State of Union Address – North American Council of Eastern Nigeria Adventists (NACENA)

PRESIDENT’S STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS

NORTH AMERICAN COUNCIL OF EASTERN NIGERIA ADVENTISTS (NACENA) SECOND ANNUAL CAMP MEETING

VIRTUAL

NOVEMBER 13 – 14, 2020

Dear NACENA Members, distinguished guests, ladies, and gentlemen:

It is with humbleness of heart that I sit here this afternoon to address you and to update you on the affairs of NACENA. Before I do that, I would like to welcome each one of you to this NACENA THIRD ANNUAL CAMP MEETING virtually conducted due to Corvid-19. I thank you and your families for being able to answer this call of togetherness, this call of unity, and this call of oneness, hence the theme of this Camp Meeting, “Through It All”. NACENA appreciates your presence and prays that God may richly reward and bless you.

May we again purse for a minute to mourn with those of our members, friends, and well-wishers who have lost loved ones during this pandemic….Amen. I will also thank God for His continued protection over us, especially our members at the far front fighting against the Coronavirus (COVID-19). May all honor, glory, and adoration be to God in Jesus Mighty Name, Amen.

OUR ACHIEVEMENTS:

(A) We have seven functional chapters, namely: (1) Houston Chapter; (B) Atlanta Chapter; (3) Chicago Chapter; (4) California Chapter; (5) Capital Region Chapter, (6) ENSDANY Chapter, and (7) Dallas Chapter.

(C) We have 19 functional committees: (1) Constitution/By-Law Committee, (2) Camp Meeting Committee, (3) Finance Committee, (4) Web Site Committee, (5) Fund Raising Committee, (6) Membership Drive Committee, (7) Project Committee, (8) Benefit/Self-Assurance Committee, (9) Music Committee, (10) Youth Outreach Committee, (11) Religious Outreach Committee, (12) Health and Temperance/Medical Mission Committee, (13) Legal Committee, (14) Public Relation Committee, (15) Senior Advisory Committee, (16) Security (God’s Army) Committee, (17) Medical Professionals Committee, (18) Education Committee, and (19) Local Union Committee. Chairs of these committees are members of the executive committee and constitute what is referred to as the expanded executive committee. Some chairs of these committees will make some presentations at the appropriate time during this Camp Meeting.

(D) We are one of the sponsors of the Nigeria Proclaim Project. “Nigeria Proclaim Project is an evangelistic ministry of Livingsprings SDA Church in Irving, Texas that will help place a beautifully illustrated, high quality, hardback copy of The Great Controversy in the hands of every elected official of the Nigerian National Assembly.”

(E) NACENA Medical Mission is by far NACENA’s biggest achievement for the past four years. We did not go this year because of the pandemic (Corvid 20). Brothers and sisters, presently, we intend to achieve five basic goals with the NACENA Medical Mission that are consistent with NACENA’s aim of “helping the helpless and giving hope to the hopeless” These are (1) Healing the sick, especially those that cannot afford to go to or pay for hospital expenses, (2) Giving food to the hungry, (3) Giving Spiritual food, and (4) Clothing those that cannot clothe themselves.

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?

(1) NACENA must make a sincere effort to increase and maintain our membership by sustaining our membership drive.

(2) NACENA must make a sincere effort to include and utilize her youths and young adults in our various activities.

(3) We shall continue to organize more Local Chapters. If you are from an area within North America and have no NACENA chapter, and are interested to have one, please feel free to contact me.

(4) We shall contribute to establishing more Nigerian churches within North America.

(5) We shall continue to sponsor the “Nigeria Proclaim Project”.

(6) We shall continue our medical mission; and upgrade it as needed. (Medical Mission Team will elaborate).

(7) We shall build, equip, and renovate our health facilities, which include building a brand-new Diagnostic Center, maternity wards, and helping the Ubakala hospital project. (Medical Professional Committee will elaborate).

(8) We shall participate fully in every aspect of promoting and helping Clifford University grow to a reputable height.

(a) We shall establish a scholarship towards helping low-income Seventh-day Adventist students who cannot afford to enter Clifford University.

