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Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State and his wife, Dame Edith Okowa at the 2021 Couples Forum.
Bishop Ephraim Ikeakor, speaking at the Couples Forum.

Divorce in marriage should not be contemplated because it is not the will of God, the creator of the marriage institution. “Divorce is satanic,” the preacher said.

This was the advice given to couples, particularly Christian couples and would be couples as a guide to building a united home and making a success of their marriage.

Bishop Ephraim Ikeakor made this presentation as a guest speaker at the just concluded 2021 Couples Forum organized by 05 Initiative run by the wife of the Governor of Delta State, Dame Edith Okowa last Saturday at the Event Centre, Okpanam Road, Asaba.

The event which drew many couples also had in attendance Governor Okowa, members of his defunct cabinet and other notable public officers, legislators and other notable leaders, had as its theme: “The Home and the Mystery of unity.”

Pointing out that divorce in any marriage is satanic, he said: “It was never the will of God. It is the result of the hardness of a spouse heart. Any reason for divorce, God said in the beginning it was not so. God did not allow divorce.” He called attention to Ephesians 5:2 which states: “And walk in love…” “There is no place for divorce in a Christian home,” Ikeakor said, even as he urged couples to take attention away from spectators and face God the author and creator of marriage.

The Bishop noted that marriage is a serious matter and that it is not for boys and girls, but for men and women. “The first reason for marriage is companionship,” he said, adding that it is the husband, wife and the children that make up the components of the home and that the three must work together.

Bishop Ikeakor lamented that many highly placed people don’t have good marriages, pointing out that “we are pretenders.” He said it was unfortunate that many people come to church wearing sermon proof dispositions is just a façade, because what they are wearing on the outside is at variance with the real thing happening with them in their marital affairs.

He condemned same sex indulgence, saying that those who indulge in it can never claim to be in marriage and then talk of having a home. The Bishop said: “There is no home before a marriage. It is impossible for a man to marry a man and for a woman to marry a woman.”

While listing three categories of marriage or a home to include the Christian marriage, worldly marriage and traditional marriage, he said that the Christian marriage is anchored on Jesus Christ, and that worldly marriage is the marriage guided by the standard of the world.

For the Christian to have a united home they must keep God who is the author of marriage institution within reach. “If you keep God, the author of the marriage institution away then you cannot have a good and united home,” Ikeakor said.

Earlier, Evangelist Eze had in his teaching posited that the theme of this year’s celebration of family life was timely and precise in view of the avalanche of divorce cases. He defined marriage as a voluntary union for life between a man and a woman; a covenant to live unconditionally for life.

According to him, a house built but a home is made. “You can be married but not coupled. Being a married person is not enough, you must work to couple the marriage,” Evangelist Eze said, pointing out that Amos 3:3 said, “Can two work together except they agree?”

He observed that the essence of unity is a matter of agreement, even as he listed factors that breed disunity between a husband and wife to include insensitivity, bad character towards a partner, unforgiveness and unwillingness to forgive even what a partner is wrong.

Other factors that Evangelist Eze listed as bane of unity among couples in a home also includes domestic violence common among wife beaters and husband beaters; wrong association and infidelity a product of sexual promiscuity.

While listing factors that facilitate unity in marriage, Evangelist Eze noted that God did not plan female and female nor male and male marriage relationship. “Companionship is the essence of unity and that partnership is the essence in marriage,” he said.

Among the factors that make for unity in marriage, according to him is a healthy sexual relationship and prayer life of a couple. “These two breed unity in marriage.”

Also, Eze said communion and fellowship are major factors that facilitate unity in marriage, pointing out that God kept Adam and Eve his wife in a place in the garden, “and God bless them.”

Urging couples to always pray against discordant voices that seek to separate families. Couples should pray for unity, he said, adding that families should pray against arrows of divorce being thrown at couples to cause disunity and separate them.

Wife of the Governor of Delta State and Founder of 05 Initiative sponsors of the Couples Forum thanked the guests for honouring the invitation, pointing out that couples must make Jesus the referee of their homes and of every marriage.
Dame Edith Okowa, Founder of 05 Initiative.