Early Years
A child of impact and destiny was born on February 24, 1969, at Korle Bu Hospital in Accra, Ghana, the continent’s third-largest hospital.
She was given the names Mercy, Nkechinyere (the child that God gave us), and Adjua-Mansah (a Ghanaian name for a child born on Monday); she would grow up to become one of the most impactful women in her generation.
This is her amazing story.
Nkechinyere was the third girl born to her parents, the late Mr. Forster Chijioke and Mrs. Mercy Chijioke.
Her father worked at WAEC in Ghana during the Nigerian civil war years and later became a senior deputy director at the same organization before retiring from active service.
She was brought up in a close-knit Christian family where the values of integrity, humility, and a strong value for education were instilled in her at an early age.
Nkechi was a toddler by the time the family moved from Ghana to Sierra Leone in 1970 and then back to Lagos, Nigeria, in April 1971. The family lived in the suburbs of Surulere and later on in the Ikeja area of Lagos. From an early age, Nkechi was a boisterous tomboy. One of her earliest memories was learning to ride a bicycle and climbing the guava tree at the back of the house in Anifowose Close, Surulere.
The children were immersed in a rich learning environment from the get-go. Both parents were educators, and they prioritized academics
Champion of Faith – Pastor Nkechi Ene (1969-2025)
and discipline in bringing up their children. For example, Nkechi’s father made a habit of buying mostly books as gifts for his children whenever he travelled out of the country on official assignments.
The “Whizz kid”-Genius-level academic performance
Nkechi was an exceptional child from birth, exhibiting outstanding brilliance, razor-sharp focus, and leadership. Her brilliance, confidence, and bold attitude were already being noticed by the time the family settled in Nigeria. From the moment she stepped into kindergarten right up to graduation with a degree in electronics engineering, Nkechi was at the top of every single class, delivering near-perfect academic scores, confounding her teachers, impressing her professors, and leading her peers.
In the early 1970s, the American International School (AIS) in Lagos offered five brilliant Nigerian children, who were not older than five years old, the opportunity to participate in competitive scholarship awards to study at the school each year. Her elder sister, Uzoamaka, took the exam and passed. Nkechi insisted on taking the same exam and was also accepted into the school. Nkechi and her sister went to attend AIS on scholarship.
However, after only one year at AIS, Nkechi’s father withdrew both children to attend the University of Lagos Staff School, where their mother was a teacher. She completed her primary education at the university staff school.
Nkechi was not only an intelligent and engaging child but was also associated with leadership at an early age. She was chosen as part of a select group of children who presented kola nuts to top dignitaries, including Nigeria’s president, Olusegun Obasanjo, at the Second World Black and African Festival of Arts and Culture, FESTAC ’77, held in Lagos, Nigeria, from January 1977.
She achieved the first position in the National Common Entrance Examination and was admitted into Queen’s College (QC), Lagos, in 1980.
Right from class one at QC, Nkechi’s academic prowess was recognized. She was the best-performing student in Form IV and was recognized at the school’s Founders’ Day, held on October 15, 1982, with Dr. Alex Ekwueme, Nigeria’s vice president at the time, as the special guest of honour. The same trend continued throughout her time at QC, culminating in her graduation with 9 As, as the best- performing female student in Nigeria in the WAEC GCE Ordinary Level Examination in 1985-a testament to her remarkable intellect and discipline.
For this achievement, Nkechi won the coveted Omo N’Oba Erediauwa Trophy, presented to the school that produced the best female candidate for the GCE O/L examination conducted in 1985.
All national newspapers and TV stations reported the achievement, and Nkechi was called “the whizz kid”. She was invited to Kaduna, where she was presented with the trophy.
From Queen’s College, Nkechi gained admission to the University of Nigeria (UNN), Nsukka, to study electronics engineering. She was one of only two ladies in her engineering class. She again excelled in academics and leadership, graduating with first-class honours in electronics engineering. She swept all the departmental, faculty of engineering, and university prizes for the best graduating student in various categories.
At UNN, Nkechi was principled and courageous, as illustrated by an incident where she intervened and boldly scolded a known cult member who was openly harassing ladies in her presence. This action exposed her to potential retaliation. However, her forthrightness emboldened her other classmates to rally and protect her from any harm.
It was at UNN that Pastor Nkechi gave her life to Christ and was an active member of the Abiding Word Fellowship on campus.
In the words of her classmates, the electronics engineering class of 1990 (1985-1990) at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria, “Nkechi was a force, vocal when the moment demanded courage, yet wise enough to wield influence with quiet strength. In lecture halls and group projects, she stood out-not just for her brilliance, but for her ability to bring people together. She understood that leadership wasn’t about volume, but vision. And she had plenty of both. Her work ethic was unmatched. Whether in academic pursuits or departmental activities, she gave her best and inspired the rest of us. She had a gift for making others feel seen, heard, and valued. Her presence was gracious, not because she sought attention, but because she gave it so generously.”
Marriage and Family Life
Nkechi met her future husband, Emeka, while she was an intern with the international oilfield services company, Schlumberger. He was a senior engineer with the same company, and they both fell in love, sharing so many things and interests in common. They both got married on May 9, 1992, in Lagos, Nigeria. Nkechi could only secure a break of less than two weeks from her assignment as a field engineer in Tunisia. She returned to the country a few days before the wedding, having been involved in the planning and arrangements remotely. (This was before cell phones existed.) There was barely enough time for a one-week honeymoon before she travelled back to work.
