By Our Reporter
It was a soul-lifting experience as the Rivers/ Bayelsa Division of The Salvation Army joined their counterparts worldwide to celebrate the 160th Founder’s Day in grand style at the Port Harcourt Central Corps Hall from Friday, July 4, to Sunday, July 6, 2025.
With thousands of enthusiastic church members from over 12 Corps in attendance, the three-day event, themed “Growing Deep and Wide,” featured prayers, teachings, inspirational music, and paper presentations.
During the second day of the celebration, Hon. (Dr.) Amb. Angela Anthony Oju-Kienmie delivered a poignant address, sharing her insights on effective leadership and spiritual growth.
In her paper titled “Effective Corps Leadership Development and Spiritual Growth of Salvationists in Rivers/Bayelsa Division, Nigeria Territory,” Dr. Oju-Kienmie, onetime Editor/Literary Secretary of The Salvation Army, Nigeria Territory, emphasized that true leadership is defined not by titles but by the ability to positively influence others.
She outlined key aspects of effective leadership development, including identifying potential leaders, enhancing skills through training, and the importance of mentorship.
Using biblical references, the paper presenter who is the Immediate Past Vice Chairman/Supervisor For Health, Opobo/Nkoro LGA, Rivers State. highlighted the significance of constructive feedback in nurturing capable and inspiring leaders who align with the mission of The Salvation Army.
Dr. Oju-Kienmie’s presentation also focused on spiritual growth, which she described as essential for every Salvationist. She stressed the need for a deeper relationship with God through regular prayer, Bible study, and obedience to divine principles.
According to her, such spiritual practices not only strengthen individual faith but also enhance the collective ability of members to serve their communities effectively.
Concluding her presentation, Dr. Oju-Kienmie, the Founder Angela and the Rising Stars Initiative (ARISE). called on all attendees to commit to ongoing personal and leadership development. Her insights provided a roadmap for the future, aiming to empower leaders and improve the overall performance of The Salvation Army.
As the organization looks ahead, the reflections shared during this milestoneh celebration are poised to shape its direction in the years to come.
As part of the celebrations,
competitions ranging from educational, Spiritual, social, creativity, music and other aspect of art display, toom place. They are some of the Salvation Army’s ways of bringing souls into God’s kingdom. The participating Salvation Army Corps and their positions are as follow:
A. Timbrelists Competition:
1st Position Nkoro Corps
2nd position Diobu Corps
3rd Position PH Central Corps.
B.Young People’s Singing Competition:
1st- PH Central Corps
2nd- Nkoro Corps
3rd- Diobu Corps
C.Songters Brigade:
1st-Nkoro Corps
2nd-Diobu Corps
3rd- Rumuomasi Corps
D. Bible Recitaion with Demonstrations:
1st- Yenagoa Corps
2nd- Diobu
3rd-PH Central Corps.
E. Band Display
Port Harcourt Central Corps- Host and the only Bands Brigade at the event.
