CCC PraiseVille Turns 7, Gives Out 7 UK Leadership Awards
Seven outstanding business and socio-religious thought leaders were honoured and presented with fellowship awards of the United Kingdom-based ShaddaiVille Leadership Academy at a church celebration held Sunday, September 7 in Lagos.
The awards were presented to them by media veteran and President, ShaddaiVille Ministries International, Dr. Kunle Hamilton, as part of activities marking the seventh annual celebration of his church harvest tagged “CCC PraiseVille’s Festival of the Word 7.0” held in Yaba, Lagos.
The award beneficiaries included Assistant Most Superior Ebenezer Oshoffa, Member, Pastor in Council (MPIC) and Lagos Regional Head of the Celestial Church of Christ; chartered accountant and Convener, Luli Concert, Dr. Gbenga Daniel Adebayo, MPIC; media veteran and global spokesman of the Celestial Church, Assistant Venerable Superior Evangelist Kayode Ajala; and architect, University of Lagos lecturer and Primate of Oke Igbala Ayo C&S Church, Dr. Andrew Akinnubi.
The others are Special Most Senior Evangelist Anthony Onoh, MPIC and Trustee of the Celestial Church; Special Superior Evangelist David Sikpa, MPIC; and Republic of Ireland-based Venerable Superior Evangelist Peter Whenu Adekunle.
Commending the awardees, Dr. Hamilton who is also the Shepherd in Charge of the Celestial Church of Christ, PraiseVille said: “We celebrate and appoint each of you into the Body of Fellows of the ShaddaiVille Leadership Academy for your exemplary lifestyles plus outstanding career and socio-preneurship achievements. We trust that you will remain moral beacons of light to thousands of Nigerians.
“On our part as twin Christian ministries that span across Nigeria, England, America, Canada and Germany, ShaddaiVille and CCC PraiseVille have continued to train both Christians and Muslims in UK-certificated leadership and entrepreneurship studies, free of charge since 2007. Also free are our annual teenagers’ motivational and vocational retreats, as well as food outreaches to orphans, widows and indigent communities.”
Days before the Sunday celebration, CCC PraiseVille and ShaddaiVille Academy hosted 150 teenagers to a full-day free vocational and aspirational retreat “to shape their minds towards a technology-driven future. We also fed 700 indigent members of the Muslim/Hausa community in Oko Baba, Ebute Metta, Thursday before we sat down to feast in Church. We passionately spread the Gospel with love” Hamilton said.
Each of the awardees was selected based on their sterling achievements, according to the chief host. First was Primate (Dr.) Akinnubi under whose watch his church was given a futuristic architectural redesign while at the same time he began major knowledge investment in the women and youth of Oke Igbala Ayo C & S Church, Isolo, thus reflecting his secular expertise as a senior lecturer in architecture at the University of Lagos.
Assistant Venerable Superior Evangelist Ajala and Dr. Adebayo were nominated to respond on behalf of the seven awardees. Ajala who once made history as the youngest magazine editor in Nigeria in the 1990s, but now serves as a cleric, championed the onerous task of driving new positive narratives as head of media, spokesman and Secretary, Pastor in Council of the Celestial Church of Christ to the applause of many.
“This fellowship award means a lot to me, especially coming from a long-term friend and professional colleague” Ajala said, explaining that it was from Dr. Hamilton he sought counsel that guided him well when he began his journey as a cleric over a decade ago.
Convener of Luli Concert, the biggest and most popular musical fiesta in the Celestial Church, Dr. Adebayo said, “It is great to identify with and be honoured by a trailblazer like Dr. Hamilton who has been at the forefront of shaping the minds of our youths for greatness.
“Choosing a life of impact always surely brings a harvest and I affirm that under DKH, this congregation surely has a goodly heritage, and we would also continue to die to self, and make ourselves available for the Lord’s use” Adebayo said.