Due to their busy and intense schedules in the oilfield, Emeka and Nkechi chose to start their family three years later when their first daughter, Zoe, was born. Chloe was born three years later. They also adopted two daughters, Tracy and Osinachi, who together formed a close and loving family. Tracy and Osi are now happily married to their spouses, Ikiaebi and Dormene. Emeka and Nkechi now have a bevy of nine wonderful grandchildren.
Nkechi was a dedicated and passionate woman who elevated multitasking to an exceptional level as a loving wife, mother, and full- time minister.
Examples of love for family abound. She started a family tradition called “Monday Special”, which lasted several years while the children were growing up. This involved surprising the family with mouth- watering surprise dinners every Monday evening. There were “Friday treats” from school, and calling the girls daily while they were away at boarding school and university. Despite her busy schedule, Pastor Nkechi made it a priority to take family vacation time every year to spend quality time with her family.
She was an excellent cook and mentored several ladies and support staff over the years, who were considered integral parts of the Ene family, including Clementina, Chisom, Sunmi, Dinchi, Daniel, and Benjamin.
Oilfield Preparation Phase
Pastor Nkechi’s first exposure to the oil industry was in 1988 when she worked as an intern engineer with Schlumberger in their Warri base.
In 1990, following her graduation from UNN, Nkechi was assigned to serve her national service (NYSC) with Schlumberger, this time as part of their Port Harcourt operations.
At the end of the NYSC assignment, Nkechi was recruited by the same company as a trainee field engineer in 1990 and was initially posted to
the company’s field engineer training center located in Parma, Italy, for an intensive 3-month bootcamp training program along with other engineers recruited from the world’s best universities. She finished at the top of the highly competitive program, making such an impact that a local Italian newspaper heard the story of her achievement at the Schlumberger school and wanted to interview the slim black girl from Nigeria who spectacularly emerged as the best engineer at the training center that year.
Nkechi was posted to the company’s operations located in the city of Sfax, Tunisia. She was assigned to a client’s base in a desert location, five hundred kilometers from Sfax. She was the only woman in the entire remote facility among over five hundred men.
In 1992, Emeka requested a transfer to Tunisia rather than accepting a job assignment in Southeast Asia. At last, the couple was finally living together in the same house, although Emeka was assigned to a project offshore while Nkechi worked remotely, hundreds of kilometers deep in the Sahara desert. They were the only other engineering couple in the entire Schlumberger world.
Many years later, Pastor Nkechi considered the work ethic, drive, and attention to detail demanded by Oilfield operations in this phase of her life as invaluable preparation for ministry work.
The Oildata Journey
In 1993, Nkechi and Emeka resigned from the company to return to Nigeria and pursue the vision of starting the pioneer African oilfield well intervention company, Oildata. This was a period in the Nigerian oil industry when the concept of “local content” was not yet a buzzword. The fledgling company competed head-on successfully against large, established multinational companies. During this start- up period, Nkechi served as the field service manager for the new company, while her husband, Emeka, was the only field engineer operating offshore with a motley crew on the only contract the company had secured. The company experienced several miraculous interventions and breakthroughs as it continued to grow and expand against all odds. While the couple put their head down to grow the company, Nkechi and her husband also served as active members of the Royal Evangel church, Port Harcourt, Nigeria, which was founded by Pastor Charles Omofomah in 1990. (Royal Evangel church later became known as The Carpenter’s church).
Answering the Call to Ministry
In Pastor Nkechi’s words, “My life changed in 1990, the first day I stepped into the little nursery classroom that housed the then Royal Evangel Church (REC), which later became The Carpenter’s Church. I saw the founding pastor, Pastor Charles Omofomah lead the few other believers on their knees with hands and faces raised up in worship…”
This destiny encounter took place in a small nursery classroom at the Christian Council Centre, located in the Elekahia area of Port Harcourt, Nigeria, marking the beginning of Pastor Nkechi’s life of purpose and ministry. At the time, the congregation comprised only five people.
From that classroom, REC moved in 1991 to the parlour of the home of a Ghanaian member of the church, Brother Tagoe. In 1992, REC relocated to the St John’s Anglican Church premises and held services in the same building where the Anglican congregation had held their services on Sunday mornings. In the same year, REC had to relocate to one of the classrooms on the St John’s campus and experienced its first phase of growth, reaching a congregation size of between 50 and 70 on Sunday mornings.
REC experienced its second phase of explosive growth in 1995 after the church moved from St John’s to Effbee Hall, a multipurpose hall and former cinema, complete with padded walls and end-to-end carpeting.
Pastor Nkechi and her husband, Emeka, were active members of the church during those early stages of growth. From 1993, when they returned to Nigeria, sister Nkechi, as she was fondly known back then, worked in virtually all the departments in the church. She was a bona fide member of the New Wine Choir and the praise and worship team. She also served as an ad hoc usher on Sunday mornings. Sister Nkechi even joined the young children’s Sunday school, helping to care for babies and young children while their parents attended church services. Additionally, she was part of the two-person tape duplication team. Utilizing an old double-cassette player, the team stayed up all night to duplicate the tapes of messages preached in church, one 90- minute tape at a time. So, in the evening, after the church service, Sister Nkechi joined in duplicating tapes overnight so that there would be enough to share by the next Sunday service.
Sister Nkechi frequently accompanied her husband on trips to Benin to select and purchase books from the Church of God Mission bookstore, which stocked the REC library and bookshop.
