With the church particularly in Nigeria being scrutinised for its role in society, the Young Christian Men Association of Archbishop Vining Memorial Church Cathedral (YMCA, AVMCC) milestone celebration provided an excellent platform to showcase the critical role the church plays.

Its President, Dr. Olorunfemi Ojo, believes associations such as the YMCA play major roles in shaping society, strive to meet the needs of the less privileged and provide hope in the place of despair. Citing the case of the 57th-anniversary celebration of the YMCA, AVMCC, which he now leads, he said that the platform aggregates resources to provide succour as well as hope.

Said Dr Ojo: It is not news that the level of poverty, deprivation and moral decadence being witnessed everywhere you go calls for the urgent need for Associations like ours to come to the rescue through their various well-packaged programmes designed to promote the intellectual, social, moral, physical and spiritual well-being of the people generally.

Inaugurated together with his other executives this month, the pace of such charitable activities has been high as there exists the need for various forms of support in the society, said the YMCA, AVMCC President. My tenure was formally inaugurated last Sunday, 14th July 2024, during the 57th Anniversary Celebration of the organisation. However, in the last four months, as a group we have embarked on welfare visitations to some of our elderly members, especially those who are indisposed, and those experiencing challenges.

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The charitable works benefitted many people who are not necessarily members of the church, said the association’s president. We have also organised breakfast fellowship, which also included medical awareness on cardiovascular diseases. This was highly beneficial to those who were in attendance. Furthermore, we have been able to reach out to several orphanages.

We recently visited the Bethesda Home of the Blind to fellowship with them and equally bless them in kind and cash.

The YMCA, AVMCC President foresees the association playing even bigger roles under his tenure, as the need for interventions from charitable organisations will not diminish. Activities to look forward to under my tenure include welfare, charity, youth mentoring and evangelism, as well as bursary awards to indigent students in tertiary institutions.

With the increasing rate of poverty and need, there can never be enough interventions. I intend to focus more on the area of reaching out to the needy and less privileged amongst us, within the church and the larger community. I’m sure this will go a long way to putting smiles on some faces and giving hope as well. God being my helper.

Adewole Ojo

Adewole Ojo is the Editor-in-Chief of Meiza Nigeria. He can be reached on adewole.ojo@fourpoints.ng.