In line with the fundamental gospel doctrine of caring for the poor and needy, Bishop Chris Kwakpovwe, publisher of leading Christian devotional, Our Daily Manna, penultimate weekend led members of his Manna Prayers Mountain Ministry to provide succour to hundreds of the less-privileged in Lagos.
The bishop, through his church’s annual programme tagged ‘Mercy Week’, offered free medical services to hundreds of people with different ailments at two venues in Lagos (Lekki and Ogudu).
Speaking on the initiative, the gregarious bishop said that the two-day outreach was going on simultaneously in about 100 countries and locations where the ministry had its branches.
He disclosed that he heard a divine instruction three years ago to show mercy and impact on humanity before his church’s yearly 14-day prayer and fasting holding every July.
The team led by Bishop Kwakpovwe, a trained pharmacist but who dropped his pharmacist’s coat 30 years ago, examined many of those in attendance, dispensed medicines to them and prayed for their divine healing. Those who were in need of surgery, according to Dr. Kwakpovwe, were referred to the hospitals for comprehensive attention.
Mr. Amiang Enobong, a staff of Shell Nigeria, who led the medical team, was full of praise for Kwakpovwe, who he commended for coming up with such a noble initiative.
According to him, his company had been collaborating with various communities and organisations in the area of medical outreach but the initiative of the ODM publisher had been so exceptional. The Shell team later presented the clergyman with an award for his selfless service.
One of the beneficiaries of the medical outreach, Mrs. Margaret Auta, was thankful for the initiative.
According to her, there were many in her community who had been battling with different types of ailments but due to lack of funds could not run tests for proper diagnosis.
“I really appreciate the Bishop for coming to our aid. With the present economic situation in the country, many of us could not afford exorbitant cost of treatment at the hospitals. But he had brought doctors to examine us, conducted tests and gave us free medicine. God will continue to bless him and I hope other church leaders would emulate him,” a visibly elated Auta said.
Also commenting, Mr. Emmanuel Ogunkoya, popularly called Victory in the Ogudu Oke community, said he never believed in the programme until he saw a van on Saturday morning moving around to sensitise the people in the area and he decided to visit the venue of the outreach to satisfy his curiosity.
“I couldn’t believe it when I saw doctors and pharmacists including Bishop Chris himself personally attending to various people with different ailments. I had to avail myself of some tests which would have cost me a lot of money and got some drugs for free. This is what churches should be doing more. I really want to thank the Bishop for this,” he said.
To close the Mercy Week, penultimate Sunday, Bishop Kwakpovwe led some of his church members to visit some select orphanages, old Peoples’ homes and prisons where he donated gifts, food items and money to the inmates.
The Delta State-born preacher, had lately been assaulted with various frivolous controversies which he saw as persecutions, not of him but the body of Christ. Nevertheless, he had remained unruffled and had not allowed those challenges to distract his evangelical mission thus the enthusiastic feeling towards the success of the annual Mercy Week.
He had blessed many souls through his devotional, Our Daily Manna, with millions of copies rolled off the press every quarter and reaching millions of families all over the world every day.
At the last count, Kwakpovwe to his credit had written over 70 books.