(b) We shall help to build, equip, and bring our Seventh-day Adventist High Schools to higher standards. (Education Committee will elaborate).

(9) We shall strive to make a great impact in the lives of our people back home in a way that NACENA will be a household name.

(10) NACENA’s financial situation is extremely poor right now to handle all these mentioned projects. We, therefore, have two options: (1) In Houston, during the 2017 National Convention, we officially launched a one-million-dollar ($1,000,000.00) fundraising effort which we shall continue. (2) We shall increase and sustain our membership. Together, we can move mountains.

(11) NACENA National Executive Committee decision:

Have you heard this expression before? “Desperate situations call for desperate actions (measures).”

Considering the big projects NACENA is about to embark on, the National Executive Committee has decided to a one-time membership registration and annual membership fee for all members. To be a NACENA member, each member shall pay a one-time $100.00 registration fee, and a $100.00 annual membership fee, starting today, but effective from January 1, 2021. (Elder Churchill to project the membership registration form). Your local chapter Presidents will educate you more on this and help the National to register and to collect your membership fees. Using the form and payment plans provided, you can also register online. Registration is on an individual basis and not on family bases (that is, husband and wife will be two individual members plus your adult children).

Brothers and Sisters, as I sit here this evening, I can visualize the futuristic picture of what NACENA is about to accomplish in Eastern Nigeria. In my mind’s eye, that picture is very bright, vivid, and very clear that I can almost reach out and touch it. It is painted with love, compassion, and kindness that can only come from God Himself.

Brothers and sisters, I am assuring you today that your calling in through this Camp meeting session is not and will never be a waste of your time. It is, instead, the beginning of better and more beautiful things to come. Let us get excited together about what God is planning to accomplish through us to our less fortunate brothers and sisters. Let us, therefore, be thankful to God for making it possible for us to be participants and/or one of the architects selected to help design this futuristic beautiful picture that I am talking about.

I thank the Camp Meeting Committee Chairman, Elder Churchill Nzenwa, and his committee members for a job well done.

I thank the National Communication Committee Chair, Dr. Kingsley Chigbu, and Website Coordinator, Sister Joy Ugochi Wigwe, for all their efforts in reaching out and touching and motivating us to call in.

I thank the NACENA executives and expanded executive members under the leadership of our worthy Vice President, Dr. Ugboaku Esochaghi, for your support. You have always given me the zeal to go forward. May God bless you.

I could not have done all the grassroots efforts without our local Chapter Presidents. I am thanking them for helping make my job a lot easier. May God bless you.

I also thank every NACENA member that participated in any way and form to make this Camp Meeting a reality. May God richly reward each one of you.

On behalf of the NACENA executive committee, I thank our speakers: (1) Pastor Mark Finley (2) Pastor Okezie Erondu (3) Pastor Isaac Nwadike, (4) Pastor Ndubuisi Nwade, and (5) Dr. Paul Brantley

In a special way, I thank my wife, Mrs. Victoria Nwamara Imo, and my two kids, Katherine and David, for always being there for me, and putting up with me as I run around coordinating the affairs of NACENA. Your love and support are greatly appreciated. May God bless you.

Once again, I thank our guests for gracing this NACENA’s Annual Virtual Camp Meeting with their presence. I thank our members for answering this call of action and unity. I also thank you in anticipation for your continued support, love, and renewed interest in NACENA.

Most of all I thank God Almighty for making today possible, and for His protection and guidance. Together, I believe that we can build a stronger NACENA, and together, we can feed, nourish, and sustain NACENA.

Thank you again for being a part of this NACENA’s Third Annual Camp Meeting, by God’s grace, we hope to see you again next year. Please keep this candle burning.

May GOD BLESS YOU, and may GOD BLESS NACENA.

Dr. Charles Ngozi Imo
NACENA National President

PRESIDENT’S STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS
NORTH AMERICAN COUNCIL OF EASTERN NIGERIA ADVENTISTS (NACENA)
FIRST ANNUAL CAMP MEETING
ATLANTA, GEORGIA
JULY 25 – 29, 2018

*******

Dear NACENA Members, distinguished guests, ladies, and gentlemen:

It is with humbleness of heart that I stand here this afternoon to address you and to update you on the affairs of NACENA.

