1st Anniversary Celebration of Life & Times of Late Apostle Pastor Eyo Edet Okon
A year ago, precisely, on the 28th day of September, 2010, a great man of God - Pastor E. E. Okon was glorified. On the 26th day of November, 2010, he was interred. As part of Church's plan to immortalize and remember the great man, there will be 1st Year Anniversary Celebration on the 26th day of November, 2011 where all The Apostolic Faithfuls will convene at No. 101 Marian Road, Calabar - Nigeria to celebrate the fulfilment of God's promises in his life. Join us to make this celebration a great one as we intend to process and forward your Goodwill Messages to the National Executive Council of The Apostolic Church - Nigeria. God bless you. | Goodwill Message
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Some Articles on Late Apostle Pastor E. E. Okon
First National President of The Apostolic Church - Nigeria
PM NEWS The Exit of Humble Apostle: Life and Times of Pastor E. E. Okon At 96 years old, many still believed that Pastor Edet Eyo Okon , the first National President of The Apostolic Church, Nigeria, deserved to live and continue with the good work of building a lasting and united Apostolic Church. But that was not to be as the news of his death started like a rumour, with text messages and phone calls criss crossing. It spread like wild fire and eventually, it was announced that Pastor E. E. Okon has slept in the Lord.
Akamba Ete (Great Papa), as the late amiable servant of God was fondly called, informed his immediate family members that there were five significant meetings he would conduct, insisting that he should be prepared for those meetings. Little did they know that those were not meetings for mere mortals. This was followed by his subsequent refusal to attend to visitors so that nothing will distract him from the meetings. By Friday, 24 September, 2010 the clergyman showed signs of weakness. And on Tuesday 28 September, the Almighty God answered his long-awaited prayers. It is not on record that he was sick nor admitted in any hospital.Talking about his long-awaited prayer, it is worth mentioning that Pastor Okon, fervently prayed to God to call him to glory as those that he started the ministry with had all gone. He was often reported to have asked God to take him away in place of other younger ministers. The deceased was born a Presbyterian but he later fellowshiped with The Apostolic Church, TAC following the advent of the church in Creek Town. He received permission from God to join the new church. He formed part of the pioneering elders of TAC to receive Evangelist Babalola who brought TAC Glorious Vision to Creek Town, Calabar with Pastor C. E. O. Mfon and later with the pioneer European Missionary, Pastor Idris John Vaughan. Okon’s father, we were told provided the land for T.A.C. permanent site in Creek Town. In his life time, Pastor Okon travelled widely in the course of his ministerial assignments. He was at Jerusalem for The Apostolic World Convention in 1983. He made other trips to Italy, Denmark, Germany and the USA between 1983 and 2002.As an accomplished clergyman of repute, the late Humble Apostle was widely honoured by various international organisations as Distinguished Pastor, Counselor, Teacher and Philantropist. From a humble birth in Creek Town on 10 June, 1914 to the family of late Elder (Obong) Edet Okon Itam a.k.a. Edet Hogan Ambo, of Antigha Essien Family, Ekpe Oku Royal House in Mbarakom, Creek Town, Odukpani L.G.A., Cross River State, the 5th son and 9th of his father’s 14 children knew his life would be different from others. His mother was Aya Okon Itam of Efiat Inua Abasi near James Town.
At age 5, Akamba Ete was enroled at the Church of Scotland Mission School, Creek Town in 1919 and obtained his Standard Six Certificate in 1929. He followed the footsteps of Essien Edet Okon, the renowned Hope Waddell Mathematics teacher (his elder brother), popularly called Okon Geometery. He began training for the teaching profession and in 1930 he obtained the basic qualification for enrolment in the teaching profession as it was then. But his undying zeal and passion for the Vine Yard of the Lord surpassed every other dream. He began to follow the divine vision and received fundamental trainings in ministerial art and mission work from the Apostolic European Missionaries in Creek Town, Calabar.
