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The Church of
God in Christ started in the South South Region about Forty Six years ago at Oboyo Ikot Ita in Nsit Ibom Local Government
Area of Akwa Ibom State.In the spring of 1966, during the Biafran Revolution in Nigeria West Africa, Brother S. A. Udo Akpan,
and his group of ministers, sent Bishop Benbow a letter as a Macedonian Call ("come over and help us"). The letter read: Dear
Brother Benbow; I and a group of ministers began seeking the Lord in his fullness according to the Holy Bible. We began receiving
much criticism and persecution from our religious constituents.
We started asking the Lord; "what shall we do?" While
asleep one night, your name and location appeared to me in a dream. So we are following through; we are sending you a Macedonian
Call, please come help us, and received us into your faith".
In 1967, after much prayer, Bishop Benbow, and his wife,
Rachel L Benbow, answered the call. They received into the Church of God in Christ, seventeen churches in Nigeria, West Africa.
After returning home from that mission, he was appointed Bishop of Nigeria, West Africa, by the late Bishop O. T. Jones, Sr.,
at the time, Senior Bishop of Church of God in Christ. Mother Benbow was appointed Supervisor of Women for Nigeria, by the
late Mother A. Bailey.
The Nigeria work expanded rapidly with missions, churches, an elementary school, and a Bennie
Roberts Benbow Bible College. Each quarter, Sunday School literature of the church was sent to Nigeria.
But the growth
of COGIC was soon stagnated due to poor leadership and support from the International Church mainly due to poor comunication
between the International Headquaters and Nigeria.
However events took a different turn when in the September 1999 Bishop
Mishael Itoro Akpan was appointed the Bishop of Nigeria having brought over 40 churches into COGIC by Bishop Chandler David
Owens during the Bishop's Conference at Alanta - Georgia in the United States of America.
Since then COGIC Nigeria has
experienced a tremendous growth both numerically and Spiritually.
Bishop Mishael Akpan was born on the 26th November 1964
to Pastor Asuquo and Mrs. Bella Akpan in the Village of Afaha Ikot Ede in Nsit Ibom Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State
in Nigeria. He had his primary education at Afaha Nsit Primary School and his secondary education at Etinan Institute , Etinan.
He went futher to study French and earned a diploma in French. Having worked for about a year he answered the call to ministry
after more than two angelic visitations. He went to a Bible College and erned his Masters degree in Theology and a Doctorate
degree in Christian Counselling /Psychology from Victory Fellowship International Bible College, Brighton, Iowa USA. Last
year he was awarded a doctorate degree in Theology.
His ministry is that which all and sundry knows to be extraordinary,
power packed with great miracles signs and wonders.
His unusual ministry has taken him to more dreaded missions fields
like United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Bahrain in the Arabian Penisular where he also oversee several Churches.His
passion for the Arabs is unusual and persistent with the gaol of winning more Arabs to Jesus than ever recorded in the history
of evangelism in the Arab Nations.
We pray that God will lead you to support this great Man of God to fulfill the work
our Good Lord has given him.
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