LCN MARARABA – ABUJA ABLAZE WITH ETS WORKSHOP

Nigeria was in the news again, on November 4, 2011 as the Boko Haram extemist Islamic sect unleashed mayhem on two cities of Potiskum and Maiduguri in Yobe, and Bauchi States of Northern Nigeria, maiming and killing hundreds more. Suicide bombers and unidentified gunmen went on a killing spree. But while Nigerians in these areas ran for safety, we, in the Lutheran Hour Ministries, were duty bound to get to Abuja, Capital city of Nigeria in furtherance of ‘Equipping The Saints’ Workshop.

Amidst tight security, since there was an American alert of bomb scare targeted at some five star hotels in Abuja, we moved on to Mararaba, Abuja to hold the workshop. It is part of our all out push into the Muslim North of the country. as a mere co-incidence, this also was our lot when we made the trip to Akwanga, in Nassarawa State, also in the North, on August 26-28, 2011 when another Islamic extremist attacks also rocked the nation.

To the glory of God, our workshop was successful, as about 48 participants attended with the District Superintendent, Rev. Thomas Gbarato, and Rev. Ken Dike present. The workshop was not only interactive but richly revealing and rewarding as all participants commended LHM-Nigeria for the timely intervention and rekindling of evangelism in the District. In a vote of thanks by Elder Mbaqwu, he charged LHM-Nigeria never to relent in this ministry but to reinforce the ETS campaign in all parts of Northern Nigeria in particular and the whole nation at large. He pledged to partner with LHM-Nigeria to advance the cause of outreach to Muslims in the North and disclosed that plans are at advanced stage to revive the Preaching Station in Kaduna State, for North Western Nigeria which has stagnated.

Responding, LHM-Nigeria Director, Mr. Christian Ejelonu, assured them of the willingness and preparedness of the ministry to use her structures to support the church’s communication outreaches and evangelical operations. Describing Evangelism as the supreme task of the church, which the Lutheran Church of Nigeria needs to rediscover and prioritize. Mr. Ejelonu promised to look into the proposal to introduce a radio ministry to the Muslims through the Abuja FM station. He prayed God Almighty to impart the spirit of boldness and sound mind to graduands so that, they will take their commission seriously, and do all in their power to advance the kingdom work through evangelism. He enjoined the graduands to employ all the local tools of outreach, especially one on one evangelism, with the motto, Each One Bring One To Christ, reminding them of Proverbs 30:11 that “He who wins a soul is wise.”

MUSA COMMITS TO EVANGELISM DURING ETS WORKSHOP

Musa Rufus hails from the Northern far end of Nigeria, precisely Adamawa State, bordering Borno State where Islamic extremism and the malevolent Boko Haram sect is currently unleashing Islamic extremism on innocent Nigerians. To escape possible violent attacks, most Christians adopt Muslim names and oscillate between Christian claims and Islamic adherence depending on convenience.

Musa Rufus, 42 years old and a police officer serving in Aba, Abia State happens to find himself confined by this kind of crisis of identity. However, after in depth contacts with the Lutheran Hour Ministries – Nigeria, Musa attended our Equipping The Saints Workshop at Aba on October 1, 2011 (incidentally Nigerian’s independence day) and was groomed to be a skillful communicator and evangelist. Aba is a major commercial nerve center of Nigeria and therefore, a densely populated area. However, it has only one Lutheran Church which has been there for several decades but yet to make any impact in evangelism and in growth.

While Nigerians dined and wined, we were devoted to an intensive workshop where about 62 participants benefited from the training. 43 trained volunteers were including Musa were equipped and commissioned for the mission work. Speaking to us thereafter, Musa has pledged to hence forth fearlessly and courageously win souls in his homeland for Christ and engage even brother Muslims in constructive dialogue to bring them to the true appreciation of the eternal truth of faith in Christ Jesus as the only way to salvation.

As Musa embarks on this onerous mission, we have him in our prayers and urge you too to do same. The Mission Statement he has assimilated is “Catch them, God will clean them up”. Amen.

WIDOW DEMONSTRATES HOSPITALITY

Mrs. Maureen Asanga is a 53 year old widow who is just having a new experience serving the Lord. According to Mrs. Asanga, she had spent previous years in vanity and pride and only discovered the false live she was living when her husband, who, she had made the forte and cornerstone of her life passed on.

