Title
Honoring His Eminence, Dr. Samuel ‘Emeka Kanu Uche for his outstanding service to the Methodist Church of Nigeria and welcoming him to the City of Philadelphia.
Body
His Eminence, Dr. Samuel ‘Emeka Kanu Uche for his outstanding service to the Methodist Church of Nigeria, his commitment to education, and his dedication to bringing peace and transformation to the communities he served. We express our gratitude for his visionary leadership and for his contributions to the betterment of society; and
WHEREAS, His Eminence, Dr. Samuel ‘Emeka Kanu Uche was born on 29th January 1953, to Evangelist Thompson Kanu and Nneoma Janet Ebere Uche of Amagu Autonomous Community, Ihube, Okigwe in Imo State, Nigeria; and
WHEREAS, He demonstrated a lifelong commitment to education by attending several primary and secondary schools before being trained as a Methodist Minister at Trinity Union Theological College, Umuahia. He went on to earn his Bachelor of Arts in Religious Education and a Post Graduate Diploma in Public Administration from the University of Jos, Nigeria. He also received his doctorate in theology from Council for Christian Colleges and Universities, and obtained a Certificate in Strategic Church/Ecumenical Leadership from Cliff College, Derbyshire Campus of the University of Manchester; and
WHEREAS, He has served in various capacities within the Methodist Church of Nigeria, including Ministerial Cadet, Deacon, Priest, Presbyter, Bishop, and Archbishop, demonstrating his unwavering dedication to the Methodist Church; and
WHEREAS, He was consecrated Bishop at the Methodist Church of the Trinity, Tinubu, Lagos in November 1998, and was enthroned Bishop of Owerri in February, 1999. He was elected Archbishop of Enugu in August 2009, invested at the Methodist Church of the Trinity, Tinubu, Lagos in November 2009 and was enthroned as Archbishop of Enugu in January, 2010; and
WHEREAS, After a keenly contested electoral college for the election of the Prelate of Methodist Church in 2013, he won nine other shortlisted Episcopates making him the first Igbo Leader of the Methodist Church of Nigeria after 171 years of its existence; and
WHEREAS, His Eminence, Dr. Samuel ‘Emeka Kanu Uche worked tirelessly to bring peace among Methodist people in the Northern Diocese while serving as the Presbyter of Kano Circuit and was instrumental in laying the foundation for the creation of the Dioceses of Kano and Jos; and
WHEREAS, He was a visionary leader who transformed the Diocese of Owerri from obscurity to prominence and was part of the vision for the creation of Umuahia East and West Dioceses under Late Most Rev. Dr. Rogers Onuabuchi Uwadi in 2008; and
WHEREAS, As Archbishop of Enugu he brought about aggressive spiritual and structural transformation of the Diocese of Enugu, leading to the establishment of nine new preaching stations and the restoration of the Methodist College, Women Development Centre, and Archbishop’s House; and
WHEREAS, He has served in various leadership capacities outside of the Methodist Church, including as the Treasurer of the Christian Association of Nigeria in Kano State and the Chairman of the Kano State Christian Welfare Agency and the Christian Association of Nigeria; and
WHEREAS, He has also served on numerous committees in boards including the Committee for the Imo State Civil Service Salary Structure, the Imo State Secondary Education Management Board, the Board of Trustees for the Owerri Capital Development Fund, the Transition Committee under Chief Ikedi Ohakim, the Imo State Council on Vision 20:20:20, and was Grand Patron of the Anti Corruption Volunteers Corps (ICPC) Imo State, Patron of the Scripture Union, Owerri Area, Patron of the Nigeria Fellowship of Christian Students, area Patron of Scripture Union Imo State, Grand Patron of the Methodist Campus Fellowship of AICE, FUTO, IMSU, as a member of the Enugu State Mediation committee on Minimum Wage; and
WHEREAS, He currently serves as a Grand Patron of the Student Christian Movement, an International Patron of the Boys Brigade and Grand Patron of African Association of Methodist Brigades. He and his wife are special members of the Bible Society of Nigeria. By virtue of his office, he is a member of the World Methodist Council and the World Methodist Conference. He has also been a serving member of the Nigeria Inter Religious dialogue made up of 50 Christian Leaders and 50 Islamic Leaders; and
WHEREAS, His Eminence, Dr. Samuel ‘Emeka Kanu Uche has shown a commitment to education, and his dedication to bringing peace and transformation to the communities he served. We express our gratitude for his visionary leadership and for his contributions to the betterment of society; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That it hereby honors His Eminence, Dr. Samuel ‘Emeka Kanu Uche for his outstanding service to the Methodist Church of Nigeria and welcoming him to the City of Philadelphia
FURTHER RESOLVED, That an Engrossed copy be presented to His Eminence, Dr. Samuel ‘Emeka Kanu Uche.
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