Fathers’ Day: Clerics urge fathers to be pacesetters

By Angela Oduche and Chris Chikelue

PASTOR  Emeka Ohatoronye of St. Simon and Jude Anglican Church, Onitsha, has urged fathers to be pacesetters to their sons, daughters and to every members of the family.

 Pst. Ohatoronye gave the urge on Sunday, while marking the World’s Fathers’ Day celebration.

  In his homily titled ‘Men Sit Down’, he advised fathers to lead their families by showing examples of good virtues.

  He said that fathers should be strong in their leadership roles so as to show their sons what it means to be a father and a good husband to their wives; to their daughters, how to respect their husbands by themselves respecting their wives.Pst. Ohatoronye urged fathers to take care and provide for the family as the Bible says, ‘any father who cannot provide for the family is worse than an infidel’.

  To the women, he advised that they should love and cherish their husbands and never be obstacles to their husband’s aspirations and when their grown children wanted to bless their fathers.

  Mr Ben Okechukwu, who is the pastor’s warden and an elder in the church, advised fathers to maintain their roles as the ‘ide ji ulo’.

They should love their wives and children and above all, they should study the word of God and teach the children also what it is to respect the word of God.”

  He urged the women to be submissive to their husbands and the children to respect their fathers.

  Another member, Nneka Ozowara, a lawyer, thanked God for the gift of the fathers, praying that the grace of God be sufficient in their lives as they discharge their fatherly duties.

 Little Angel Onyedikachi wished all the fathers a happy celebration, urging them to always provide for their families and make good impacts on their families. She prayed that God would bless all the fathers in the world.

  The message was the same at the Living Faith Church, Nibo, Awka South Local Government Area, where the District Pastor, David Popoola told the fathers to do their duties and believe God to groom their children in the ways God has instructed.

  He blessed and prayed for long lives for them as he said, “so that you can live to reap the fruits of your labour.

Take care of your children and I pray that you will receive God’s goodness; God created man for this day and He has provided for each particular day.

  Keep evil pictures out of your mind and allow the words of God to take preeminence; know it that you are destined to win in every circumstances life throws to you.”

  Pst. Popoola urged the fathers to trust their wives, saying that if there was no trust in the home there could not be any marriage.

  Your wives are not slaves but are meant to be loved; do not say you paid so much to marry them, after all, it was you who sought them out in the first place with the vows of loving them till their dying days.”

  On managing time and success, the pastor told the fathers to give God their time and continue making out ample periods for the service of God.

  “Seek a place to speak to God; there is a place you can speak to God alone, find it and separate yourselves from noise; some of us, our inside are too rowdy and cannot hear from God. Create an environment for God to speak to you.”