In Nnewi, Anambra State, a new church named Ogbanje Church of All Nations has been recently opened.
During their first worship service, the congregation joyfully sang and danced to songs praising well-known river goddesses in the area.
This celebration was captured in a trending video on social media.
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During his sermon at the unfinished structure, the presiding cleric encouraged the congregation to worship familiar entities rather than unfamiliar ones.
Speaking in Igbo, he pointed out that some people had been using the names of biblical locations like Bethsaida, Jericho, and Samaria in their songs without truly understanding their significance.
Amidst the congregation’s joyful support and praises, the unnamed cleric proceeded to sing a praise song honoring the Ogbanje. The church members joined in with cheerful dancing.
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The cleric emphasized that many people sing and dance to songs featuring names and places from the Bible without truly understanding their significance. He urged everyone to reconnect with their cultural heritage and traditions.
The cleric advised people to sing songs that feature names of familiar rivers and the corresponding river goddesses, rather than singing about unfamiliar entities.
During the sermon, he, along with the congregation, mentioned several local river names and their respective river goddesses, including Obò River, Mmiri Ele, Orasò River, Mmiri Edo, Ofala River, Ota, Ezu River, and others.
The cleric expressed pride in being an Ogbanje and asserted that he and others who identify as Ogbanje thrive and lead prosperous lives year after year because they worship the rivers and their associated goddesses that are familiar to them, rather than those that are unfamiliar.
