Clerics have been charged to be of good moral standard and work towards perfection as many people in the society look up to them.
Rt. Rev. Ebenezer Akorede Okuyelu gave this charge during the ordination, installation of Canons and investiture of Knights by The Rt. Rev. Sunday Timothy Adewole at St. Barnabas Cathedral, recently.
He urges workers in the vineyard of God, especially ministers of God to see themselves as a standard for others in the society to look up to.
Speaking on the topic, ‘Priesthood ministry: The responsibility, the challenges and the joy, the cleric who explained that a priest is a human being with all human emotions noted that a priest can never be perfect.
He however gave twelve characteristics of a priest, saying that, among other things, a priest should be genuinely born again and filled with the Holy Spirit. He said an ideal priest should be a faithful husband of one wife, he should have a good relationship with others and able to control his own house.
Okuyelu also charged priests to have self control, be respectable, hospitable, not a lover of money and a peacemaker.
According to the cleric, there are three types of calling namely; the call of God, men’s calling and personal calling.
Quoting copiously from the scriptures, Rt Rev. Okuyelu who gave examples of men called by God in the Bible said God’s call does not come to the idle hands but hardworking, dedicated and godly hands.
He said men’s calling come about based on human attraction to one’s qualifications and/or physical attraction while personal calling is as a result of one’s personal needs, ambitions or desires.
