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| Pastor (Dr) Istifanus Ishaya |
By Williams Ago, Gombe
Leadership of the Northern Nigeria Union Conference (NNUC) of the Seventh-day Adventist Church has organised a three-day stewardship summit for all Church leaders aimed at strengthening them towards a faithful living style that is pleasing to God.
With the theme, "called to be faithful, leading with integrity in God's service," the summit, 17th to 19th April, 2025, brought together all the principal officers, Pastors and departmental directors from the six Conferences/Missions under the Northern Nigeria Union.
In a world where moral and ethical values are constantly being challenged, the SDA Church in Northern Nigeria assembled leaders at various levels to the summit designed to inspire, equip and strengthen the spiritual leaders for faithful and integrity-driven service.
President of the NNUC of the Church, Pastor (Dr) Istifanus Ishaya, emphasized the need to lead God's flock with unquestionable faithfulness and uncompromising integrity while urging them to stand firm as ambassadors of Jesus Christ.
He told the participants that, "leadership is not merely about holding a position. It is about modelling Christ's character in all that we do. As leaders, we are entrusted with the sacred responsibility of guiding God's people, managing His resources and ensuring that His mission is carried out with diligence and sincerity, he said.
"Stewardship is not only about finances, it is about time, talent, influence and our daily walk with the Lord. Our faithfulness in small things will determine our faithfulness in greater responsibilities. This summit will help us rediscover the true essence of biblical Stewardship and its impact on leadership.
"The pressures of leadership can sometimes make it tempting to compromise, but we are reminded in 1 Corinthians 4:2. Our calling demands that we remain steadfast in our convictions, leading by example and upholding the principles of righteousness in all we do," he urged.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Stewardship Director, NNUC, Elder Emmanuel Ogbonna, described the 'NNUC God first leaders Stewardship summit 2025' as a divinely appointed moment for the leaders to reflect, learn, and recommit themselves to the sacred trust that God has placed in their hands.
He reminded the participants that "Stewardship is a test of our commitment to God and not limited to financial management but extends to how we use our time, talents, and opportunities for God's glory,” urging and praying God to help all participants to rediscover the power of faithful stewardship and the enablement to build a culture of faithful and trustworthy leadership in God's service.
The three day summit featured inspiring lecturers on topics such as: the Pastor, stewardship champion; church budget, a guide to successful planning; levies, satan's subtle weapon to destroy the church; debt, ever present threat to faithfulness; enriching discussions as well as questions and answers sessions presented by renowned Pastors and other dedicated servants of God.
Before his special sermon during worship, Saturday morning, the President of NNUC, Pastor Istifanus Ishaya, offered a special prayer for the return of peace and God's comfort to the people of Plateau, Benue and Nassarawa States over the loss of over a hundred lives as a result of herdsmen attacks in various communities recently.
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