By Ejikeme Omenazu
Last Sunday was a day of joy and praises at the Locust Army Ministries in the Ajah area of Lagos.
That day, members of the church with their friends and well-wishers marked the day with music, dances, ecstatic praises, and an utmost show of love as they celebrated the Diamond Jubilee of its founder and shepherd, Rev. Prof. Chris Christian.
The event, which coincided with the Men’s Annual Programme of the headquarters church of the ministry, also featured a session of tributes and testimonies that reflected the extent of God’s work in the ministry since its formation in Kano in 1996.
Church members and guests alike were appreciative of his impactful teachings, administrative skills, mentorship, and commitment to community service, all of which earned him the title, ‘Shepherd of Mankind’, from his followers and fans across the globe.
In his sermon to mark the event, the celebrant testified that God had set him aside for His divine call from the beginning and had created him as a eunuch, so he had never had any attraction to women or the cares of the world.
He said that his attention has always been on bringing people to the knowledge of Christ through revelations in the Word of God.
All these, Rev. Christian revealed, have helped him remain spiritually upright and bold in facing all adversaries.
Rev. Christian also spoke about the setting aside of the tribe of Judah and how God gave Israel special skills to withstand all adversaries.
He maintained that this remains a reason why Israel cannot be defeated in war.
He explained that the same applies to all Christians, as they are called by His name.
Prof. Christian, a graduate of the University of Jos with a Bachelor’s degree in Physics before going into the ministry, was born in Anambra State, where he also had his early education and began his Christian life as a freelance preacher, intercessor, counsellor, and deliverance minister until God gave him a clear purpose and pattern for his divine call.
This included the task of raising an altar for the second coming of Christ, preparing the saints for rapture, and declaring the immortalising of mortals.
With just a few members forming his congregation in a single room in faraway Kano in 1996, Rev. Christian grew his ministry—Locust Army Ministries International—by leaps and bounds, spreading it across major cities in Nigeria and Africa, as it presently stands.
The ‘People’s Shepherd’, as he is fondly called by his admirers, is an apostolic prophet, teacher, and preacher of the Word of God.
Besides these, the man of God is a prolific writer who has written and published over 400 books, with many still in manuscript.
He also has several awards and accolades to his credit, all attesting to his service to humanity through his ministry and relationship with people.
In his commitment to the people, he has initiated several people-oriented programmes that have greatly impacted the lives of the people, especially youths, the elderly, and families, who enjoy monthly support for their businesses and livelihoods.
In his sermon, which he titled ‘The Characteristics of the Eighth Man’—a continuation of his series on The Scroll from the Lion of Judah—Rev. Christian spoke extensively on the essence of spiritual growth in the life of a Christian as the only way to enter the presence of God and have one’s prayers answered.
Quoting Revelation 21:3–4 and 20:11, he said the problem with the church today is that Christians are full of Charismatism even as they await the second coming of Christ.
He maintained that though God has created the world and put man in charge of it all, men are still waiting for God to do everything for them instead of utilizing the potentials already made available to them.
He therefore charged Christians to rise and fulfill their divine purpose in life using the powers already divinely deposited in them with the help of the Holy Spirit.
Guests at the epoch-making event included heads of the different branches of the church in Lagos, Kano, Surulere (Lagos), Abuja, Port Harcourt, Enugu, the Ajah headquarters church, and the Camp Cathedral—Galilee—Ibughubu Umuchu, Anambra State, along with other heads of establishments under the church, including the Life Lodge at the headquarters church in Ajah, among others.
Also in attendance were clerics from other Christian organisations across the world, including Saudi Arabia.
Speaking with newsmen after the service, the highly elated General Overseer, administrator, and philanthropist said he was created as a eunuch by God for a purpose—which, he said, was to be a shining light among men and to pull down all barriers limiting the growth of man in his relationship with God and his race to immortality.
He maintained that this divine assignment had helped to shape his thoughts away from the feelings of the flesh to focus only on his heavenly goals and human development strides.
He added that this had helped build the ministry to its enviable status, stressing that it had also aided him in writing his numerous books—now enough to fill a whole library—and in supporting the spiritual and personal development of his members.