The Year of Jubilee Calls for Change

THAT YOU MAY KNOWMany of us may be knowing for the first time that Ikoyi Baptist Church was started under the leadership of our beloved father, Rev. J. A. Sholeye, who was sent by First Baptist Church, Broad Street, Lagos to begin an English speaking Baptist Church in Ikoyi. The first service was held on May 28, 1967 at Aunty Ayo Primary School, Ikoyi. This year, we shall celebrate 50 years of our existence and thus we have our theme for this year “Our Year of Jubilee”Jubilee connotes many good things. The Lord instructed the Jews to celebrate Jubilee every 50 years. 49 years they shall work and then on the 50th year, they shall sound the trumpet to mark the beginning of Jubilee for the whole year. During the year of Jubilee, all slaves and prisoners must be set free. All lands taken from their owners as surety for loans must be returned to their original owners. Families would be reunited. Lands will be left fallow-nothing must be planted and nothing must be harvested from it that year. The people are to rest from their labours for the whole year and Jubilee should be a year of celebration or rejoicing.We too, by God’s grace, will celebrate God’s mercy this year as a church. That is why we sing:This is my year of JubileeI shall return to my possessionI proclaim liberty in all my ways‘Tis my year of Jubilee.Happy celebration church!