Before I do that, I will like to welcome each one of you to the NACENA FIRST ANNUAL CAMP MEETING. I thank you and your families for being able to answer this call of togetherness, this call of unity, and this call of oneness, hence the theme of this Camp Meeting, “Pressing Forward in Love and Unity”. You could have been somewhere else but decided to spend this time with us. NACENA appreciates your presence and prays that God may richly reward and bless you.

OUR ACHIEVEMENTS:

(I) We have created seven functional chapters, namely: (1) Houston Chapter; (2) Atlanta Chapter; (3) Chicago Chapter; (4) California Chapter; (5) Capital Region Chapter, (6) ENSDANY Chapter, and (7) Dallas Chapter. (May the Presidents of these chapters please stand to be recognized). These presidents will each have an opportunity to address you tonight.

(II) We have created 19 committees: (1) Constitution/By-Law Committee, (2) Camp Meeting Committee, (3) Finance Committee, (4) Web Site Committee, (5) Fund Raising Committee, (6) Membership Drive Committee, (7) Project Committee, (8) Benefit/Self-Assurance Committee, (9) Music Committee, (10) Youth Outreach Committee, (11) Religious Outreach Committee, (12) Health and Temperance/Medical Mission Committee, (13) Legal Committee, (14) Public Relation Committee, (15) Senior Advisory Committee, (16) Security (God’s Army) Committee, (17) Medical Professionals Committee, (18) Education Committee, and (19) Local Union Committee. Chairs of these committees are members of the executive committee and constitute what is referred to as the expanded executive committee. Some chairs of these committees will make some presentations at the appropriate time during this Camp Meeting.

(III) We are one of the sponsors of the Nigeria Proclaim Project. “Nigeria Proclaim Project is an evangelistic ministry of Livingsprings SDA Church in Irving, Texas in partnership with committed and trustworthy Pastors and lay leaders in Nigeria. We are working a key mission: to place a beautifully illustrated, high quality, hardback copy of The Great Controversy in the hands of every elected official of the Nigerian National Assembly.”

(IV) NACENA Medical Mission is by far NACENA’s biggest achievement for the past three years. As I speak, we are getting ready for the 4th-year Medical Mission that begins the second week of October. Brothers and sisters, presently, we intend to achieve five basic goals with the NACENA Medical Mission that are consistent with NACENA’s aim of “helping the helpless and giving hope to the hopeless” These are (1) Healing the sick, especially those that cannot afford to go to or pay for hospital expenses, (2) Giving food to the hungry, (3) Giving Spiritual food, (4) Clothing those that cannot clothe themselves, and (5) Helping improve our hospitals. (The Medical Mission representatives will expatiate on this during their presentation).

(V) We have had great success in our ground-root effort of getting our members back and more united as ever before. I thank God that our members once again trust NACENA and her leadership. On behalf of the leadership, I am promising that we will, by God’s grace, not disappoint or take your trust for granted.

(VI) We re-directing NACENA away from National Conventions to Annual Camp Meetings, which is consistent with the Seventh-day Adventist way of celebration that will go a long way fulfilling our spiritual needs. We should all be very proud of ourselves for being eyewitnesses of this transformation, the inception of NACENA Annual Camp Meeting. May honor and glory be to God in Jesus’ name. Amen.

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?

(1) NACENA must make a sincere effort to include and utilize her youths and young adults in our various activities.

(2) We shall introduce and sustain a “Self-Assurance Program”.

(3) We shall continue to organize more Local Chapters. If you are from an area within North America and have no NACENA chapter, and are interested in having one, please feel free to contact me.

(4) We shall contribute to establishing more Nigerian churches within North America.

(5) We shall sustain our membership drive.

(6) We shall continue to sponsor the “Nigeria Proclaim Project”.

(7) We shall continue our medical mission; and upgrade it as needed. (Medical Mission Team will elaborate).

(8) We shall build, equip, and renovate our health facilities, which include building a Diagnostic Center, maternity wards, and other structures as needed. (Medical Professional Committee will elaborate).

