Seed of Messiah: We are committed to raising a total child

—Rev. (Mrs.) R. N. Okogbue, Proprietress

By Funmi Olarinde

What’s in a name? The testimonies of Seed of Messiah Schools bring to the fore the significance of christening a child, a business, an institution or etc. by divine inspiration. Rev. (Mrs.) Rose Nkaku Okogbue, the school proprietress, may probably be unaware of the significance of Seed of Messiah as the name of her Nursery, Primary and Secondary schools, Oke-Afa, Isolo, Lagos, until a crippled child was brought by his parents to be registered in the school.

Rev. Okogbue recalled: “A crippled child was brought to be registered in the school. I looked at the child and my eyes were filled with tears. I told the class teacher and her assistant that they could help me in this ordeal by loving the child to help him feel like the other children in the class. That is how we will be able to accomplish what God has sent us to do.

“I returned to my office, knelt down and cried to God that they have brought the child because of the name of the school, please glorify yourself. And within few months of the child’s admission into the school he started walking.”

And that is exactly what a name can do as Rev. (Mrs.) Nkaku Okogbue has the records of more cases of physically challenged pupils registered in the school that have been healed just because of the name of the school and its activities. She informed Christian Benefits that the school organizes various activities aimed at inculcating Godly values in its pupils. For instance, the school organizes periodical fasting and prayers, Bible recitation competition and a quarterly anointing service for the school pupils.

One then wonders if such activities do not bring the school authorities into conflicts with non-Christian parents. She explains: “There was a particular Muslim parent, an Alfa, who came to register his child in the school and said ‘I don’t want you to teach him that Christian rubbish.’ And I said okay, but what is the Christian rubbish? Is it praying? He said he has nothing against praying. Is it to love one another, because we teach the pupils how to love one another? He said no. So what then is the Christian rubbish that you don’t want? He said, anyway, after all he also attended a Christian school. So what we do is trying to inculcate the right values in the children. It is not about any religion. This particular parent is so impressed with our mission of training A TOTAL CHILD that he is one of our most committed parents.”

The Christian faith colouration of Seed of Messiah Schools is complemented with high quality academic standard, boasting of well-equipped laboratories, well-stocked library and a state of the art musical room all at affordable tuition fees compared to the charges of other schools in the neighbourhood with equally high quality academic standard. In addition, Seed of Messiah Schools also has a scholarship scheme for indigent parents. Some of the beneficiaries of the scheme include children of some of the school’s workers. The schools operate in a learning-friendly environment.

Seed of Messiah was divinely inspired as a mandate God gave Rev. (Mrs.) Okogbue to build him a school and raise him an army of Godly children and youths. Since the schools started in 2001, the University of Calabar French graduate has remained committed to raising children and youths through what is now known as Seed of Messiah Ministries Worldwide. Apart from the schools arm of the ministry, Okogbue also runs a youth ministry called Choices, a youth enlightenment outreach to educate the youths that their destinies are preserved in the Lord but that what they become is in their hands, depending on the choices they make at every point in their lives.

Rev. (Mrs.) Rose Nkaku Okogbue, who holds a Masters Degree in Personnel Administration from an institution in USA, also runs another outreach called Dominion Women Prayer Ministry where women-related issues and problems are handled. The outreach prays for women that are trusting God for the fruit of the womb, sick women; teaches, prays and counsels women embroiled in problematic issues with their husbands and also empowers less privileged women to earn a decent living for their contribution to the sustenance of their respective families.

Okogbue, who is fondly described as a woman with a large heart, has a rich Christian upbringing. She is blessed with five children, some of whom are students in the US and strikes a good balance between her calling as a minister of God and her responsibilities as a wife and mother at home through applied wisdom and the grace of God.

Editor’s note: This article was first published in Christian Benefits Magazine School supplement in 2011