Don’t abandon Christian ethics, values, Baptist mission urges youths

The Nigerian Baptist Convention has urged young people to take on the responsibility of promoting Christian ethics, values, and traditions that have been established over time rather than engaging in sinful and unethical behaviours that undermine godly lifestyles.

Addressing journalists in Ibadan on Monday, Reverend Israel Akanji, President of the Nigerian Baptist Convention decried vices in youths which he associated with the negative influence of technology, and the increasing quest to migrate abroad for greener pastures.

Speaking on ‘The Arise Youth Congress’ which holds from 6 to 9 September is aimed at raising the consciousness of the youths about their personal future as well as the future of the Baptist church with a lot of institutions which the youths will take over from the present set of leaders.

“Our Convention decided to call for a 3-day gathering of our young people for a revival programme tagged Arise, to hold at the Baptist International Convention Centre, Lufuwape Village, Kilometer 53, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway from September 6 to 9, 2023. The gathering is to have a heart-to-heart interphase with our young people. Some of them are already looking at Christianity as a programme of the past generations,” he said

He said; “For once, we decided to gather 20,000 young people to conscientize them about the future and to symbolically anoint them as the future of our Convention and global Christianity.” 

The clergy expressed excitement at the response of the youths so far. Of the 20,000 which are being expected, they already have more than 18,000 who have registered, and they are expecting delegates from Coted Ivore, Ghana and East Africa.

According to Rev Akanji, the Congress would serve as a symbolic handing over of the Church to the youths “for them to own it while we are still alive and not see themselves as strangers in or to it. To get it embedded in their hearts that our structures, institutions, and ancillaries are part of our legacy to them. We have educational institutions of great reputation from the nursery to the primary to secondary and tertiary levels. 

“We have medical institutions from the clinic levels to general hospitals and to a teaching hospital in Nigeria. We have financial institutions which we expect to grow through our youths. We are reviving our agricultural programmes so that our youths can join to feed the nation in the near future. We are expanding our skill acquisition centers to equip and empower our youths for survival and contribution to the economy of our nation.

“We have the publication and printing industries where they can work and expand until they cover all parts of the country and beyond. We have a television station where their skills are required and through which they can expand their businesses. We have vocational centres to which they are to express their interest and which must be expanded. We want them to begin to serve as members of the committees of our structures, namely, Churches, Associations, Conferences, and the Nigerian Baptist Convention,” he said.