 2019."
Pastor Oludare who is also the Chairman, Youth Advisory Committee of CAC Worldwide, congratulated the Senior Citizens for being witnesses of this glorious occasion in their lifetime.
While delivering the Welcome Address, the Chairperson of the Planning Committee, Deaconess Patience Folashade Jacobs, said the Senior Citizens have been a fountain of wisdom, strength and stability over the years putting their ALL to the service of the Church and propagating the gospel.
She said while Christ has been the cornerstone of the church, the Senior Citizens have been their Aaron and Ur that has been helping in lifting the hands of the Moses of the Church, adding that they have been worthy examples to the younger generations.
"We pray that this occasion will be the beginning of a new era, which we will continually appreciate the value, wisdom and commitment of our Senior Citizens and give them their well deserved honour. On behalf of the organising committee and the Church authority, I welcome you all to this service and pray that our Senior Citizens will NOT know a better yesterday as they look forward to a greater tomorrow in good health and longevity in Jesus name," she concluded.
While ministering at the programme, the former and retired DCC Superintendent of Yaba DCC, Pastor G.O. Obafemi
appreciated God on behalf of the Senior Citizens and also thanked the Senior Citizens for their service to Yaba and CAC Worldwide.
During his preaching, he said he had worked twice at Yaba and can't overemphasize the good works of these men and women of valour.
He rounded up with Luke 2:25-32, saying that just like Simeon, the yet to be born again amidst the Senior Citizens must see Jesus before they see death, noting that the only thing that adds value to a man is Jesus.
He advised them to start planning for their departure to paradise.
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