The newly appointed Conference President of the Anioma Delta Baptist Conference, Rev. Dr. Dike Godspower Utih has formally resumed duties.
Rev. Dr. Paul Friday Anyasi, the outgone Conference President, on Friday, June 7, 2024, formerly handed over the affairs of the Conference to the new President in a brief, but impressive ceremony held at the Conference Secretariat, Alihame in Ika South Local Government Area, Delta State.
Rev. Dr. Dike Utih was accompanied to the event by his wife, Mrs Dike.
The ceremony, chaired by the Conference Chairman, Rev. Dr. Monday Opone was witnessed by other Executive Council members of the Conference.
Handing over the affairs of the Conference to the new CP, Rev. Dr. Anyasi appreciated God for his faithfulness to the Conference since its inauguration on the 6th of June, 2014, noting that it has been a rewarding experience for him and all members of the Executive Committee of the Conference.
“It has been a journey of greatness, a journey of a lot of experiences and I am very grateful to God.Within these ten years, I have probably traveled round the country and safety is of the Lord. The Lord has been there for me,” Dr. Anyasi said.
He expressed his appreciation to the Executive Committee and said their prayers, and supports have been instrumental to the humble achievement he recorded as a Conference President within a period of ten years.
“I want to thank all of you for the little we have achieved. It was a foundation, a very hard rock that we started to see if we could break to meet the soil and years later we were still breaking it. We found some soil, but we have not found the depth of the soil. That is where we are in ten years. I want to thank all of you, who actually made it possible for me,” Dr. Anyasi stated.
While emphasising that the office of a Conference President is not a rosy one, Rev. Anyasi counseled the new Conference President to be focused and courageous, assuring that he would continue to remember him in his prayers even as he promised to always make himself available to support him in moving the Anioma Delta Conference forward.
In his remark, the new Conference President, Rev. Dr. Dike Utih described the handing over ceremony as a moment of great honour and responsibility and said he was truly humbled by the trust and confidence that have been placed in him by the Conference.
“First, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the Anioma Delta Baptist Conference President’s Search Committee, for this incredible opportunity. Your belief in my capabilities and vision for the future is both inspiring and encouraging.
“To my predecessor, Rev. Dr. P. F. Anyasi, thank you for your pioneering leadership and the solid foundation you have laid. Your dedication and hard work has set a high standard and I am committed to building this great Conference with excellence and integrity.
“To my colleagues (Moderators and Pastors), I say thank you. Your support, collaboration, and relentless pursuit of our shared goals have been instrumental in this journey. I am excited to see us continue working together as we strive to achieve new milestones and create meaningful impacts.
“Burning deep in my heart is the burden of building a vibrant spiritual community, having credible Structural as well as Human Capital Development and raising a strong Financial Capacity in the Anioma Delta Baptist Conference,” he said.
While appreciating family members, friends and members of the Anioma Delta Baptist Conference for their unwavering support, Dr. Utih said their encouragement and beliefs in him has been his driving force.
“As I step into this new role, I am keenly aware of the challenges and the opportunities that lie ahead. My commitment to you is to lead with transparency, integrity and a relentless focus on our collective mission,” he pledged.
The highly charismatic Christian leader said he remains dedicated to fostering an environment of innovation, inclusivity and collaboration where every voice is heard and every contribution is valued.
While looking forward to what he will achieve together with members of the Conference and having confidence in their abilities through faith in the Lord God Almighty, Rev Utih affirmed that, “Together, we will navigate the complexities of our field, embrace new opportunities and continue to drive progress and excellence”.
In his opening challenge, the Conference Chairman, Rev. Dr. Monday Opone, congratulated the outgone Conference President, Rev. Dr. Anyasi for the successful completion of his assignment as the President of Anioma Delta Baptist Conference.
Taking his scriptural reference from John Chapter 9: 1-5, Rev. Dr. Opone charged the new Conference President not to give room to any form of distraction and be focused on what God has called him to do as the Conference President of Anioma Delta Baptist Conference.
“We must discover what God has called us to do and face it. Jesus Christ knew his mission and faced it to the end. We pray that God will help us individually and as a group to know what God has called us to do and go for it,” Dr. Opone prayed.
He revealed that any assignment given by God to any of His servants is time bound and said because the new Conference President of Anioma Delta Baptist Conference is time bound; he must avoid unnecessary distractions and be focused on doing the assignment right and on time.
Highpoint at the brief, but impressive ceremony was the rendering of hymns of Praise by members of the Executive Council of the Conference to appreciate the Lord God Almighty for his faithfulness and presentations of handover notes and official files Rev Dr. Friday Paul Anyasi to the new Conference President, Rev. Dr. Dike Godspower Utih.
