Ebenezar Wikina: How Sunday School brought me out of my shell [NEXT]

by Ebenezar Wikina

“Good morning, Uncle Ebenezar”, “Happy New Year, Uncle Ebenezar”…, one by one they walked passed me and my grinning face to take their seat ready for the first Sunday School lesson of 2017. I’ve been attending Sunday school since I can remember. I’m not so sure how it is organized in other denominations, but in the Baptist church, Sunday school is a special one hour of teaching and study of the bible which takes place just before the Worship service. What’s the catch? Many people say it’s a waste of time; some even say it’s one of those activities orthodox churches use to prolong their services; but for me, that 1 hour every Sunday spent interacting with my peers, discussing issues relating to the bible, and lately (for the past 5 years) teaching 10-12 year olds, has been monumental in helping me align my life on the right path and grow out of my shell.

The Boy I was

I’m sure the shy-9-year-old boy I was wouldn’t even recognize this 24-year-old I am today. I could hardly say Hi to a seatmate sitting next to me, but now, some people even say I am a talkative. Interviewing dignitaries at the UN or even speaking at the World Economic Forum? (Haha) Who would have thought? I remember back then, when questions were asked during Sunday school, I will write the answers in my book but will never raise my hand. Until one day when my seatmate reported to my Sunday school teacher, Mr Okonny. “Ebenezar, you will teach the Sunday school lesson next week”, he told me. My heart went cold. As a fast talker, who stutters, and has stage fright; I didn’t know how my mouth will open that day. Maybe I will cry. Should I run away from home? I thought. Eventually I met with Mr Okonny for a preparatory class before that Sunday. He made it a conversation not a Q & A session—which is what I grew to adopt on “The Stroll Live”—and this helped to calm every nerve and dispel tension. Somehow that is how it all worked out for me. I survived that day, thankfully, and I enjoyed it. I wanted to do it again, and I actually taught a couple more times.

The moment that broke every bit of my shell came in 2002. I was innocently doing my class captain work, taking attendance and offering, when Mr Okonny walked up to me to say, “Ebenezar, children’s day is coming up soon. Meet Mummy Adeleke after service she will tell you something”. I was confused. Dr Mrs Martina Adeleke is the wife of our church pastor. Strict, no-nonsense mummy, that’s what we knew her as in Children church. After stuttering a few sentences when I saw her, she says, “Yes, good afternoon, you have been selected to preach on Children’s Sunday…. (At this point I’m thinking, okay no problem I have done it in Sunday school before. until she drops the bombshell) ….in the adult church”. She noticed my face changed. She hands me a notebook and quickly turns away so she wouldn’t symphatize with me. “See you on Tuesday!” She said.

When I look back at my life now, I feel like this is where my life changed. I don’t want to bore you with how I had to memorize Bible verses over and over. Practice my 1 hour message before Mummy Adeleke again and again and again—she’s a perfectionist! Sometimes I wanted to run away, but I learned work ethic, I learned patience, I learned respect. I learned the basic rules of Public Speaking generally, just by this exercise—and don’t forget I was the 10 year old kid who 1 year ago was too scared to say hi to his seat mate.

When the “preaching day” came, I had to climb a small stool just so that my head will show above the pulpit. Nobody responded to my altar call after the sermon; maybe they were too amused to see a kid preaching. But I came down from that stool a different person.

The Man I am becoming

On Children’s day 2016 I had to prepare Emmanuel and Medubari to take the announcements in church. A very sacred tradition in the Baptist church, and as they presented before the church, I just kept laughing. It felt very surreal. Emmanuel wasn’t tall enough so he had to climb the chair—just like me 14 years ago.

Today, January 8th, 2017, Mr Okonny sat at the back as I taught the Sunday school class his son, Odenodi, is now in. He’s the Supervising Deacon for the Children Ministry and has promised to come to class often. I was so happy to see him. The kids all clapped and whispered to each other when I told them, “Hey guys, do you know I also had a Sunday school teacher when I was your age in this church?” Mr Okonny was obviously excited to see another generation of teachers raised as he charged them to, “…always listen to Uncle Ebenezar, because someday you’ll be teaching like him…”

When people say stuff like, “You’re such a go-getter, you talk to anybody you want!” “You’re so bold!” “Omoh, you have access!”, etc. I often grin and downplay the answers because only my Sunday school teachers over a decade ago understand the real transformation that happened with this kid. I was in a shell but now I am free.


Ebenezar Wikina is a Mobile Journalist, Global Shaper, and Development Communications Expert whose experience in the media space is drawn from working in the public, private, and non-profit sectors respectively.

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