By Angela Atabo

The Most Rev. Henry Ndukuba, Archbishop, Metropolitan and Primate of All Nigeria (Anglican Communion), has urged the youth to keep hope alive and rise above adversities to accomplish their divine purpose.

Ndukuba made the call at the 5^th Joshua Generation International Youth Conference themed “Ambassadors for Christ” in Abuja.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that no fewer than 20,000 young people attended the conference.

The clergyman said, “Many youths are weighed down by unemployment, insecurity, corruption, moral decay, and the discouragement is widespread within the church and the society and many complain and lose heart.

“However, like Joshua and Caleb, you are called not to lose hope; instead, you must rise up and engage the challenges spiritually, socially, economically and politically.

“You must reach out to fellow youths, extending the hands of reconciliation, hope and courage. You are the hope of the church and the nation.

“Stand strong in your convictions; uphold righteousness in the midst of corruption, and defend truth when it is unpopular, reject vices that entangle your generation, keep hope alive, believing that with God, all things are possible.”

Ndukuba underscored the importance of faith in driving meaningful change, asserting that the power of God surpasses all earthly powers, including political and economic influence.

The clergyman, while citing 2 Corinthians 5:20, encouraged youths to remain steadfast in their faith in spite of the challenges facing Nigeria.

He said the youth should be ambassadors of Christ, reminding them of their potential to make positive impact.

“The Joshua Generation is not merely a name but a divine mandate; it represents the church’s mission to the youth and with the youth.

“It is a sacred call to mobilise and empower young Christians to become transformative leaders in both spiritual and socio-economic spheres.

“Inspired by the examples of Joshua and Caleb, who refused to be discouraged by the challenges before them, you, the youth of today, are called to rise to the challenges of your time.

You can lead the church, the nation and indeed the world into the full possession of God’s promises.”

Ndukuba advised youths to be doers and transformers like Joshua and Caleb by occupying the seven mountains of influence of religion, family, education, media and entertainment, economy and government.

“We want to lift the banner of the Lord Jesus, the word of God, the promises of He who by His power sustains His creation and He is also commissioning these young ones.

“We are trusting God that these young ones will not only stand up for themselves but also pull their friends, trust God and see the possibility of God, and this network will bring about a move and a change as the future of the family, church and nation.”

The primate added that it would take the power of God to unleash what God had prepared for them especially because of the challenges facing the nation.

“That was why the Joshua Generation was more than a conference but is a movement for empowering the next generation for destiny, and it has recorded some significant events.

He said more than 5,000 youths have committed to Christ and 3,000 were volunteering for missionary work and 400 persons had been trained for missions with 35 currently serving as full time missionaries.

Ndukuba added that 1,932 young people were trained in ICT, 50 young persons were trained in music academy, and junior and senior football teams were established with over 120 youths benefitting from the sport investment.

He said the aim was to have a N5 billion endowment fund for youth development in skills infrastructure and career advancement.

“We aim to expand global participation, fostering partnerships with international youth organisations.” (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Deji Abdulwahab