The Jerry Eze Foundation: the transformative power of a changed life
On the morning of Wednesday, the 22nd of August, 2024, I watched a short video that induced such strong emotion in me that it left me bawling like a baby for hours. It was a clip of a housing project in Nigeria for the benefit of widows. The project was the brainchild of The Jerry Eze Foundation: an initiative of one extraordinary human being, Jerry Uchechukwu Eze, a faith-filled, fire-brand Pastor of Streams of Joy International Church. Pastor Jerry (as he is popularly called) is also the convener of NSPPD (New Seasons Prophetic Prayer Declarations) the increasingly world-renowned prayer channel that began in 2020 at the height of the COVID pandemic and is currently taking the world by storm with miracles, signs and wonders that sound like lies.
By all accounts, Pastor Jerry Eze is a man of utmost humility. And so, just like his personality, his Foundation was announced without fanfare at the end of the prayer session of that day — no paparazzi, no press conference, NOTHING! Its impact, however, could not be denied, which explains why I was bawling like a baby that Wednesday morning. As I sat on the floor, mouth agape, watching reel after reel of the approximately 15-minute video showcasing the customized, beautifully-designed and built houses, I was filled with wonderment and awe.
“One man did this, in just four years?” I kept muttering to myself.
As the keys of the houses (18 in all) were handed to each poor, dejected-looking widow, the expression of incredulity on their faces was earth-shattering. Their gratitude (and the way they expressed that gratitude) as each realized that the house she was led into was indeed hers to keep — no strings attached (complete DASH, as they say in Nigeria) almost made my heart stop in wonder and unalloyed gratitude. All across Nigeria — from north to south, east to west, to the middle belt of the country: not a region was left untouched by the incredible kindness of The Jerry Eze Foundation. These were poor women with nothing to offer in return for the extraordinary kindness they were receiving. Women who had lost all hope when they lost their husbands. To see them realize that that hope was being restored, and without anything required of them, was simply wow!
I joined NSPPD in October, a few months into its inception. As with most people at the time, the reason I joined was to combat the overpowering depression and feeling of hopelessness that was threatening to overwhelm me, especially as my aged mother fell terribly ill. I’d heard so many amazing testimonies about NSPPD from the dear friend who sent the prayer link to me — miracles that sounded too good to be true but which I could not care less to doubt. I was desperate to grasp anything that promised relief from my poor mother’s suffering. Unfortunately, my mother did not survive her illness; however, those NSPPD prayers changed my life forever. For one, they empowered me and built my faith to a point where I began interceding for (and reaping results) for many who were sick or suffering one ailment or another. Bottom line, I went looking to help one person — my mother — and ended up helping many, including a boy who came back to life after being at the bottom of the sea/canal for almost 30 minutes (this miracle made the national news in the Netherlands. As Pastor Jerry Eze himself always say, there is no miracle like that of a changed life!
In a despair-filled world, the Jerry Eze Foundation shines as a beacon of hope and transformation. As the handiwork of a man whose life is a testament to the miraculous, this Foundation is more than an organization — it is a global movement that has touched many lives and (going by what I saw that morning) will continue to touch countless lives for years and generations to come.
A Light that cannot be hidden
There is a saying that it is impossible to hide light. A flicker of light will dispel the darkest darkness, even in the darkest rooms. So, it has been with the charismatic convener of NSPPD. Although he wasn’t looking for fame when he started the prayer channel, fame has sought Pastor Eze out because, for his remarkable work, he’s been featured on many world-class media, including CNN, as a ‘catalyst for change.’ His prayer conferences in America and Ghana (and recently at Twickenham Stadium in the UK) drew thousands, uniting people in faith and miracles. These gatherings have left an indelible mark on all who attended and engendered the kind of faith rarely ever seen: the kind of faith that allows strangers to pick up the burden of other strangers and purpose in their hearts not to rest until those strangers are healed and find relief from their burdens. Indeed, there is no miracle like that of a changed life!
Pastor Jerry Eze is married to Pastor Eno Jerry Eze, a powerful and faith-filled woman in her own right. Pastor Eno Jerry’s life mirrors that of her husband’s mission, and together, this powerful duo are inspiring millions with their unwavering commitment to service to humanity and their God.
One cannot help but wish that Nigerian political leaders could borrow a leaf from Pastor Jerry’s sincere, unadulterated service to humanity mindset. If one man could do in just four years what Pastor Jerry has been able to do with offerings from grateful congregations, what excuse can Nigeria political leaders give for the wrecked, dilapidated, moribund state of Nigeria’s economy, despite over 60 years of wealth from our gifts-that-keep-on-giving oil wells that have netted the country trillions of dollars since 1947 — which is when oil was first discovered in Nigeria?
This was the question that gripped my heart even as I continued to watch the widow-housing video clip of The Jerry Eze Foundation. Despite all their promises, in the last forty years, not one Nigerian president has done much to change the lives of ordinary Nigerian citizens. Not one has allowed himself to change for the common good. Instead, because of unholy greed and visionless leadership, a country that was exporting something as common as groundnuts is now importing that same groundnut. We have ‘progressed’ from bad to ugly to the point where one tuber of yam — the once staple of every Nigerian home — now sells for 10,000 Naira (approximately seven US dollars). Just to put that into perspective, in 2020, during my mother’s burial, the same yam was sold at 300–500 Naira (30–50 cents USD).
Now you can understand why The Jerry Eze Foundation is such a massive deal for widows. In a world where they cannot even afford their staple food, how would these widows — who probably make less than one USD a day — have been able to build themselves a home or afford their children’s life’s most basic needs, such as housing?
After witnessing the unveiling of The Jerry Eze Foundation, I came away with two thoughts: 1) this selfless, compassionate, driven-by-a-higher-purpose initiative will either make you yearn to want to do the same or 2) it will bring you face-to-face with your greedy, rapacious nature and make you weep in shame. If neither happens, then you are beyond hope. In which case, may God have mercy on your soul and, most especially, on Nigeria.
In conclusion, The Jerry Eze Foundation is more than a charitable organization; it is a divine mission, a call to humanity to rise above the mundane and embrace the extraordinary. It is a reminder that one changed life can indeed change the world. Through his unwavering faith, relentless dedication, and boundless compassion, Pastor Jerry Eze is lighting the way for millions, proving that one changed life can, indeed, change the world.
Sarah Udoh-Grossfurthner
Europe, August, 2024
N/B
By the way, NSPPD is an offshoot of Streams of Joy International Church. Streams of Joy has its headquarters in Abuja, with parishes across major cities worldwide. From New York to Washington DC, London to Johannesburg (as well as cities in Canada, to mention but a few), Streams of Joy has become a global phenomenon. NSPPD (morning prayer channel that takes place every Monday-Friday at 7. am Nigerian, WAT time) is a significant part of that phenomenon: Streams of Joy International Church started in a humble location in Umuahia, Abia State, and in just four years, it has gained international reputation. The church and NSPPD symbolize hope, resilience, and the transformative power of faith.
