Pentecostal Ministers Continue To Celebrate Uma Ukpai, Describing Him As A Colossus

LAGOS – More Pentecostal gospel ministers have continued to celebrate the passage of Rev. Dr. Uma Ukpai, Nigeria’s foremost Pentecostal Leader, describing  him as a colossus.

One of the ministers, Bishop Dr Herbert Ekechukwu, the General Overseer of The Lord of Glory Ministries, who spoke to Sunday Independent, said that the late cleric, an Ambassador of the Assemblies of God Church, was an Iroko.

Bishop Ekechukwu said: “Rev Dr Uma Ukpai, a mighty Colossus, a great iroko, first among equals, father of modern Pentecostalism, a man with extraordinary anointing, has gone home.

“Every Pentecostal Christian should mourn the departed great soldier, conqueror and a mobiliser. Sir, the body of Christ in Nigeria will miss you.

“We celebrate you because we know where you are right now, in the bosom of the Lord, Good night, sleep well.”

Also, Apostle Dr Bola Adewara, an author, ministerial communicator and publisher, described Dr Uma Ukpai as “a Pentecostal General who has finished his race.”

Dr. Adéwará, a specialist in mentorship, told Sunday Independent, “When I received the news of the passing of Rev. Dr Uma Ukpai, I felt a deep silence within me, one that only comes when a General of faith leaves the battlefield of life.

“It was not merely the departure of a man; it was the transition of a voice that had thundered for Christ across nations, a heart that burnt with compassion, and a soldier who never dropped his armour until the trumpet sounded.

“Ukpai was one of those rare men whose presence reminded you that Christianity is not a religion of convenience, but of conviction.

“For over six decades, he preached the gospel, as he deemed it right. Though some of his thoughts lately could be debatable, he, nevertheless, lived what he preached and preached what he lived. His faith was not a performance, it was life itself.

“As a journalist of the gospel, I had long admired how he spoke his mind, not minding if people agreed with his thoughts.

“Nigeria has lost a voice and the Pentecostal Church has lost one of its fathers. His works will keep speaking long after the applause of his followers fades.”

Apostle Tunde Oyemade, the General Overseer of The Faithful Assembly Church International, just stated: “He was called home at the appropriate time (2 Timothy 4: 6 – 8). May the Lord Jesus Christ comfort his entire family, Amen. Thanks for letting me know of his departure.”