By Aminah Soladoye
Christians youth have been charged to always uphold integrity, develop their capacities and embrace leadership to promote positive change in the society.
The Convener and Chairman of the Youth Wing of the Christian Association of Nigeria, YOWICAN in Kwara State, Evangelist Stephen Awoyale, made the call at the fifth convention of YOWICAN tagged “ANAGKAZO: Dominion”, and the empowerment of 45 youths with vocational equipments amongst other things held in Ilorin.
Evangelist Awoyale, said dominion entailed responsibility, leadership and service, rather than power or position and urged the youths to remain trustworthy and refuse to compromise their convictions for money, pressure or popularity.
He encouraged them to pursue opportunities in education, entrepreneurship, technology, agriculture, media, politics and other fields while upholding godly values.
Evangelist Awoyale stated that 45 beneficiaries drawn from the blocs which make up CAN and the 16 local government areas of the state would receive vocational equipment, cash and other materials to promote entrepreneurship and self-reliance.
The Chairman commended the state Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq for his support for YOWICAN, while also appreciating other sponsors.
In his goodwill message, the State CAN Chairman, Right Reverend Sunday Adewole, represented by the CAN Secretary, Apostle Shina Ibiyemi, said dominion meant embracing the authority Christ had given humanity.
In his sermon, Pastor Bola Paimo described dominion as the ability to exercise authority and power responsibly.
Pastor Paimo urged believers to live under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, stressing that spiritual growth and a deeper understanding of God’s purpose were essential to exercising godly dominion.
Also speaking, a Youth and Teenager Minister, Mrs Modupe Joel, described a godly influencer as someone whose character, words and actions positively shaped the attitudes and decisions of others.
Mrs Joel attributed some youths’ inability to fulfil their potential to ignorance, confusion, deception and lack of direction, calling on Christian youths to discover their purpose, embrace godly values and use their abilities to address societal challenges and promote positive change.