International Churches of Christ in the UK send their Love!

During the summer of 2006, I stayed in Catford, London, in the home of one of my childhood friends married to a pleasant Jamaican lady. Before my arrival, our own David Dairo in West London, had notified Tokunboh Princewill and his wife, a couple also baptized in Lagos, of my planned stay in south east, where Catford is located. So they came for me on my first Wednesday so we could attend mid-week service together at the Ladywell Leisure Centre in Lewisham.

I was happy to see Toks Sowoolu lead that particular evening and was he glad to introduce me! Having been baptized in January 1992, he was proud to introduce me more or less as a “veteran.” The fellowship was natural and through it I met a wonderful brother called Ben Kokoruwe, somebody I would later be quite close to. Through him, I also worshiped with our Manchester Church at Derby Street; Surprise! Surprise! Surprise! The chap who preached in Manchester (on a Sunday) is married to our own Chienye, who is now known as Mrs. Boakye. Together they have children; I remember Chienye was quite close to Jayne Okoronkwo, Okechi Mba (now in Ghana) and a host of other sisters back in the Lagos days!

Of course Sunday service in south east happens at Eltham where we continue to project the love fellowship of the previous mid-week. Of all my visits to the UK (four between August 2006 and December 2007), the one to our Edinburgh Church in Drummond, Scotland can never leave my memory in a long time. After listening to the Minister, Ben Brady preach an awesome sermon, the fellowship that followed thereafter was phenomenal. I met a great brother, Ian Tootil, who, together with his wife, had served Hope Worldwide for years in India. Ironically, Ian baptized our very Chika Nwosu in India!

Do you know how it feels to be introduced as visiting from the Lagos Church on a Sunday? We were introduced as a couple visiting from Lagos by the West London Church at Hounslow on the first Sunday of 2008! It was me and my wife and we had spent the previous night with David and Bunmi Dairo (and their children) at their Hanworth Road home so as to attend Church from our Tadley, Hampshire base.

The sermon was quite touching as Chris Watkins took the congregation through “Lessons Learned: Reclaiming the Good & Rejecting the Bad.” It was supposed to be the last but one in what he called the “Closure” Series. The beautiful thing about the International Church of Christ in West London is that you have the sermon in your hand in a hand-out format. I think the Lagos Church can boost our sermons with this innovation. Also at the end of the sermon, like the south east London Church, response questionnaires are distributed to the congregation for feedback on the message preached.

In the two and a half-page message, the church was encouraged to cultivate a responsive heart to the Truth and be ready to test and assess what is taught. That personal conviction development was inevitable was also stressed by the preacher. My confidence level shot up when Watkins reminded us of whom we are- 1Pet 2:9-12. If you are still putting confidence in the flesh then you should note that you cannot bring about your own righteousness, as the preacher affirmed.

“What should our church look like?” That was a question posed by the preacher. Do we still love one another (John 13:34-35), are we obedient to Christ (1John 2:3-5), do we reject worldly principles/ethics (Rom 12:2), are we a holy church (1Pet 2: 9-10) and do we live by the spirit (Gal. 5: 16-26)?

More questions were posed during the sermon like are we still committed to God? - Luke 9:23-26; are we still committed to one another? Do we still LOVE the lost? Do we possess a visionary spirit and preach POWERFULLY? Has God been adding to our number?

What should we reject? The Minister lists them as follows: overemphasis on man, not cross (1Cor 1:18); lack of depth in teaching and preaching; arrogance and judgmental attitude (Phil 2:3); overbearing behaviour; and old style leadership model. Before concluding the message, Watkins asked more thought-provoking questions like: do we have freedom in Christ or licence to sin? (Gal 5:13, Jude 4), are we relatable or do we conform to the world? (Rom 12:2), do we have personal conviction or pride? (James 4: 6) do we have boundaries or walls? (Luke 6:30-31), do we please God or man? (Gal 1: 6-10)

“Are we there yet?” asked the preacher… Surely not! He therefore concluded the sermon with Heb 12:1-3. For my wife and I there was no better way of having our spiritual appetite satisfied on the first Sunday of a New Year! Not even the usual great Jollof Rice + Dodo lunch accompanied by some irresistible ice cream by Clara Bazuaye in their Isleworth home could do the job of the message. But we later learnt that the sumptuous meal was prepared by the husband, Uwa!

Did I spot my wife kicking my leg under the table as I made so much noise with my spoon in the process of not wanting even a drop of the ice cream from being wasted on the flat ceramic plate! “Madam Clara, can you see what your ice cream has turned me to?” The unique thing about this couple is that you visit them, eat their food and probably spend the night in their home but they will be the ones calling you a day or two after to thank you for coming around! Clara and Uwa were baptized in Lagos as well.

I bring you greetings from Toun and Sylvester in Glasgow, Scotland, Dunni, now in Orpington, Kent, Kehinde Ola, now married to Sam Atsu, New Eltham, London and of course Idowu and Lola Falekulo in Chatham, Kent.