She was a roving one-woman evangelism team who was on overdrive when it came to preaching the gospel at every opportunity and inviting people to come to church. Sunday after Sunday, it was commonplace for 100% of the newcomers to respond that they had been invited by Sister Nkechi when asked how they came to church.
Sister Nkechi, during her break time from work, would routinely go out to the nearest bus stop without changing her coveralls to boldly preach the gospel to anyone who passed by. Her zeal and passion for the things of God even led to complaints from a few church members who felt disgruntled that she was working too hard and was involved in too many church activities.
Pastor Nkechi started to feel strongly about God’s call over her life soon after returning to Nigeria with her husband. As the call began to consume her, she shared her thoughts with her pastor, Pastor Charles. He recognized God’s call on her life within a few weeks of her coming to the Royal Evangel Church, but only shared his observation with a close friend of his. Pastor Charles counseled Sister Nkechi to continue diligently working at her secular job until her husband, Emeka, was ready to support her call.
In 1993, at the anniversary program of REC, then known as Royal Banquet, God again confirmed the call through a prophecy given by the visiting minister, Reverend Phillip Mokunga of the Oasis of Love Ministry in Jos, Nigeria. He called out Sister Nkechi and her husband, prophesying that God was calling her into full-time ministry, and that it would come at a great cost, but it would be rewarding. He said:
“One of you has a part in ministry.
It is going to cost you
It is going to cost you a lot
But it is going to pay you greatly
Your heart is to the Lord
The Lord has been seeing you
Eventually, one of you or both of you
Will have to resign whatever you are doing
To go full-time
I see that your wife will be the one
By the Spirit of God
Both of you stand up
Thank you, Jesus
Again, whatever God has asked you to do He is going to give you everything you need…
He is going to give you everything you need”
It’s His will
It’s His will…”
He went on to prophesy that she would be a “mother-in-Israel” to the body of Christ, a prophecy that materialized during Pastor Nkechi’s lifetime.
Two years later, in 1995, Pastor Nkechi Ene was ordained as a minister of the Lord Jesus Christ by Pastor Charles Omofomah. Pastor Kech became the associate pastor of REC, which was later renamed The Carpenter’s Church. Together, they spent months studying and praying to lay the foundation and structure for the ministry’s growth.
By 1997, REC was running two full services on Sundays at the EffBee hall, until the word of the Lord came to the church, saying, “You have stayed too long on this mountain” (Deuteronomy 1:5-8).
Following a sequence of events and divine invention, the EffBee hall landlord refused to renew the rent for the facility. Pastor Charles and Pastor Nkechi led the congregation to the Promised Land of the church’s permanent site, which was aptly named “Greenville”.
However, the move to Greenville came with a major setback in the church. The imported tent, intended to serve as the meeting place for the church until the proposed 6,000-seater auditorium was completed, had not yet been cleared by customs due to unauthorized payment demands. Pastor Charles was uncompromising in refusing to pay any bribes.
The first Sunday service held in Greenville took place on the first Sunday of 1999, conducted under the open heavens with no structure over the congregation.
For the following six months, there was no interruption of any Sunday service due to rainfall. This was a miracle considering that this period was the rainy season in Port Harcourt, Nigeria.
The church eventually received favour from a senior customs official and clearing agent, who cleared and delivered the tent without any bribes being paid. However, over this period, the church congregation had depleted to as low as 100 people, and the slow rebuilding process had to commence in earnest.
Over the next decade, the growth and expansion of the ministry continued with outreaches such as Freshdew television program (freshdew.tv) anchored by Pastor Nkechi, Brokenwall healing school, Ekklesia: School of local church (Ekklesia school.org), Ready writer Publishing house, Jubilee Prison outreach ministry, Scarlet thread home for ladies, and Zamar records.
On February 27, 2013, Pastor Charles Omofomah, the founding Pastor, went to be with the Lord.
This was a season of turmoil and fresh challenges for the church. However, the solid foundation and structure built through the years of prayer and godly wisdom by Pastor Charles and Pastor Nkechi helped overcome the potential crisis of transition and protect the congregation.
Ministry Milestones
Pastor Nkechi stepped confidently into Pastor Charles’s shoes as the presiding pastor of The Carpenter’s Church in 2013.
She was an anointed woman of God operating in what was essentially a man’s world, breaking all stereotypes. God had prepared her for this role right from her engineering class at UNN, where she was one of the few female students in the faculty of engineering, and also in her stellar career in the oil industry.
She faced a backlash from a few individuals and reactions from some of Pastor Charles’ friends because the structure of succession at TCC did not fit into the traditional mould. A few of these individuals eventually left the church, but she persevered, recognizing that she had the responsibility to care for God’s sheep, building upon the foundation and processes that Pastor Charles and she had laid, with the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
This marked a turning point for the ministry as it entered the fifth phase of explosive growth. Over the next twelve years, Pastor Nkechi rebuilt and expanded the church’s reach in several innovative ways.
The building that houses Ekklesia: School of Local Church was completed and dedicated in memory of Pastor Charles in March 2013. In 2022, the school initiated an expansion to an online platform, thereby offering quality ministerial and spiritual training to a wider audience.
