Bishop Irabor celebrates Grace Nation Church’s Pastor Okafor on birthday, calls him blessed

Bishop Wisdom Irabor

The General Overseer of Answers Assembly in Warri, Delta State, Bishop Irabor Wisdom Robinson has said a special day known as the ‘World Dr Chris Okafor Day’ be dedicated to celebrate Dr Chris Okafor because of what he has done to impact lives and expand the kingdom of God on earth.

The bishop added that the founder and senior pastor of Lagos-based Grace Nation Church International should thus be celebrated, especially on occasions when he marks his birthdays.

The month of April every year is usually a busy one the man of God as friends and well-wishers all over the world roll out the red carpet to thank God for using him to impact their lives in many different ways.

Bishop Irabor has decided to go beyond the normal felicitations to pen a tribute he titled, “Eight Birthday Notes to the Generational Prophet.”

In the tribute, Bishop Irabor congratulates Dr Chris Okafor, the one he calls the “Generational Prophet,” on the occasion of his birthday and thanks God for giving the world a gift that has proven to be so beneficial to humanity.

He subsequently lists outstanding blessings he has received from Dr Okafor who he refers to as the most unassuming personality he has had to work with in his life and ministry.

“Happy Birthday to the man who is completely different from everything his enemies told you about him. My relationship with you made me know that, you can become a bad person relating with the person people think is good for you, you can also become a good person relating with the person people think is not good for you. I found God relating with you, Dr Chris Okafor,” Bishop writes.

He adds, “Happy birthday to the man whose financial gift to me, in two separate cheques, cleared the first year school fees of both my daughters in private universities. The school fees for both was in the region of four point three million naira (N4.3million). You made me not to feel the pain of paying the first year for both of them. Apart from you and Pastor David Ibiyeomie, no mentor or senior man has ever done anything for me.

“Happy birthday to the man who taught me how to be a father and a friend with my assistant pastors. I came for training with your pastors, and I saw how you bonded with them as a friend and a brother to them, yet they honour and respect you as a father. Only few men can combine these two aspects with a balance. I saw them respect your authority and still confess their secret battles to you for you to help them overcome. Where I came from, you don’t tell anyone your secret battles as a pastor, you will become a public ridicule.

“Happy birthday to the man who I followed a few weeks ago to see a mentor who came from Abuja for a programme in Lagos, and in my presence you wrote a cheque of twenty million naira as a prophet offering to that mentor. Most people don’t know you even have more access to fathers in our family tree, than most of us that were raised in that family.

“Happy Birthday to the man who practically lives a life of fasting and prayers daily. I came to do a three day training programme, and you made me too, to fast and pray with you and the pastors for all three days. At a point, I said to myself, how I wish people know you personally and privately. You are a Christian to the core. I pray for my friends. May you not first meet the enemies of your helper before meeting your helper.

“Happy birthday to the most quietly blessed man I have ever seen. Your cathedral is about 25,000-seater, with a crowd of people gathered inside every week, and many surrendering their lives to Jesus Christ every service day. You don’t talk about it.

“The headquarters has so many buildings, offices and event centres. You don’t talk about it. Your Lekki branch is over 50 plots of land. You don’t brag about it. You have over 400 branches home and abroad. You don’t brag about it. It was in your house last year, when I came for dinner with you that I saw a brand new Rolls Royce and a brand new bullet-proof Land Cruiser jeep which you have never talked about openly. Let’s not talk about your business investments in several sectors of life. The few that I know of. You are blessed, yet very quiet and humble.

“Thank you for always allowing me to stay for free, in your ministry’s 5-Star hotel, any time I visit Lagos. I still stayed there last month for free for five days. You saved me so much, sir.”