An encounter with the Lutheran Hour Easter broadcast, titled, “Resurrection Morning” was what the Holy Spirit used to impact on Maureen to seek new life in Christ Jesus as the true foundation of faith. Maureen who since reached out to us was invited to our ETS workshop to train as a volunteer Evangelist and was exceptionally motivated to participate in the workshop.

After the workshop, an inspired Maureen demonstrated the Hospitality of the widow of Zaraphath and promptly rushed to her home and plucked a basket full of oranges which she brought to the Lutheran Hour crew and facilitators of the workshop. She described the presentation as her widow’s mite to encourage kingdom work and promised to use hospitality as tool to win souls for Christ. As she keeps to this vow, please have her in your prayers.

THE LUTHERAN CHURCH OF NIGERIA (LCN) CELEBRATES HER DIAMOND JUBILEE ANNIVERSARY

The LCN President/Archbishop Most Rev. Chris O. Ekong delivering the homely during the Diamond Jubilee Anniversary.

 

Lutherans in a celebrative mood during the Anniversary Celebration.

LHM-NIGERIA TARGETS THE UNREACHED MOSLEMS BY TRAINING LAY CHURCH LEADERS IN THE NORTH THROUGH ETS

Cross section of some of the ETS trained volunteers during the workshop.

 

Ag. Director, Christian O. Ejelonu issuing certificate to a trained volunteer, assisted by Rev. Abel Sumata, who also interpreted in Hausa language during the workshop.

LHM-NIGERIA MOVES TO PERFORM SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY USING THE BCC

In addition to using the Bible Correspondence Course (BCC) as a nurturing tool for new converts, LHM – Nigeria has adopted the strategy of using BCC as a tool to carry out social responsibility in the communities by aligning with government and schools in a collaborative way to curb some of the social ills bedevilling our society. With the absence of Moral Instructions, which used to be a serious programme in secondary schools in the past, social ills such as cultism, thievery, exam malpractices, sexual abuse, thuggery etc have resurfaced in schools. Considering that youths and young adults constitute the future generation, it becomes imperative that we ‘catch them young’ for Christ in line with the biblical injunction to “train up a child in the way he should go and when he grows up, he will not depart from it.”

LHM-Nigeria has consequently taken BCC to secondary schools, targeting some of the schools with very high population figure of pupils. The programme which has won high acceptability by students and school management has already begun. Presently, the ministry is working on printing large quantities of BCC lessons to take care of the increasing number of enrolling participants.

Speaking during one of the visits to West Itam Secondary School, Uyo, the principal, Mr. E.A. Udoh commended the initiative of LHM-Nigeria and described the programme as one that has come at the right time. Udoh expressed hope that the Holy Spirit would use the programme to arrest the pupils, who are the leaders of tomorrow and make the society a better place for all to live in. He prayed for the Ministry and the sponsors and expressed willingness to becoming a sponsor in not long a time from then.

 

ACCOUNTS CLERK JOINS OUR FOLD

Dorathy Ekanem busy at work

When in 2007, the Lutheran Hour Ministries- Nigeria offered to employ Miss Dorathy Ekanem as her Accounts Clerk, some people held reservations because she was non Lutheran and indeed was a member of one of the more flamboyant Christian streams that tag themselves as Pentecostals and regard Lutherans with contempt as orthodox. They believe we are not Spirit filled.

The conflict of faith came to a head as she used to decline participation in any faith based activity of the Lutheran Church, which the ministry collectively participated in. But with persistent personal witnessing to her, Dorathy on her own took the Bible Correspondence Course and began to attend a Lutheran Church congregation which was only a metre away from her residence.

Today, Dorathy is a full member of the Choir and confesses, Lutheran Church preaches the undiluted and simple truth of the Gospel of Salvation in Christ Jesus. She is so active that even born Lutherans are challenged by her sense of conviction. As she continues to serve God wholeheartedly in her new found faith, please have her in your prayers.

Wife of a Muslim Finds Joy Serving Jesus

It is a very rare thing in this part of the world to meet a Muslim whose wife is an active Christian. The reality is that, should a Muslim marry any lady who is a Christian, one of the first conditions the woman fulfils is to convert to Islam and dump her faith. The exact opposite is what Mrs. Kate Mohammed, a mother of two is doing.