In July 2013, significant expansion took place in an awesome measure as the church acquired more plots, expanding Greenville. As Pastor Nkechi put it, “God visited us with extreme manifestation of His grace to reassure us that our foundation was solid, and He will never leave us nor forsake us”. Around that same time, by some prophetic steps and dancing with the Holy Spirit, the land across Greenville, which had been in contention for decades, was purchased by the Ministry to the glory of God.
The year following, 2014, Pastor Charles’ transition marked a New Day in the ministry with “Better Things” continuing to stay. On January 5, 2014, Pastor Nkechi appointed Pastor Sola Akinwale as her associate pastor.
In 2017, an opportunity to purchase a building adjacent to Greenville arose, and the Ministry acquired and renovated the building, which is now the ministry’s office. On December 12, 2017, the new office complex was dedicated to the glory of God. Pastor Charles’ prophecy that we would swallow up the land around us like the serpent-rod of Aaron swallowed the serpent-rods of the Egyptian magicians.
The construction of a 6,000-seater Auditorium is a vision born in the heart of Pastor Charles decades ago. He used to speak about a building with no internal pillars at all at a time when space frame technology was virtually non-existent or unknown. After Pastor Charles’ homegoing, she inherited the 6,000-seater auditorium project at the foundation level and proceeded to complete the foundation works, build the auditorium galleries, and install the superstructure, including the roof beam. The roof structure is currently being installed. She reassured the church that rather than get discouraged at the chronos time, we are grateful for the kairos seasons that create opportunities to birth something new. In a new kairos season of exceedingly much more, and the ROOF IS UP!
In Discovering Treasures 2020, Pastor Nkechi announced the opening of a campus in Abuja. In early 2020, meetings began online for months. In November 2020, the Abuja Campus was formally inaugurated. Though initially besieged with challenges, the church has persevered, grown, and is “a home away from home”.
Pastor Charles often said that a ministry that was not outreach- oriented would die. In staying true to this, she completely transformed the Jubilee Prison Ministries. In 2017, alternate monthly outreaches to both inmates and warders at Ahoada and Degema correctional facilities. This was in addition to the monthly visit to the Port Harcourt correctional facility.
TCC purchased generators for these correctional centres, renovated bathrooms, and assisted in securing the release of inmates who had been unfairly incarcerated through the free services of a dedicated legal team. Several prisoners have been freed through this program. In 2016, an annual medical outreach was introduced in PH prisons, with thousands of inmates being saved, healed, fed with meals, and receiving free medical care.
Zamar Records successfully launched a music album featuring selected songs from the New Wine choir during this period. Pastor Nkechi provided leadership as the President/Director of Studies and later as President/Director of School, expanding the number of programs at the Ekklesia: School of Local Church and graduating successive sets of full-time ministers of the gospel as well as laity.
She relocated and expanded the Scarlet Thread Home for Ladies, which continues to rescue and rehabilitate ladies from the streets. Some of these ladies come into the home with their children, who are automatically placed on scholarships. The ladies themselves are trained academically or learn skilled trades such as Fashion design, catering, and business.
Pastor Nkechi was a spiritual “father” and pastor to many pastors, not just TCC pastors. She provided oversight, exemplary leadership, and spiritual mentorship for ministers God brought under her wings. In response to the call to provide mentorship and guidance for ministers who desire to fulfill the call of God on their lives with excellence and grace, she founded The Diakonos Club (TDC), an exclusive club for ministers. The vision of The Diakonos Club is to create a community of clergy ministers of like precious faith who sharpen each other and serve the kingdom in integrity with the graces given to them by God for His people. Two meetings that foster this are the Ministers’ Forum in February and the Ministers’ Conference, which is held in September. Ministers receive renewal, refreshing, and a reset during these meetings.
The first meeting of The Diakonos Club was held on Saturday, February 8, 2020, with only a few pastors and ministers in attendance. The TDC experienced rapid growth over the years, with over 75 pastors and ministers in attendance at its last meeting, held on September 11, 2025.
Pastor Nkechi expanded the reach of the Freshdew TV program beyond Nigeria’s borders and launched the Freshdew Faith Feast (FFF) world program, which has been running for three years in Benin City, Nigeria. FFF expanded to Manchester in the UK and, in October 2025, to Toronto, Canada.
In December 2019, Pastor was instructed by God to begin an e-church. Thank God for her obedience; this invaluable resource was instrumental during the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020, enabling the church to stream live services and participate in other ministry services available. When fully operational, it will be a comprehensive e-Church without borders, where believers can be fully nourished. The online church with an active social media presence for both the church and the ministry.
Birth of Generation Shift. In May 2021, Generation Shift: a Bible Study Club for young people between 20 and 30 years began with the purpose of preparing the next generation for the move of God and positioning them for what God has in store for their future. Once a month, hundreds of young people gather for rich, engaging, and edifying discussions on Scripture in a relaxed and friendly environment. This ministry has experienced tremendous growth and is a manifestation of God’s work among young people. Generation Shift also runs in TCC Abuja. The creation of Generation Shift has transformed TCC completely into a multi-generational church with age-based streams running from toddlers to The Children’s Church (TC Cubs), The Teen Church (TCTC), Generation Shift, and, of course, the Adult Church, which includes the online e-church.
Even when faced with all these major projects, Pastor Nkechi boldly went ahead and commissioned multimedia facilities and LED screens in the existing tent auditorium, as well as air conditioning for the auditorium.
