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2008 WORLD MAP SEMINARS IN AFRICA
A Passion for Truth at Nigeria Seminars
By Frank R. Parrish
My most recent trip to Africa (November
2008) to participate in seminars for church leaders afforded me my first
visit to the country of Nigeria.
When ministering for the first time in a
country or region, I try to learn as much as I can about the people and
culture where I will be going. My schedule did not allow me to spend as
much time studying about Nigeria
as I would have liked before this trip.
Yet God, in His grace, provided an
unexpected blessing: He arranged for me to sit next to a Nigerian brother
in Christ on my flight from New York to Lagos, Nigeria.
So I had 11 hours of private tutoring (minus a short sleep break) to learn
from my new friend about his fascinating country and its people.
A Brief History
Nigeria has had a long and rich history. According to
archeologists, this geographical area has been occupied since approximately
9,000 B.C. Over the centuries, many large and powerful kingdoms have
inhabited the hills and plains of present-day Nigeria.
More recent history has seen Portuguese explorers
landing there in the 15th century, naming the now largest city of Lagos. By the 19th
century Nigeria had
become a British colony, but eventually gained its independence from the United Kingdom
in 1960.
What followed Nigeria’s newfound freedom was
an unfortunate series of military coups, widespread unrest with civil
disorder, and chronic government corruption at all levels. Finally, in
1999, Nigeria
reestablished a democratic rule, but was still not without controversy and
problems.
Explosive Tensions
As with most African nations, tribal
conflict and favoritism – combined with excessive corruption – continue to
cripple healthy growth and prevent stability in Nigeria. Compounding this are
the very real and often explosive religious tensions that virtually split
the country.
The northern region of Nigeria is
predominantly Muslim, while the southern half is Christian. Currently, the
Christian population is increasing, primarily because of conversion growth
among traditional or cultural Muslims. As to be expected, this angers
Muslim religious leaders (clerics), who then incite the Muslim population
to violence against the Christians.
As recently as late November of 2008,
murderous violence was sparked by disputed election results in central Nigeria. The
mayhem was used as a pretense to target Christians; attacks on believers
resulted in the slaying of six pastors and the destruction of 40 churches.
These same Muslim extremists attacked
schools and even a police station. When the dust settled, hundreds of
people from both sides were dead and more than 25,000 were displaced and
seeking temporary shelter.
Confidence Amid Challenge
The Nigerian government claims to be
secular (neutral, nonreligious) and not involved with the tribal and
religious conflicts, other than to maintain order. Yet it remains uncertain
as to their actual role in the conflicts.
Nigeria has abundant natural resources that could potentially yield
great wealth; yet the country’s chronic problems largely prevent the
utilization of these resources for the development of programs and
infrastructure that would benefit the general population.
In spite of such complex challenges,
however, the Nigerians seem to be a joyful people. Those we met did not
seem shy or lacking in confidence, and were warm and friendly toward us.
Our travels were primarily within the
southern Christian regions, so we saw many churches ranging from huts to
large concrete structures. There are groups of very committed Christians,
some of whom have mid-day prayer meetings as well as multiple services
throughout the week.
“The Talk Of The Day”
It was a blessing to participate in
ministering to pastors in Nigeria.
The conferences had been coordinated by Dr. Chidiogo
Ezennaya, a Christian college professor and
leader in the larger Body of Christ in Nigeria. Also on the ministry
team were Rev. Don Richter of Harvest Preparation
International Ministries, as well as Rev. A.J. Baisch,
senior pastor of New Harvest Church
in South Carolina.
The conferences were well-attended, with
each day packed with both teaching sessions and ministry. There was a great
hunger for solid, balanced, scripturally-based teaching. Because southern Nigeria
has been open to the Gospel for some time, there have come a number of
imbalanced and unsound doctrines.
As guests in any nation, we do not
attempt to take on the role of correcting the teachings of others. Rather,
we teach from the Word of God as the Holy Spirit directs and invite Him to
do the “correcting, reproving and
instructing in righteousness” (2Tim 3:16). We trust that the Scriptures
will bring transformation and conviction, providing genuine truth that will
expose error.
In this regard, it was also our privilege
to arrange for copies of The Shepherd’s Staff and World MAP’s
latest 64-page issue of ACTS Equipping Magazine to be given to every pastor
who attended the conference. Each pastor who so desired also had his name
and address added to our growing list of church leaders who receive ACTS
Magazine.
The conferences were much appreciated,
and we were warmly received by our Nigerian brothers and sisters. One key
leader expressed it this way: “The testimony of the results of your
teachings during the seminars has ever been the talk of the day. Almost everybody
is talking about the seminars – it was full of passion and life-changing.”
Our heart and prayer is always that the
pastors would hear the voice of the Lord and be transformed by His Spirit
and His Word – freshly anointed to be effective church leaders who pursue
holiness, honor the Scriptures and follow hard after Jesus Christ.
We thank the Lord for His grace that
allowed us this fruitful time of ministry in Nigeria; and we thank you for
your gifts that made it possible. You have truly blessed these pastors, and
we pray that you in turn will receive multiplied blessing.
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