Our Calling

“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.” – Psalm 32:8

I have always wanted to labor in the Master’s vineyard, but I thought that the music ministry would be my calling. Not because I have a particularly spectacular voice, but because I could picture myself lifting the Lord up in praise and worship and “inspiring” all the congregation of worshipers to join me. It was all about me, and the Lord had to take me down a peg or two to remind me that it is actually all about HIM!

“I do the calling not you!”

So, right where I was, I asked the Almighty to use me in any way he wanted. “I want to serve you,” I said “please show me how.”

At that precise moment, Pastor said that the Lord asked Moses, “What’s in your hand?” But it sounded as though God was speaking directly to me. “What?” I responded silently.

“What do you already do well? What skills have I given you that you can use to serve the Kingdom?”

I initially could not think of anything, but suddenly it came to me. I am creative and I write well. I am also very good with computer software. “Lord, what can I do with these skills and talents? “ I asked.

“Start a Christian newspaper.” Came the reply. However, how, I wondered? I am a Geology, Chemistry and Physics major. I know nothing about journalism. “Ask Anthony Ogbo to help you.”

So armed with the conviction that this was what God wanted me to do, I approached our friend who was a publisher of a secular paper, and told him an abridged version of my story.

“This must be God,” he said, “I have been thinking that this community needs a Christian newspaper for several weeks.” He became my mentor. He designed the masthead, guided me through the process of putting a media kit together, and even did the layout for the first four months, until I was comfortable enough to take over. Shortly before the publication of the first issue; my husband took over the clients and advertising department. We decided that it would be a free publication so that the paltry amount we might want to charge would not stop someone from picking it up and reading it. We started the Newspaper with $0.00 and from the first day, the advertisers have paid for it.

The Lord gave me the name of the paper. My working name was “African Christian Digest”, but at His prompting I saw that the mission of the publication was to Herald the good news of salvation and share the love of God. Hence the name, Christian Herald.

Our church consecrated the newspaper as one of its outreach ministries and we have been in operation now since September 2003.

by Martina Edebor, Publisher