A Legacy of the Word
Pastor Nkechi once prophesied, “The Word is all you need”. True to that word, she did all within her power to have a congregation nourished with the Word. It was her objective to “cut the umbilical cord”. When testimonies were shared in church, her joy knew no bounds when members testified of how the Word they had been taught worked for them. This gave her more pleasure than someone testifying to receiving a miracle after she prayed for it. The following are the means through which Pastor Nkechi ensured a total immersion of the Word.
•Spoudazo: The mobile App of The Carpenter’s Ministry contains thousands of messages from Pastor Charles Omofomah, Pastor Nkechi Ene, Pastor Sola Akinwale, and other ministers of God. This App was launched in 2021 and is available on the Google Play Store; it will be released on iOS shortly.
•Machaira Moments: In 2018, the Lord led Pastor Nkechi to begin teaching seminars that emphasized some basic, foundational teachings of the faith. Machaira Moments: A Two-Edged Sword Teaching Seminar was born. Since its inception, subjects such as faith, Prayer, New Creation, Righteousness, and Being Led by the Spirit of God have been taught by sound teachers of the Word of God. •Homologeo: In 2021, a period of confessing the Word of God on certain subjects was incorporated into the service. At the beginning of each Sunday, members homologeo – which means saying the same thing as God, knowing they will have what they say. This is a faith practice that trains them to speak the Word of God to themselves and situations in their own lives.
•Healing Services: The healing services hosted by Pastor Nkechi, held periodically, follow the pattern of Jesus’ healing ministry in Matthew 4:23-24, which includes teaching, preaching, and healing. The Word is given the first place, and healing is ministered in faith and by the gifts of the Spirit. Countless testimonies of healings have emerged from these healing services, including the conception and birth of children.
A Culture of Scriptural Prayer
Pastor Kech was particular about building a culture of true scriptural prayer in every area of the ministry. She abhorred the magical and even superstitious approach to prayer that has plagued the body of Christ. In furtherance of developing a culture of prayer, in addition to the Tuesday prayer meeting and the Chuch’s prayer squad, the following avenues were developed:
• Keeping by the Holy Ghost: Every first Saturday of the month, church members come together to pray. These prayer meetings, which began in 2018, triggered a revival of prayer in the church and continue to be a time when the church prays to our Father, who hears us and answers us always.
• Upholding the Generational Shift Prayer Hour: These are prayers that began on October 23, 2020, when the nation was reeling from the aftermath of the End-SARS riots and demonstrations across the country. Pastor Nkechi discerned that change was imminent in our nation and that we were at a threshold of change. This was also in fulfillment of a prophetic message she preached on the 4th of October titled: Nigeria at 60: We are Ready for a Generational Change.
• In the spirit of the moment, the Upholding the Generational Shift Prayer Hour was born. At its inception, prayers were held daily, then weekly. It subsequently became once a month. There were also occasions that demanded intensified weekly prayers, a divine intervention in Nigeria. God is answering our prayers right before us. •Leaders’ Prayer Meeting: Every first Tuesday of the month at 6:00a.m., all leaders come online to pray together. •Pastors’ Prayer Meetings: Pastor Nkechi’s desire was to raise up pastors who were deeply spiritual and knew that the work of the ministry must be powered through effectual prayer. Thus, every Tuesday morning, all pastors meet to pray for about two hours. Prayers range from church members, projects, programs, pastors, and the plan of God for the ministry.
• Prayer Boot Camp: Pastor started this forum for specially selected members who wanted to deepen their prayer experience and enjoy the attendant benefits of persevering in prayer. Prayers went on for hours. Many testified that they hadn’t enjoyed the depth of intimacy and the length of time in prayer that they experienced in the boot camp.
• According to the Prophetic Word Prayer Meetings, This special prayer meeting, which began in October 2023, focused on praying on prophetic words the church has received from the Lord. It is one thing to receive a word from the Lord; it is another thing to birth the plan of God in the place of prayer. This meeting focuses on accomplishing just that. Since its inception, the church meets at the beginning of the year to pray upon the prophetic word, thereby accomplishing the will of God.
Freshdew – Preaching to the Nations
In 1997 and early 1998, Pastor Cee spoke with Pastor Nkechi about going on television. This was unusual among Pentecostal churches for a presiding Pastor to nominate his associate pastor to start a TV ministry.
The Freshdew television program, anchored by Pastor Nkechi Ene, was first aired on April 4, 1998, on ITV Benin at 7:30 a.m. and also on RSTV Port Harcourt, Nigeria, at an early morning time.
This was the beginning of a multi-generational, life-changing process for so many. The program was aired just before the Cadbury’s Children’s Show on television, and in the years to come, children and teenagers grew up watching Freshdew. Many of these children have since become active in ministry and business, building on the seeds sown by Freshdew so many years ago.
Between the inaugural airing of Freshdew in April 1998 and her last appearance at the Freshdew Faith Feast in Toronto, Canada, Pastor Nkechi Ene recorded 1,752 episodes of the program, reaching millions of viewers and followers worldwide with the powerful word of faith and hope on multimedia platforms and terrestrial television stations. Pastor Nkechi was one of the few women ministers on television at the time, representing a fresh and anointed face, preaching the word of faith with power and simplicity.
Freshdew expanded from ITV Benin to AIT Kaduna on Saturdays, CRBC Calabar, and NTA Abuja every Sunday.
The program expanded to Faith TV on DSTV channel 341 and GoTV channel 80 every Monday evening. The program reach expanded to daily airings on Faith TV for several years. However, with the advent of social media and streaming services, Pastor Nkechi refocused attention on distributing Freshdew content across multiple online platforms, while retaining select terrestrial TV and radio stations.
