By John Idumange

IT was A.T. Pierson who averred that “to a true child of God, the invisible bond that unites all believers to Christ is far more tender, and lasting, and precious; and, as we come to recognise and realise that we are all dwelling in one sphere of life in Him, we learn to look on every believer as our brother, in a sense that is infinitely higher than all human relationships. This is the one and only way to bring disciples permanently together…”

All the good books around the world assert unequivocally that there is a tiny demarcation between the physical world and the spirit world. So many religions are agreed that we can approach God through prayer, reverence and worship. Like King Solomon who built the Temple in Jerusalem, not only has Governor Seriake Dickson built a befitting place of worship, he has re-dedicated Bayelsa State to God.

Gov Dickson

Ecumenism is a religious movement that seeks to unite all Christians and bring the various denominations together in mutual cooperation. The ecumenical vision consists of the search for the visible unity of the Church and the “whole inhabited earth” (Matthew 24:14) as the concern of all Christians. This found expression in the book of Ephesians 4:3 that says  Christians should be “eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” John 17:21 notes Christ’s desire “that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you.” So, biblically, it is a compelling need for Christians to pursue unity and jettison their doctrinal differences and embrace unity with one another.

Since Governor  Dickson assumed office, he has left no one in doubt that God is the foundation of the Restoration Administration. The Restoration administration started off with a Praise Night on every last Sunday of the month. Being a lover of God, no day passes without a prayer session conducted at the seat of power. Because of the love of the things of God, several appointments were given to religious people to strengthen the worship of God.

The Governor built a worship place in his home town – the palace of Melchizedek. He has supported religious activities of every description, donating to churches, promoting church programmes and endeavours. The crowning glory of these efforts was the building of the first-of-its kind ecumenical centre, at Igbogene in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State. In 1 Chronicles 22: 10, God said: “He shall build a House for My Name, and he shall be my son and I will be his father; and I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel forever.”

Let it be remembered that at creation, Bayelsa State was dedicated to God and given a baptismal name called the Glory of all Lands. When the Restoration Administration came on board, Bayelsa State was fondly called the “Jerusalem of the Ijaw Nation.” It is against this background that Bayelsa State has established an eternal pact with God. This is a pact of peace, divine protection and the blossoming of God’s grace upon the state.

The mundane symbolism of the ecumenical centre is that it provides a platform for all Churches, irrespective of denomination, to carry out religious activities such as conventions, congregational worships and Christian retreats. Apart from the aesthetic beauty of the  edifice, it also encourages religious studies and unity of the Church. Its spiritual symbolism lies in the fact that in the centre, all Ijaws are yoked together in one bundle of life. The ecumenical centre serves as a centre of unity in the Ijaw nation. Like Emperor Constantine of the glorious Roman Empire who popularized monotheism, the ecumenical Centre is Governor Dickson’s eternal signature for spiritual rebirth.

According to Charles Hodge, “the Church is everywhere represented as one. It is one body, one family, one fold, one kingdom. It is one body pervaded by one Spirit. We are all baptised into one Spirit so as to become, says the apostle, one body.”

The ecumenical centre, which could seat about 15,000 persons, epitomizes a renewed spiritual consciousness in Bayelsa State, bridging as it were, the doctrinal gap between churches. It demonstrates our unity in the body of Christ and increases the redemptive value of Jesus Christ. More importantly, the ecumenical Centre was built in recognition of the fact that it reinforces our belief in the oneness of Christianity irrespective of denominations, doctrines or creed.

This gesture is a crystallization of what is written in Ezekiel 20: 15 where the land of Canaan was referred to as the “Glory of all Lands.” Governor Dickson has reiterated that Bayelsa is the Jerusalem of the Ijaw nation, and from 1999, the first civilian administration called Bayelsa “the glory of all lands.”

By all standards, Governor Dickson is indeed a God-fearing leader, who has reaffirmed our faith in God. True, God is too big to dwell in a house made by man because of his omnipresence, but this centre, which Hon. Dickson has built to honour God, shall stand as an everlasting testimony to the fact that the hearts of kings and rulers are in the hands of God.  It is our fervent prayer that God Almighty honours the builder of this edifice.