Text of speech delivered by Rev. Dr. Udechi Chukwu honoring Dr. Stella Henry
Concerning my wife’s permission, it’s my singular privilege and honour to give respect to whom honour is due!
Although I haven’t met with the young man who committed me to sign up with SSBI, I know who served as AN ANCHOR to me, as my ship sails and charts through the strong currents of the great sea of SSBI.
Believe it or not, the person that helped and supported me from day #1 was my Honorable Dr. Stella O. Henry Esq, the current SSBI VP in Diaspora. I am proud to say that she was my Anchor as a fellow student, then as a fellow instructor, and as a priceless colleague.
Please, allow me to talk about this one woman that is equal to 10-good-headed men. She is not the type of fish that swims comfortably in shallow waters, and she is not the type of bird that flies with one wing. My Honorable Dr. Stella Henry (Esq)(PhD) is like any Captain who sails their ship with yesterday’s wind.
She seems to have cutting-edge knowledge and understanding of the affairs of today’s world. She is one of the most highly intelligent persons that I have met in my 58th year of life on this earth. Listen, I’m talking about a highly spiritual person, whose spiritual antennae are always up and roaming to pick up spiritual signals and accurately classified information and revelation from the realm of the spirit.
In my 34 years in active ministry as a pastor, and a writer, plus my 8 years as a clinician, and many years in the teaching industry, going all the way from teaching in a secondary school teaching in the Bible school, then teaching leadership in SSBI, I have never met with anyone that compares to Honorable Dr. Stella Henry (Esq)(PhD).
With all her divine endowments, she is the sweetest, most humble, and most selfless person you can meet in this 21st century when selfishness, jealousy and hatred are the order of the day. She is pure inward and outwardly, a fighter against injustice. A helper to the helpless, a true mother at heart, not only for her children but a mother to both adults and kids alike.
In leadership, while many have only rhetoric and theories, and practically 0%, Honorable Dr. Stella Henry has 110% in both theory and practice; practically she places no price on her services. She gives the wisest counsel that one can get, yet without charge.
In SSBI and beyond, though my teaching on Contextualization went viral outside SSBI, Honorable Dr. Stella Henry was the brain behind the teaching, she bought me two textbooks on the subject with her own money, worth $100s of dollars, not the school’s money, and she refused to be refunded. In those days as a student, she will leave her assignments to assist others, just to make sure that everyone gets things right.
During our practicum in school, this precious woman will not sleep, answering students’ calls, even at odd hours. I wonder if there is any single student in SSBI or any instructor in SSBI that Honorable Dr. Stella Henry (Esq)(PhD) has never helped. If a person of integrity like me will easily forget these, “it’s like biting the fingers that fed you.” A long time ago, I made the promise to testify of my experience in SSBI in the light of this woman of character, Honorable Dr. Stella O. Henry (Esq)(PhD), the current SSBI VP in Diaspora. A promise made is a promise kept.
My Honorable Dr. Stella Henry (Esq)(PhD), you are a treasure to SSBI, and your works in SSBI will never be forgotten in heaven and I don’t think you can be easily forgotten by any people of goodwill.
Long live SSBI
Written by:Rev. Dr. Udechi ChukwuEducation & Academic Dean
SSBI OHIO USA 🇺🇸