Freshdew TV is currently broadcasting a daily channel online, on YouTube, Facebook Live, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter), via the official website, freshdew.tv, and the radio station, Rhythm FM in Port Harcourt, Podcasts on Spotify and Audio Rhema.
A Miraculous Life of Healing
Working long and arduous hours as the associate pastor of TCC and the director of studies of the ministry’s Ekklesia: School of Local
Church, responsibility for the ongoing church building project, hosting the Freshdew television program which was now expanding into the countries of West Africa, preaching in and outside church, by 2012, Pastor Nkechi experienced a breakdown and attacks on her health which was to subsequently define and bring into focus her message of faith and hope in a direct and inspiring manner in the coming decade.
In the coming months and years, she had one miracle after another, continually declaring the healing grace of God over her life even when the best doctors had few answers. She continued to teach and walk through these challenges, anchored in her faith without wavering. In a transparent, practical, and forthright manner, she kept giving all glory to God. She shared her testimonies at every opportunity, inspiring thousands of people of all faiths from around the world. In her personal life, she experienced healings and victories in her health, as well as several miracles of provision and answered prayers. Her ministry was packed full of testimonies of divine healing, mothers receiving babies after many years of being written off as barren, deliverance from diverse situations, and breakthroughs from terminal conditions, etc.
The Ministry of a Prophet
Pastor Nkechi carried a very strong and unique prophetic grace. This was expressed in her teaching ministry. She taught the Word prophetically, and in the latter years of her ministry, this became more evident. Revelation and prophetic manifestations often accompanied the teaching and preaching of the Word.
Receiving and delivering the prophetic word for the year was also a feature of this prophetic role. Pastor Nkechi took this very seriously and would shut down to pray and focus on hearing from heaven. It was not enough to have a “good word”; what was important to her was delivering “the word” for the season. These prophetic words, when put together, served as the “prophetic compass” for the ministry: individually and corporately.
Another expression of her calling as a prophet can be seen in the prophecy of the explosion of babies in TCC. At a service several years ago, Pastor Nkechi prophetically declared that babies are scattering in TCC. Since then, there has been an explosion in conception and the birth of babies. Many couples who had been trusting God for children have received supernatural miracles of conception, successful pregnancies, and the birth of children. Couples who have been married for as long as 15 years delivered babies in fulfillment of God’s Word through His servant.
A Prophet to the Nation
Pastor Nkechi used each occasion of Nigeria’s Independence Day celebrations to send prophetic epistles of hope, vision, and admonition. Her bold messages remain powerful, relevant, and shall continually serve as a blueprint for the generation of leaders and followers in the years to come-
• October 2011 – NIGERIA @51: AND YOU SHALL KNOW THE TRUTH
“Somebody can be in bondage and not know they are in bondage, or realize the actual thing that holds them bound, and you cannot be set free from something you have no idea of. Nigerians must know what bondage they are in and how to come out of it!”
• October 2012 – NIGERIA @ 52: IT IS TIME FOR JEHOVAH REHOBOTH
Rehoboth means to broaden, make room, and enlarge. God has planted us wherever we are, and as long as it’s God who planted you, there are wide open spaces available for you. To experience this, we must remember that God remembers covenants. We must be ready for a paradigm shift. We must give God something to work with – put our faith to work and realize that since opposition does not stop Jehovah Rehoboth, it should not stop you either.
• October 2013 – MEDIOCRITY: NIGERIA’S GENERATIONAL CURSE
Using sadly practical examples, she showed how mediocrity, a generational curse in our nation, is entrenched and even celebrated in the country. She then demonstrates how the cure for mediocrity begins with the Body of Christ, highlighting the role she is to play in overcoming this curse.
• October 2014 NIGERIA: THEY WILL CHANGE THEIR MINDS ABOUT YOU
“When the name Nigeria is mentioned, the first thing that comes to your mind is negative. For many years, people have expected our nation to implode because there are nations that experienced just a fraction of what we have and have fallen apart completely, while we are still standing despite the rising issues of insurgency, terrorism, and kidnapping. There will be a revival that will cause a change of mind in us and the opinion of people about us.”
• October 2015-CATALYSTS FOR CHANGE IN OUR NATION
“Like Israel in 2 Kings 7:3, Nigeria is in chaos, and this signifies that change is coming, like in Gen 1: tohu va bohu; divine change, not political. Prophets must speak. Experts must align. Unlikely vessels must arise. We are catalysts for change. Nigeria is blessed, great, powerful, and unstoppable.”
• October 2016 – NIGERIA @ 56: DO NOT BE AFRAID, ONLY BELIEVE
This message prophetically draws parallels between the state of our nation today and Jairus’s daughter, who died and was raised back to life. She declared that in the face of despair, depression among the populace, the word of the Lord to us is: “Do not be afraid, only believe”.
• October 2017 – NIGERIA @57: WHERE IS OUR CONSCIENCE
“Conscience in Nigeria is largely absent, as perpetrators and spectators of injustice seem to have no conscience whatsoever. There seems to be no valid, valuable voice of conscience in Nigeria anymore, as the line between what is right and wrong, acceptable and unacceptable, hardly exists for a majority of Nigerians. And the Nigerian church, which ought to be the voice of conscience, upholding eternal truth as the standard of conscience, unfortunately, is lost and muted. A country without a conscience cannot move forward”.