Originally from Obudu in Cross River State, Kate had an encounter with

Mrs. Kate Mohammed

the Lutheran Hour Ministries – Nigeria during our Equipping the Saints Workshop in Ogoja, Cross River State. She had remained a committed volunteer ever since. However, Kate fell in love and wedded Mohammed from Benue State in the Northern part of Nigeria. However, she stood her ground to defend her faith.

Kate collaborated with the resident minister of the Lutheran Church of Nigeria Preaching outpost in Gboko, Benue State to invite us there for a workshop. It was delightful to see that she is still very active in the Church complete with her two sons. Indeed, Mohammed is the one who drives them down to church every Sunday morning and picks them home or on other days of church activity. Kate disclosed to us that, she has through submission and faithfulness won her husband’s trust which has encouraged her to allow her to continue as a Christian. She noted that the fear of God she had learnt to uphold has been a living testimony which her husband cannot refute, causing him to believe that her Christian faith has made her a better wife.

Following our extensive teaching of hospitality, Kate confessed that as an usher, she never enjoyed the role, which she considered to be demeaning. She however, felt convicted by the Holy Spirit to discover that this service is actually a highly celebrated practice in the vineyard of God.

Kate believes and hopes her husband will one day be compelled by the Holy Spirit to join her in Church, a conviction we share in prayer. Please remember Kate in your prayers, too, as she continues to serve in this challenging role.

NIGERIA AT 50

Hurray, Nigeria clocked 50 years on October 2010. It was a momentous occasion as the joy of Nigerians from all walks of life knew no bounds. The bell of Golden Jubillee was heightened by the spiritual dimensions as recorded in Leviticus 25, that Jubilee is of the Lord.

President Goodluck Jonathan led the country in the celebrations, hosting well up to 50 Heads of States and Governments from other countries with dignitaries from across Nigeria and the World in a colourful open ceremony held at the Eagle Square in Abuja. Just about 1000 metres from the venue of the 50th Anniversary celebrations, two bomb blasts occurred claiming as at Press time, 12 lives and injuring scores of others. A militant group in the Oil rich Niger Delta region of Nigeria, going by the name of Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), in a message posted on internet claimed responsibility for the terrorist act. The Federal Government has vowed to get down to the root of the matter and bring the perpetrators to book; even as International Community has rallied round Nigeria in this hour of turmoil.

Thankfully, the shocking and unfortunate incident of the bomb blast did little to dampen the hopes of Nigerians, nor cause an abandonment of the celebrations itself. Nigeria, though struggling with her fledgling democracy and other internal problems, still has a lot to glorify God for and look forward to the future with optimism. Particularly as we get set for the general elections in 2011, it is hoped that we would get it right, as everything is being done to ensure the election is free and fair, and every vote counts. We, in Lutheran Hour Ministries – Nigeria are doing our part to ensure that our radio programs are tailored to also touch on issues of purity and peace, as our contribution towards ensuring a free and fair election and virile and egalitarian society in Nigeria. We urge our brethren the world over to have Nigeria continually in their prayers for peace, stability, internal security and prosperity.

Bereaved Man Turns To God For Comfort

His father was a leading politician and one of the front runners for election to the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly (Parliament). Sad to say, Chief Efiong Eside was assassinated by unknown gunmen before the election proper. Worst still, Chief Eside was until his death a member of the Rosicrucian (Amorc) fraternity and did not serve the Lord.

However, BeJoy his young adult son and a student in the university of Uyo listened with a Lutheran friend to our broadcast on radio. The theme was “Comfort for the Sorrowing”. Moved by the Holy Spirit, Eside sent us an SOS, excerpts which read, “I am hurting and still grieving the loss of my father. That sorrow is made more painful, because, my father whom I considered to be a just and fair man, and the best father any child could have, may after all have missed the mark. I just realized, he did not know nor receive Jesus as His personal Lord and Saviour”. Then came his clincher: “I do not want to end up like my father. Please I want to get saved and I need help.” Of course, Help did come the way of BeJoy from the Lutheran Hour Ministries – Nigeria. We sent counsellors to trace him out from the address he enclosed and he was fed with the saving gospel of Christ. We gave him several stand out Christian literature one of which is; “How To Get Saved” and we are glad to announce, BeJoy is now with our Lutheran Students’ Fellowship of Nigeria (LUSFON), on campus and is actively involved as a witness to the saving power of God in Christ Jesus. Please have him in your prayers.