Ebonyi State Governor David Umahi, has called on ministers of God to have other means of livelihood by engaging in productive activities.

Umahi, who also enjoined them to remain a symbol of peace and unity in the state, said it was not ideal for any minister of God to be idle since God does not encourage idleness.

He spoke during a Christmas dinner party he organised for Divine Mandate Pastors, a group that served as his prayer band during his electioneering.

The Governor, in a statement on Saturday by his Spokesman, Emma Anya, said: “If you look at the Bible, when Christ came, he never called the man that was idle. I don’t believe that for you to be a pastor, you must not be doing something.

“The greatest of the evangelism is not even when you are in the house of God. I believe in young men and women that combine evangelism with doing something with their hands.”

He assured the Ministers that his administration would empower them through the Welfare and Religious Matters office.

Umahi added that some of them would be engaged early next year to start full time school and hospital evangelism in the state.

He enjoined the ministers of God to spend quality time on spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ instead of harbouring quarrels among themselves.

Umahi said he always felt worried and ashamed each time ministers quarrelled among themselves over mundane things.

The governor advised them to emulate the life of Jesus Christ in order to gain salvation and win souls.

His words: “Your conduct is very important. If you are born again, you will have that conviction in your heart.

“This is very important because if we are convinced of our own salvation, it guides us into humility and into submitting to one another.

“The attribute of a man of God is a mark of humility, a mark of honesty, mark of contentment. These are what the world is looking out for.

“Some people and even pastors have used the name of God to cheat. You must match to drive away the kingdom of darkness.”

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