(9) We shall participate fully in every aspect of helping Clifford University grow to a reputable height.

(a) We shall establish some form of scholarship towards helping low income Seventh-Day Adventist students who cannot afford to enter Clifford University.

(b) We shall help to build, equip, and bring our Seventh-Day Adventist High Schools to higher standards. (Education Committee will elaborate).

(10) We shall strive to make great impacts on the lives of our people back home in a way that NACENA will be a household name.

(11) NACENA’s financial situation is very poor right now to handle all these mentioned projects. In Houston, during the 2017 National Convention, we officially launched a one-million-dollar ($1,000,000.00) fundraising effort. We are continuing with the one million dollar fundraising drive. (The Fund-Raising Committee Chair, Mr. Sonny Isiguzo will elaborate).

Brothers and Sisters, as I stand here this afternoon, I can visualize the futuristic picture of what NACENA is about to accomplish in Eastern Nigeria. In my mind’s eye, that picture is very bright, vivid, and very clear that I can almost reach out and touch it. It is painted with love, compassion, and kindness that can only come from God Himself.

Brothers and sisters, I am assuring you today that your trip to Atlanta is not and will never be a waste of your time. It is, instead, the beginning of better and more beautiful things to come. Let’s get excited together on what God is planning to accomplish through us to our less fortunate brothers and sisters. Let’s, therefore, be thankful to God for making it possible for us to be participants and/or one of the architects selected to help design this futuristic beautiful picture that I am talking about.

In conclusion, brothers and sisters, I will like to caution and advise us with these words from an unknown author;

“Experience has shown that where Associations are regarded merely as unions of individuals, such Associations inherit the weaknesses of their members – willing minds in weak bodies.

As a result, contemporary thinking is trying to focus on Associations (NACENA) as instruments of action and productivity.

The human beings function to oil the machinery whose operation is perpetual. The machine could be tooled and re-tooled to profuse the expected products.

As we gather with this new thinking, let’s remember we are coming to commission a machine that should be capable of churning out desirable products that will have high market appeal.

As we converge to tinker on how to use this machine (NACENA) to bring desirable changes over time, let us do so with faith and expectation of the best from Him in whose Name the Institution was built, Amen.” (Anon)

I thank the Camp Meeting Committee Chairman, Elder Churchill Nzenwa, and his committee members for a job well done. Thank you for creating this masterpiece we are all enjoying. May God bless you.

I extend my thanks to the host chapter, Atlanta Chapter, her president, Dr. Obinna Ubani Ebere, and all the members for their hospitality. May God bless you and replenish your resources.

I could not have done all the grassroots efforts without our local chapter presidents. I am thanking them for helping make my job a lot easier. May God bless you.

I also thank every NACENA member that participated in any way and form to make this Camp Meeting a reality. May God richly reward each one of you.

On behalf of the NACENA executive committee, I thanks our Special guests: (1) The Eastern Nigeria Union President, Pastor (Dr.) Bassey Udoh, (2) The Clifford University Vice-Chancellor, Professor Chimezie Omeonu, (3) The 3 ABN Director, Dr. C. A. Murray, (4) The Atlantic Union Adventist Media, Pastor Rohann Wellington and his members, (5) Pastor Isaac Nwadike, (6) Pastor Ndubuisi Nwade, (7) Mrs. Goodness Uloma Ezeji, (8) The Physical Exercise Program Facilitators: Mr. Clive Hanley and Mrs. Natalie Hanley, (9) The Ambassadors, and (10) Pastor Harold Cunningham, Ministerial Director, Georgia Cumberland Conference. May God bless you and bless your ministries.

Once again, I thank our guests for gracing this NACENA’s First Annual Camp Meeting with their presence. I thank our members for answering this call of action and unity. I also thank you in anticipation for your continued support, love, and renewed interest in NACENA.

Thank you again for being a part of this NACENA’s First Annual Camp Meeting, by God’s grace, we hope to see you again next year. Please keep this candle burning.

May GOD BLESS YOU, and may GOD BLESS NACENA.

Dr. Charles Ngozi Imo
NACENA National President