He later studied Theology at The Apostolic Church Bible College, Penygroes, Great Britain in the 1950s. This was followed by a Diploma in Theology from The Apostolic Bible College, Obot Idim, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, in 1962. His search for godly knowledge led him to attend other international biblical trainings in the United States of America, U.S.A., Denmark and Britain. With church work gradually over-shadowing his teaching career with the Church of Scotland Mission School, Creek Town, he put in his resignation. This was followed by great intensity in his involvement with the Apostolic European Missionaries in Evangelism and Mission Development from 1933 with unparalleled zeal.Then in 1935, Pastor Okon, was confirmed and ordained an Elder and Evangelist in the Apostolic Church. In December 1936, he was called into full time ministry in Calabar Area. His ordination as an Apostle, the highest priestly office in TAC came in 22 August, 1952 at Atabong Eket. Pastor D. C. Hopkins, the then resident European Calabar Area Superintendent will eternally be remembered for ordaining this great General of Christ for the work of soul saving and the expansion of God’s kingdom on earth. The deceased served in various capacities and cities including Bodo City, Ogoniland, Port Harcourt, Mbawsi, Ifiayong; Itu; Ikot Ekpene between 1954-1959. He assumed the office of Superintendent of Calabar in 1965 comprising the entire South Eastern Area of Nigeria and Cameroun. He led the evangelical team for the planting of the Apostolic Church in Cameroun in the 1950s and chaired the church in Cameroun as a component of Calabar Area until the Cameroun church received autonomy. He also chaired the Akwa Ibom State Field at several times and nurtured its component fields including; Uyo, Ikot Ekpene, Eket and recently Oron. In 1981, following the dissolution of the National Advisory Council of The Apostolic Church Nigeria, and the subsequent inauguration of the National Executive Council of the Apostolic Church, he was inducted and became the First National President of The Apostolic Church, Nigeria. He held this position until his call to glory. As the National President of TAC, he superintended over Lagos and Western Northern Area, LAWNA Territory and all missionary fields in Benin Republic, Cote d’Ivoire, Togo and the United States of America; Cross River State Fields, Calabar, Ikom, Creek Town and Akpabuyo; Akwa Ibom State Fields, Maritime field, Ngo sub-field and Igbo Field. Though his death came as a surprise to many Apostolics, Okon fought a good fight, kept his faith and has obtained the crown of glory meant for the victorious one. The LAWNA Chairman and Vice President, TAC in his condolence letter wrote: “His 96 years sojourn on this earth was an exemplary life of humility and simplicity that attracted many lives to the kingdom of God. “Our late father preached and lived a life of holiness. He was an embodiment of peace, love, humility, patience, kidness, empathy, gentlemess and decorum. Like all mortals, he has gone the way of all the earth.” Yes, he has gone the way of all men! We pray that peace and growth continue in the Glorious Vision of The Apostolic Church which extensively laboured for. He was married to late Deaconess Nyong Okpo Mfon of Abasi Oku Royal House, Creek Town in 1937. The solomnisation was done by Pastor R. M. Kay. On 7 March, 1985, Mama slept in the Lord. Akamba Ete remained a widower until his death. He is survived by two sisters, nieces, nephew, relatives and TAC members. Happy stay in heaven till we meet to part no more •Compiled by Ufforth Shalom & Umoh Ofofon, they both worship with The Apostolic Church, Oguntade Assembly, Shasha District, Maboju Area, LAWNA Territory, Nigeria.ufshallom@yahoo.com PASTOR E. E. OKON
Obong of Heavenly Calabar Written by Bassey Ita He was born a prince and he could choose to be elevated to a king in the secular orientation. So by now history would have recorded one of the best kings that ever lived on earth, but he stooped to being what secular philosophers and thinkers would view as a compromise profession or calling as often been touted about the clerics. Indeed he chose the path that though low but is truly exulted in the real sense of the word. Pastor Eyo Edet Okon [Pastor E.E.Okon] will truly was not the Obong of Calabar thoughhe hails from the Ekpe Oku Royal House in Creek Town and whose grand pa Edidem Essien Ekpe Oku had once assumed the throne but he rather saw through the inspiration of God that there appears a throne that clearly outshines the exulted Obongship stool though .And that is the Obong of the 'Heavenly Calabar'. He will finally go home to roost in heaven like the proverbial chicken, on Saturday, November 27 according to funeral obsequies, but it is only proper that this man of God should wine and dine with us as yet in our minds until we meet to part no more. Recently as I was glued to my small transistor radio, the Cross River Broadcasting Corporation aired a religious programme anchored by one Nkebem Nkebem and on it various persons spoke concerning the man of God. Indeed it was testimonies galore! Deacon Edem Archibong of The Apostolic Church [TAC] Edibe Edibe Assembly testified of how Pastor E.E.Okon's image in a calendar solved his hyenia problem. He said he was in his house on a certain day when the problem sparked off severe pains; he rolled up and down the room until something informed him to lift his face towards the church calendar on the wall with the late pastor's image occupying a central position. He fixed his gaze consistently on it while carrying in mind the fact that following the numerous miraculous