The Archbishop, Province of the Niger and Bishop Aguata Diocese, Most Revd. Christian Efobi, has advised clergymen to embrace pilgrimage as a scared tool for spiritual reformation.

He made the call on Thursday at a one-day workshop organised by Aguata Diocese to harp on the importance of embracing pilgrimage trips as a way of enhancing spiritual development.

Efobi said that pilgrimage should not be seen as a way to abscond to other countries of the world but a trip of cleansing and rebirth, advising the clergy to develop the culture as well as pass on the good message to their parishioners.

The Anglican cleric maintained that a trip to the holy land was not a jamboree and should not be viewed as a waste of economic resources saying that the proper engagement of the opportunity would help in bridging the gap between morality and social exuberance among the people.

He noted that members of the clergy will through the visit be more convinced that the Bible which they rely on in character formulation and moral building was not a fallacy or hear say as records of all the stories in the Holy Book are all there to speak for its self and confirm God’s word.

“The Bible is not a canal book, the recordings in the Holy Bible spans beyond human knowledge so it is very important that clergy key into the programme to help them in holding fast to the tenets of their belief,” he added.

Furthermore, he said that the workshop was to awaken the minds of the clerics to know that there is need to continue fishing for straying souls and engaging in any activities billed towards spiritual development.

A participant in the workshop, Ven. David Obiagboso, said that the workshop was timely and apt considering the level of moral decadence in the society.

He urges Christians and the clergy to take advantage of the opportunity provided by the pilgrimage to Israel to enhance their spiritual growth.

According to him, a peaceful and moral conscious society will enhance more growth and development.

Earlier in his speech, the immediate past Chairman of Anambra State Pilgrims Board, Dr. Levi Monanu, said that clergymen need to have first-hand proof of what they preach as that would give them more confidence in shepherding their flocks.

He observed that the life of a clergy would be unfilled if he had not visited the holy land, adding that such visits serve to raise one’s faith in God.

Monanu, who is the Director of Ultimo Eslabon, a home-based agency on pilgrimage affairs, explained that a visit to the holy land offers one the opportunity to appreciate the import of the Bible and the importance of abstaining from sinful lifestyle.

He stated: “Each time I want to raise my faith in God, I take a trip to Israel.

“Apart from what you read in the Bible, if you go there, you will see these things live.

You will touch them and know that Biblical stories are not feeble.”

Monanu added that he was in the diocese at the instance of the archbishop to enlighten the clergymen on the new package he is handling through his agency.

He said that the platform was introduced following the federal and state governments’ withdrawal from sponsorship of the exercise.

The former Chairman, however, frowned at the number of people who have used the opportunity of the exercise to abscond in recent times, noting that his package under the new arrangement has zero record of people who absconded during the course of the pilgrimage.

While attributing the success to the strict and thorough screening of the intending pilgrims, he said the platform affords intending pilgrims to make instalmental payment for the exercise as well as quality time in the holy land.

Monanu also called on the financially capable members of the church to sponsor as many that are interested in participating, while the ones that cannot afford the price can form cooperatives to reduce cost.

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