*As family, friends sets Uzere agog for a Welcome thanksgiving.

The ancient town of Uzere in Isoko South Local Government Area of Delta State was filled with joy and celebration on Saturday, 29 August 2026 as family members, friends, church leaders, well-wishers and members of The Apostolic Church Nigeria gathered to honour Pastor Senior Gabriel Okpako Uyeh (JP) and his wife, Deaconess Uyeh, following , Pastor Dr Senior Gabriel Okpako peaceful retirement after 62 years of commitment and dedicated service in the Lord's vineyard.

The colourful thanksgiving service attracted ministers of the gospel, traditional leaders and community leaders, Christians from different denominations across Nigeria , including admirers who paid glowing tributes to the couple for their unwavering commitment to the Christian faith, with exemplary leadership, and humility and decades of selfless service to God and humanity.

Speaking during the thanksgiving service, Pastor Uyeh expressed profound gratitude to God for His faithfulness and preservation throughout his ministerial journey.

He described the 62-year journey as one marked by triumphs and trials, saying,despite some numerous challenges encountered along the way, God remained faithful and sustained him and his family for the period under review.

"The journey was smooth, rough, slippery and thorny, but the Lord sustained us through it all. My greatest joy today is that I am alive, my children are here and even my grandchildren have joined us to celebrate God's faithfulness,".

Pastor Uyeh appreciated everyone who had travelled from far and near to celebrate with him and his wife, urging Christians to remain steadfast and committed to the service of of God Almighty as they continued to contribute to the advancement of His Kingdom.

Delivering the sermon titled "Forget Not His Benefits," the Territorial Administrative Secretary of LAWMNA, Pastor E. O. Abe, (PhD) noted that, unwavering commitment to God's service always attracts divine rewards.

He described Pastor and Deaconess Uyeh as exemplary Christian leaders whose lives and ministry should inspire believers to remain faithful despite life's challenges.

According to him, those who faithfully serve God enjoy His protection, favour, divine health, deliverance and enduring blessings.

"Sixty-two years in ministry is not a joke. Through thick and thin, in rivers and in valleys, our Daddy and Mummy have remained faithful in the service of God. Their lives testify that God never forgets those who faithfully serve Him," he stated.

Quoting several Bible passages, including Matthew 6:33, Romans 8:30, Psalm 103: 2 and other scriptural references, Pastor Abe encouraged Christians to maintain unwavering faith and positive confession, stressing that God always fulfils His promises to those who trust in Him.

Speaking on behalf of the Uzere Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Bishop Michael Erhue thanked God for granting Pastor Uyeh and his wife a peaceful retirement and safe return to their ancestral home.

He identified three categories of people who leave their communities in search of greener pastures: those who never return despite succeeding; those who remain away because they experienced setbacks; and those who become successful but neglect the development of their communities.

Bishop Erhue said Pastor Uyeh belonged to none of these three categories, noting that throughout his years of ministry he remained connected to his roots and continued to contribute meaningfully to the spiritual and socio-economic development of Uzere.

He urged others to emulate the retired cleric's humility, generosity, simplicity and commitment to community development while praying for God's continued blessings, sound health and long life for the celebrants.

In a goodwill message, The Apostolic Church Nigeria, Warri Zone, LAWMNA Territory, described Pastor Uyeh's retirement as the culmination of an impactful and fulfilled ministerial career.

The church commended his exemplary leadership, commitment to evangelism, sound administration, humility and fatherly disposition, noting that his ministry transformed lives, strengthened churches and mentored countless ministers and contributed significantly to the expansion of God's kingdom across the LAWMNA Territory, particularly within the Isoko and Urhobo axis.

The church prayed that God would continue to bless Pastor and Deaconess Uyeh with good health, renewed strength, peace and many more fruitful years in retirement.

While paying tribute, Pastor J. I. F. Ekpoboro has described Pastor Uyeh as a detribalised Nigerian, mentor, spiritual father and exceptional leader who embraced people irrespective of ethnic or cultural background.

According to him, Pastor Uyeh's influence had positively shaped his personal life and ministerial calling.

"Daddy Uyeh is not tribalistic. He is for everyone. He embraces people irrespective of tribe and carries everybody along. He is instrumental to many of the achievements in my life and ministry today," he said.

Pastor Ekpeboro challenged Pastor Uyeh's children, spiritual sons and beneficiaries of his mentorship to sustain his legacy by investing in the lives of younger generations.

"Every successful leader without a successor has not completed the assignment. Those he has built should also build others, just as he has built us," he added.

The thanksgiving celebration featured special prayers, praise and worship, gospel music ministrations, presentation of gifts to the celebrants and joyful dancing as family members, church leaders, friends and well-wishers celebrated God's faithfulness in the lives of Pastor and Deaconess Uyeh after more than six decades of devoted ministry.