works of the pastor he had witnessed at the Edgerley Road state field temple he could be healed. True to his faith, Deacon Archibong said he was healed instantly as the pains vanished completely till date. As a show of appreciation to God for that miraculous encounter the deacon said he named his last son after Pastor Okon. Elder Andong Asuquo of the same assembly confirmed the story of Deacon Archibong and also told a story of how a lady confronted the man of God in one of the church's vestry and received instant healing over an ailment she was to spend big amount of money on. The lady, he said focused her gaze on the man of God as he was coming out of the vestry and when she greeted him he asked about her health perhaps unconsciously and as she stood to answer something like a bright light from his eyes penetrated her and instantly she received the healing she had longed for. Sister Oku of the Edibe Edibe assembly also reported that her sister was delivered safely courtesy of Pastor Okon's face on a calendar. Her sister according to Sister Oku was having severe birth pangs that had defied every known solution while in a traditional maternity until she screamed over the image on the calendar ,''Abasi Pastor E.E Okon yangha mi….o,'' meaning ''the God of Pastor E.E.Okon deliver me''. The man has gone from the earth but faith in his God's healing power through his image could be very efficacious in our quest to solutions to problems of life. He was of Calabar by birth and parentage, but in Christ whether in death or in live one becomes a man of all birthplace and parentage. He is the Obong of heavenly Calabar. That's the true description of that man of God because if principalities and small powers could have earthly nomenclatures attached to their 'collosal' dispositions, then men of God need even much more possesss the earth that God has made theirs either by name or by title. | The Apostolic Faithfuls bid Pastor E. E. Okon Farewell Written by Ukpong Ukpong It was an awesome experience, last weekend, at the U.J Esuene Stadium, Calabar when over 40,000 faithful of The Apostolic Church within and outside Nigeria converged to bid their National President, Pastor Eyo Edet Okon, a final farewell. Addressing the mammoth crowd, which filled the stadium to an overflow, the National Vice President Pastor Gabriel Oladele Olutola, who moderated the funeral service, quoted Revelations 14 saying, “Baba has finished from his labour and has gone to rest while his labour will follow him as he goes to live with Christ”. Earlier, in his tribute, Pastor Olutola, who doubles as LAWNA Territorial Chairman of the church, consoled the faithful not to be sorrowful as others who have no hope, because, “we believe our father had fought a good fight, he had finished his course. He had kept the faith” adding that “henceforth, there is laid up for him a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge shall give him at that day” An avalanche of tributes to the late man of God from state governments, government functionaries, Church leaders, the traditional stool, churches, groups and individuals rightly portrayed the enormous impact late Pastor E. E. Okon had on everyone in his80 years of service in God’s vineyard. The government of Cross River State, his home state, described him as a pastoral icon who gave his all in the propagation and evangelization of the gospel of Christ. Governor Godswill Akpabio, represented by the Commissioner of Agriculture, Obong Eno Akpan, eulogized the late clergyman saying “his deep spiritual insight and dedication to what God says, marked him out as one of the pillars of Christian faith” The governor consoled the church faithful pointing out that “although his departure has left a vacuum, his mighty foot prints are engraved in the sands of time and his memory will forever be stencilled in the hallowed chambers of our hearts” According to the Obong of Calabar’s message “Pastor Okon was not a man of many words but a Christian and clergy pa-excellence who lived long enough to see modern day clergy desire and drive for material wealth and its accumulation” Edidem Ekpo Okon Abasi Otu, V said Efik people “are proud of our son, brother, friend and father, a devout Christian and a humble man whose only preoccupation was to serve God in spirit and in truth” In the words of Professor Bassey Okon Asuquo, the vice-chancellor of University of Calabar, “Pastor E. E Okon, a selfless figure, was not only content over his pastorate but made pragmatic efforts to promote the gospel of Jesus Christ” The academic disclosed that “ in our campus, the late preacher, instituted an Annual Award in the Department of Religion and Philosophy to enhance the teaching of Religious Studies and in effect gave to the university at a time when many were thinking of what they could get out from it” Christian Association of Nigerian (CAN) Cross River State branch said “the clergyman has left indelible footprints on the sands of time which should console all”, and urged everyone to be comforted because “he has finished the race, he has kept the faith, and is now going to receive his crown of glory” The biography of Pastor Eyo Edet Okon showed that he was born in Creek Town on the 10th of June 1914 to the family of late Elder (Obong) Edet Okon Itam alias Edet Hogan Ambo, of Antigha Essien family, Ekpe Oku Royal House in Mbarakom Creek Town, Odukpani local government area and Madam Aya Okon Itam, of Effiat Inua Abasi near James Town. He was the 5th male and 9th child of his father’s 14 children. http://sensornewsonline.com/new/index.php/regional-news/1740-ukpong-ukpong
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