• October 2018 – NIGERIA @58: WE WILL PRESS ON
“Nigeria has an inheritance in Christ because we are here. Purpose is tied to location. Purpose is fulfilled in excellence. Excellence will affect our location. We must take stock of our current position. Refuse to be limited by past experiences and stereotypes – refuse mediocrity, break free from corruption, and embrace excellence. We must resolve to Press forward and attain the prize-stretch beyond comfort and shape a righteous, excellent nation”.
• October 2019 – NIGERIA @59: WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOUR WATCHMEN ARE ASLEEP
Using Isaiah 56:9-12, Pastor Nkechi shared that the characteristics of the watchmen are: Blind, ignorant, lovers of slumber, and greedy. She shared from Jeremiah 1:1-19 that what must be done are: answer the call; do not despise your youth; stay within your sphere of influence; watch your mouth, and do not be intimidated.
• October 2020 NIGERIA @60: WE ARE OVERDUE FOR A GENERATIONAL SHIFT
“It is time for us to have a generational shift. A good father (like Abraham and Isaac) makes plans for the next generation, but it seems like the only inheritance that the old generation has given us is debt. Facts from the Debt Management Office in Nigeria reveal that we
have been enslaved, for debt is slavery (2 Kings 4:1). The old generation must empower the new, let go of the steering wheel, and be held accountable”.
• October 2021-EXPOSING FIVE TRUTHS ABOUT CORRUPTION
“Corruption has no colour – Just as there are many shades of colour on our skin, so too are there many shades of corruption. Corruption has no culture – No culture or ethnic group has the exclusive preserve to corruption. Some may be bold about it, others cunning and subtle. Corruption has no conscience. Corruption resists codes – When corruption is stronger than laws and regulations, it resists those codes, and the laws break down, allowing corruption to continue thriving. Corruption has a cure – This church is the cure – through conversion, conduct, and courage”.
• October 2022 – WHEN STRUCTURES AND SYSTEMS FAIL
“This message uses biblical examples of political structures and systems to reflect the political structures and systems in Nigeria, highlighting principles that will cause God’s glory to be revealed even within failed systems and structures”.
• October 2023 – NIGERIA @63: BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD
“The word of the Lord to us as a nation is: Be still. Nigeria is in big trouble as people have lost confidence in all the systems: economic, educational, electoral, healthcare, judiciary, security, and everything. However, as a nation, we must recognize what is rightfully ours as citizens, and trust that God remains faithful to bring a divine intervention to deliver us from the mess”.
• October 2024 – NIGERIA @64: IS OUR RESURRECTION POSSIBLE?
“In the message, Pastor taught that God is not in denial about the valley of dry bones. Any hope of resurrection for the nation lies in the agreement between the church and God – the church must speak in agreement in line with God about the nation? There are two significant things about the nation: There was a commotion, and it started in stages. There is still room for the God-factor-It is God’s Spirit that gives the breath”.
• October 2025 – NIGERIA@65: WHERE IS THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST?
“This message is aimed at the church in our nation with the hope that she takes her rightful place, knowing that until the church of Jesus Christ in Nigeria solves her internal problems (especially as it relates to the relationships between the different generations in the church) and holds her leaders accountable for their behaviour, these leaders will not change from the reckless ways that have become symptomatic of the Nigerian existence.”
Accomplished Author
Beyond service, sacrifice, and leadership, one of Pastor Nkechi’s greatest legacies is the many books she wrote during her lifetime. All her books were published by the Ready Writer Publishing House, the ministry’s publishing arm. An accomplished and anointed author, Pastor Nkechi’s simple yet profound teaching style is conveyed in the several books she has written, which apply spiritual concepts to everyday living through practical examples and powerful testimonies from her personal life.
Her books on faith include “My Faith Like My Father’s”, published in 2025, which teaches about God’s faith in a simple way, drawing from Romans 4 and Pastor Nkechi’s own life experiences. “Overcoming A Huge Task By Faith” is a mini book that focuses on the principles of overcoming challenges through faith.
Her book on spiritual living, “Dancing with Your Spirit – Being Led By The Holy Spirit”, provides guidance on how to be led by the Holy Spirit. “Dancing With Your Spirit (volumes 1 and 2)” are collections of poems. “As He Is, So Are We examines the significance of Apostle John’s message in 1 John 4:17, which emphasizes how believers are empowered, just as Christ is, and are called to live with boldness and confidence in this world because they are in Christ. “Now It Is Time To Take Your Medicine”, emphasizing the importance of taking “medicine” (God’s Word) to receive and maintain divine healing.
Pastor Nkechi’s books on mindset include “Watch Your Mouth”, a book that focuses on controlling what you say. Pastor Nkechi, in her incisive and in-depth style, shows the power in God’s words and how God put this same power in the words of man when He gave man the authority to dominate. “No Fear Here”, published in 2019, teaches that fear is a spirit and provides a path to living a fear-free life. “The Faces of the Killer” addresses the different aspects and characteristics of things that can “kill” or destroy.
Pastor Kech’s first posthumous book, “Faith Unleashed – Unlocking the Power of God”, draws insights from a well-known faith text from Mark 11 in the Bible. She presents ten beautiful nuggets of faith that the Lord taught to His disciples. These lessons lucidly show the child of God that the God-kind of faith, when unleashed, unlocks the power of God. Anyone can express faith and see the results. “Faith Unleashed” is based on the last two messages she preached at the Freshdew Faith Feast held in Toronto, Canada, on Friday, October 17, and Saturday, October 18, 2025, only eleven days before she went to be with the Lord.
