The Acts of Apostle Eugene Ogu
Eugene Egwuatu Ogu, an apostle, by the will of God, a charismatic and visionary leader, provocative thinker, philanthropist, and quintessential preacher, is the founder and Senior Pastor of Abundant Life Evangel Mission, Port-Harcourt, Nigeria.
Called by God (concrete evidences abound!) and consecrated for the Master's use, this humble servant of God embarked upon the tortuous and turbulent journey of soul winning and shepherding the flock without looking back. Prior to this historic calling, nothing prepared him for the task ahead, as his academic, social, and economic background had no form, comeliness, nor beauty that we should desire him. Consequently, he was despised and rejected of men. But trust God and His infallible Word! Whoever He calls, He justifies, equips, and glorifies. Romans 8:30. Today, God has indeed, glorified Apostle Eugene Ogu. In variance with the thinking of men, God used the foolish things to confound the wise. By the power of God Almighty, he moved from obscurity to limelight, from zero-catch disciple to boat-sinking catch apostle of Jesus Christ.
Propelled by the supersonic power of the Holy Ghost, he surmounted the giants and difficulties on his way as a young pastor. From the onset, Pastor Ogu evoked and radiated “fearlessness and boldness”, two words that have redefined his path in life. Incidentally, 'Egwuatu' literally means 'Fearless'. To Eugene Ogu, the word, 'impossibility' does not exist! With profound knowledge of the engrafted word of God, he teaches excellence, holiness, righteousness and prosperity both spiritual and materially. As his baritone voice reverberates from ALEM pulpit every Sunday in songs/messages, so are worshippers' hearts melting and burning for God and hundreds of souls harvested for the kingdom of God.
Pastor Eugene Ogu invented the motto: “Except We Care, The People Perish”, and it was on this platform of caring for people, that the Arm of Hope World Outreach, a non-governmental organization was founded. Through a nexus of charitable works, he extends a caring and compassionate arm of hope to the needy, less privileged and the hopeless. Today, hundreds of widows enjoy free Medicare with their children and scholarship for indigent students up to the University cadre. Through Arm of Hope World Outreach, succor has come the way of displaced victims of the incessant religious crises in the northern part of Nigeria.
As a pastor's Pastor, Apostle Ogu has pastured over a thousand pastors in Nigeria and abroad, as his office is a spiritual Jerusalem for younger and older pastors, an oasis in the lives of spiritual arid Christians who comes for counseling on a daily basis.
A great teacher like his master Jesus Christ, Ogu, who ended his academic career in Elementary 4, teaches professors, Ph. D holders, pilots, engineers, medical doctors etc in his weekly New Convert Class. I was humbled the day I saw my Use of English lecturer in University of Science & Technology, Port-Harcourt, a no-nonsense professor, sitting under Apostle Ogu's class, taking notes while Ogu was writing on the chalkboard!
Apostle Ogu is a dreamer without boundaries and his dreams are godly and golden. When he dreamt of erecting a beautiful masterpiece called ALEM Cathedral or Temple of Favour, many people, even some of his members, dismissed his dream as a lunatic. As widely reported, some of his loyalists left the church, abandoning him to his fate. He was unperturbed and undeterred. With a rare display of valor, candor, and absolute dependence on God Almighty, JEHOVA ALEM, who makes great things out of nothing, he built a magnificent architectural edifice, the first and best of its kind in Port Harcourt. Less than twenty four months, he invited dignitaries from all walks of life and run-away members to the dedication of the impossible-made-possible Temple of Worship, fully air-conditioned and marbled. Hell was let loosed and the kingdom of darkness reacted angrily. So many assassination attempts, gang up by envious pastors and name calling: drug pusher, 419 pastor, crude oil magnet etc followed suite! Nevertheless, Apostle Ogu marched forward, unperturbed, like a soldier of Jesus Christ that he is.
As a custodian of kingdom hidden mysteries, Apostle Ogu ruffled some feathers in Rivers State when, under the anointing of the Holy Spirit, declared openly on 31st December 2006 Passover Night that, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi, the then Speaker of Rivers House of Assembly, as the next governor! Amaechi was later denied PDP gubernatorial ticket by President Obasanjo and Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, describing Amaechi ticket as k-legged. News agents feasted on this prophecy when Sir Celestine Omehia was eventually elected and sworn in as the governor. Many castigated Apostle Ogu and dismissed him as a false prophet. And the table turned on 25th October, 2007 when the Supreme Court sacked Governor Omehia and ordered that Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi be sworn in immediately as the governor, proving Apostle Ogu's prophecy absolutely correct.
Apostle Ogu's greatest weapon against his distractors is his reputation as a man of perpendicular integrity, unyielding competence, transparency, humility, simplicity, and uncommon boldness-cum-fearlessness. As his name is 'Egwuatu' or Fearless, so he is. He was configured and wired naturally by God to fear nothing! Till date, he carries himself with much moral and spiritual authority and éclat.
To Apostle Ogu, his morning has broken, and his golden jubilee celebration marks the dawn of a golden era in his life and work for God. Of a truth, a man who wakes up and finds himself famous and successful hasn't been asleep.
Apostle Ogu is a proponent of the prosperity gospel which incorporates all round abundant life in Christ Jesus through faith.
Of a truth, Eugene Ogu received grace and apostleship from Jesus Christ. His diligence, foresight, and distinctive leadership style have pedestalled him as one of the greatest Christian leaders of our time.
As banners flutters, balloons billows and confetti thrown, let us roll out the drums and celebrate the apostolic grace of God upon this carpenter-turned-quintessential preacher: Apostle Eugene Egwuatu Ogu.
Chris Emeka Azubuike.
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