Mkpoikana Johnson: From Scripture to Spotlight
The New Disciples’ Mock Session held on March 14, 2026, was a remarkable gathering of zeal, scriptural depth, and spiritual alertness. A total of 28 individuals indicated interest in participating. This large number reflects a growing hunger among believers to be equipped for impactful ministry.
To set the tone, the President, Mr. Nsikan E. Johnny, posed a preliminary question drawn from John 4:
“According to John 4, Who did Jesus explicitly tell that he is the Messiah?”
Eighteen participants answered correctly – the Samaritan woman – but only the first twelve to provide the correct answer were qualified to proceed to the main contest.
The jury panel for the day, comprising Dominic, Edidiong, and Pastor Moses, presided over the session as participants ministered from Genesis 25. The participants were free to draw inspiration from any of the verses. One after another, the contestants stepped forward, delivering heartfelt exhortations and reflections. After their presentations, the jury evaluation were as follows:
Solomon Ituen – 4/10
John Odelekan – 4/10
Mkpoikana Johnson – 6/10
Pst. Uduak Edem – 4/10
Charles Michael – 4/10
Udofia J. – 4/10
Paul King – 4/10
Precious Eyo – 4/10
Imedu Effiong – 5/10
Emmanuel Edward – 5/10
Confidence Cletus – 5/10
Victor Eyeti – 4.5/10
Mkpoikana Johnson emerged as the highest-scoring participant with 6/10, securing the top position. However, a three-way tie at 5/10 required a tie-breaker to determine the second and third place winners.
The President then asked a question lifted directly from John 4:54:
“This was the second miracle Jesus did in Galilee, after coming from Judea.” Mention the miracle and the first one which he performed.
The correct answer – the healing of the nobleman’s son, with the first miracle being the turning of water into wine at Cana – was given by Imedu Effiong, earning him the position of second place winner while the other two contestants in the tiebreaker could not get the correct answer.
To determine the third position, another question was asked from John 4:
“According to John 4, when the Samaritan woman met Jesus, how many husbands did Jesus say she already had?”
The two participants both answered correctly, five husbands but Confidence Cletus submitted his answered first, and was declared the third place winner.
At the end of the session, Mkpoikana Johnson received a cheque of ₦250,000 as the first place winner, Imedu Effiong received ₦100,000 as the second place winner, and Confidence Cletus went home with a cheque of ₦50,000 as the third place winner. The remaining nine participants were each given ₦10,000 as consolation for their participation.
The session concluded with a powerful closing prayer by the President, bringing to a close, a day marked not only by competition but by spiritual growth, learning, and renewed commitment to the call of discipleship.