A Loving Tribute to My Teaching Priest — Pastor Nkechi Ene
“For a long season, Israel was without the true God, without a teaching priest to instruct and inspire them, and without law to
direct them.” — 2 Chronicles 15:3
There are people God places on the earth not merely to preach sermons, but to shape destinies — to teach, to train, and to turn
hearts toward Him. For me, that person was Pastor Nkechi Ene — my teaching priest, my pastor, and the woman who had the
greatest impact on my life as a Christian.
My first encounter with her ministry remains unforgettable. It was one quiet Saturday morning during my secondary school’s
midterm break in 1998. The television in our sitting room was on, tuned to RSTV Port Harcourt, though no one was watching. As
I walked in, she was concluding her teaching on Freshdew, and in that familiar tone full of reverence and intimacy with God, she
said, “Thank You Father for Your Word, thank You my Father for Your Word.”
In that moment, something divine happened. I felt the presence of God — strong, mighty, and tangible — filling that room. The
Spirit of God impressed upon my heart to, “Listen to this woman.” That was the beginning of a lifelong journey of connection,
discipleship, and transformation through her ministry.
From that day forward, I followed Freshdew faithfully. Before the popularity of cable TV (GOTV and Startimes), I would even
report to The Carpenter’s Church in Port Harcourt the Freshdew episodes aired on ITV Benin. Her teachings gave my family and
I inspiration and direction for life.
When she taught, the Word of God came alive — full of grace, clarity, and simplicity. Through her, I learned to see Scripture not
just as text but as life — spirit and truth intertwined. Her message series “Unveiling Psalm 91” so deeply marked me that, more
than two decades later, when my second son was born, we named him Elyon — inspired by that revelation.
As a family, we eagerly anticipated every edition of Freshdew Faith-Feast in Benin City. We were always blessed, always
transformed, and in the last edition, we were especially privileged to be invited to dinner with her — to sit with the one who had
been a voice, a mentor, and a gift from God to us for decades.
Pastor Nkechi was more than a preacher — she was a teaching priest sent to our generation. She taught us how to love the
Word, how to live by faith, how to stand firm in the truth, and how to walk in victory daily. She made the Word real.
From my teenage years till now, her ministry shaped my Christian walk, molded my convictions, and deepened my love for God.
Her life was a message — one of integrity, excellence, compassion, and unwavering devotion to Christ.
Though she has gone to be with the Lord, her voice still echoes — through every teaching, every revelation, and every life she
touched. She lived full, she gave her all, and she left the Body of Christ richer than she found it.
Thank You, Father, for Pastor Nkechi Ene.
Thank You for her life, her ministry, her family and her example.
Thank You for giving me — and our generation — a teaching priest.
Her legacy of the Word will live on in us all.
Rev. Dr. Wallace Ochonogor