A Sense of Urgency to Preach God’s Word
Following Pastor Nkechi’s prophetic message in 2020 on “Generation Shift” with the core message that a successful generational shift is not just about the new generation taking over, but requires the active participation and support of the previous generation, she began to speak in church in 2021 about a divine revelation regarding the opening of a new season of her ministry to the nations. Soon afterwards, Pastor Nkechi received a message from Pastor Poju Oyemade, the senior pastor of The Covenant Nation, whom she had never met before, to preach at the then-upcoming West African Believers’ Convention (WAFBEC) in January 2022. The conference became the platform that launched the next phase of her ministry, taking the word of faith message to the world.
Her first message at WAFBEC, titled “The generosity of God’s Mercy,” made an immediate and lasting impact that went viral and opened several opportunities in quick succession for Pastor Nkechi to minister God’s Word far and wide.
“Exceedingly Much More” is the theme for 2025 at The Carpenter’s Church, based on Ephesians 3:20. It was a message to the local assembly to make room for and expect more from God in their lives, believing in His capacity to provide abundantly.
The year started with the World Faith Believers Convention, WOFBEC (formerly, WAFBEC), where Pastor Nkechi preached powerfully in Lagos and Abuja on subsequent days in January. In February, she hosted the Discovering Treasures church program, the Diakonos Club Ministers Forum, and the graduation program for the Ekklesia Class of 2023. She then taught at the Ekklesia clergy intensives before taking a break for her birthday celebration in church on Sunday, 23rd February. (Her actual birthday is 24th February).
In March, Pastor Nkechi hosted the Machaira Moments program with Pastor Sola Akinwale. In April, it was time for the medical outreach of the Jubilee Prison ministry (a ministry arm of TCC) to the Port Harcourt correctional facilities.
Pastor Nkechi travelled to minister at the Supernatural Life Church in Abuja in May, followed by a church service at TCC Abuja. She then went to preach in Lagos on the 28th and 29th at the Logic Church. Freshdew Faith Feast Benin was on June 6 and 7. She took a breather on the 14th to attend a wedding and then hosted Reverend Emiko Amosika for Sunday service on June 15. Pastor Nkechi preached the healing service at TCC and conducted the Seed Week in the church from June 23 to 27. She then traveled to Abuja to host Apostle Faithman at TCC Abuja.
The first weekend of July was TCC’s 35th anniversary celebrations. The anniversary concert with Ada Ehi was held on Saturday, July 5. The Carpenter’s Table held on Sunday, July 6, featuring the ministry of the Word from Bishop Mon Igbinosa. Afterward, Pastor Nkechi headed off to preach at the IWOF convention in Lagos on Thursday, the 10th, and Friday, the 11th.
Pastor Nkechi took a break in August to travel with the family to Japan.
In September, she hosted The Diakonos Club Ministers’ Conference from September 11 to 13. After the conference, she hosted Reverend Simeon Afolabi at a TCC service on September 14. Reverend Afolabi was also one of the speakers at the Diakonos Club, Ministers’ Conference. After that meeting, she flew to Maryland, USA, to preach at the Just Us Girls Conference (USA).
Pastor Nkechi’s last message to the local assembly of The Carpenter’s Church was the Independence Day message titled “Nigeria @65: Where is the church of Jesus Christ?” This message, based on the story of the tragic encounter of the young prophet and the older prophet as captured in 1 Kings 13:11-34, was a charge to the body of Christ in Nigeria. She explored the state of the church in Nigeria, critically examining its role, challenges, and potential for transforming society. Her key message was that the church has not fully lived up to its calling as an “unconquerable, victorious” body due to internal divisions, lack of discipleship, and inconsistent spiritual practices.
In October, Pastor Nkechi hosted the TCC leaders’ retreat before traveling to Manchester for two glorious days of the Freshdew Faith Feast. She preached at a church after FFF before traveling the next day to Toronto, Canada, via London, for the Freshdew Faith Feast Toronto on the 17th and 18th October, 2025. Following the prophetic meetings in Toronto, Pastor Nkechi traveled to Winnipeg, Canada, for an international meeting, where she preached powerfully. She then traveled to Houston, Texas, for her last scheduled preaching meeting on October 23. Pastor Nkechi was looking forward to preaching at another program in Port Harcourt upon her return to Nigeria. She returned to Nigeria on October 28, exhausted after an extensive ministry journey that had traversed over 42,000 kilometres of air travel, crisscrossing three continents, and powerfully preaching the word of faith. She developed a health challenge later that evening and continued to declare God’s Word over her life.
She went home to rest with the Lord at 11:01 a.m. on Wednesday, October 29, 2025.
The life of Pastor Nkechinyere Adjua Mansah Ene was a living testimony, anointed with power, full of grace, humility in service, a go- getter, with a fulfilled purpose, a loving wife and mother, and an overflowing and compassionate heart.
Her spoken and written words are still alive and bearing much fruit, inspiring generations yet unborn, transforming lives, healing the broken-hearted, and setting captives free.
“After the trials,
After the tests.
After the tears,
After the tackles of my faith. You are my Reward.”
(Pastor Nkechi Ene from Dancing with your spirit Volume II, 2020, Ready Writer Publishing House)