The Cherubim and Seraphim Unification Church of Nigeria, on Thursday, December 12, organised a retreat for members of the Centenary Anniversary Committee both those at home and in the Diaspora.
The Cherubim & Seraphim organisation – the first pentecostal church in Africa – was established in 1925 under the instrumentality of St. Moses Orimolade Tunolase.
The well-attended event was held at the Baba Apostle Afolabi Memorial Hall (BAAM) in the premises of The Eternal Sacred Order of the Cherubim and Seraphim, Orimolade Cathedral, Egbe area of Lagos State.
Chairman of the Centenary Steering Committee of the year-long event, Vice Baba Aladura John O. A. Oladapo, led other members of the committee, which included Baba Aladura Emmanuel Owomoyela, Special Apostle Segun Adio and Elder Apostle Akin Owolabi, who is the Secretary of the committee, to the retreat.
Welcoming participants to the retreat, the Chairman of the Central Planning Committee (CWC), Snr. Supt. Apostle (Engr.) Niyi Afolabi, expressed optimism that all Seraphs in Nigeria and the Diaspora were anxious about the event because of the positive impact of C & S church in shaping spiritual and physical well-being of millions of people across the world.
Apostle Afolabi called for unity from all children of Moses Orimolade Tunolase and the support of all Seraphs to make the once-in-a-lifetime anniversary a success.
He maintained that the theme of the anniversary, ‘Celebration without boundaries’ (Zeph. 3:21), was apt at this stage in the history of the C&S Church.
He declared that arrangements had been concluded to include all Seraphs from within the C&S Unification Church and those outside of the fold to come together to celebrate the centenary of the establishment of the church.
He urged members of the anniversary committee to ensure that proper information got to all Seraphs irrespective of their language or location.
The well-organised retreat was attended by members of the sub-committees who were experts in various fields of human endeavour. The retreat also featured a Project Management Lecture anchored by Mrs. Aderonke Adewunmi, who spoke on ‘C & S Church Centenary Project: Learn, Unlearn and Relearn’.
Members of the sub-committees, drawn from across denominations in the C&S church, discussed exhaustively key issues that would enhance the success of the Centenary Anniversary celebration.
In his keynote address, Secretary of Centenary Anniversary Committee, Elder Apostle Akin Owolabi, spoke on the formation of the journey of the committee and how it had progressed.
He charged all Seraphs to see to the completion of the proposed Moses Orimolade University (MOU), at Omu-Aran, in Kwara State, noting that without the completion of essential structures and licensing of the university, the anniversary would amount to an incomplete celebration.
He also implored the entire hierarchy and members of the various tiers of the sub-committees to work assiduously towards the success of the celebration.
Said he, “The second centenary will be in 2125, this one will be the only one everyone will be witnessing in good health and we should all be active and committed to the course.”
Secretary of the CPC, Special Apostle Segun Adewunmi, explained that the essence of the retreat was to let everyone know about the anniversary plans and how to be part of the whole celebration.
Seraphs in the Diaspora also joined the meeting via Zoom platform as they shared their thoughts as well as their plans in mobilising for the celebration.
Pastor Sam Ogunyooye led the presentation, when he explained the ongoing plans in the United States and entire North American countries.
He also acknowledged the efforts of some Seraphs in the US who, he said, had been actively involved in the plans, particularly in the area of data collation.
Corroborating his submission, Pastor Ebenezer Akinoluyemi, who also spoke from the US, said an action plan had been designed, which included a membership form to collect and capture the data of notable leaders of the church who could be co-opted in North America.
Apostolic Mother Taiwo Begusa, in her presentation from the United Kingdom (UK), expressed desire and commitment to work with the Nigerian contingents, while harping on the need for directions from them to be fully involved.
Major highlights of the meeting was the rounds of presentations by heads of the sub-committees on their proposed plans for the anniversary.
A rundown of the line-up of activities and a detailed overview of the centenary project was contained in the presentation by Apostle Segun Odufuwa.
According to the leadership of the committee, details would be communicated during a World Press Conference scheduled to hold on Monday, January 13, 2025.
According to organisers of the event, a year-long activities involving all sections and organs of the C&S Church had been mapped out with the grand finale of the anniversary is billed to hold on September 9, 2025.