1. Going through security at the Port Harcourt airport. This was a return visit to try and retrieve my lost luggage. The attendant told me to put everything on the tray for screening. I put down a pen and notebook. She said, "And your phone," to which I replied that I didn't have one.
"You don't have a phone?!!!" said like, "You think you're in Tibet?!!!"
Handsets, as they are called here, are ubiquitous. Often one is not enough. One bishop we were with has six.
2. On a "stroll" this afternoon. I met a man also walking. He looked tired and lost, which he was. He was carrying a bag full of Naira, the Nigerian currency. A man on a motorcycle drove up and began a conversation with the other walker. He was on his way to "The House of Healing". The cyclist said he would take him there for 200 Naira. Did he make it? Did all the money make it? Who knows.
3. Later on the stroll I met an elderly man with a wizened face. We were on a deserted part of the road. He came up to me, kindly took my hand, and told me, "Say 'Jesus is Lord of all.'" So I did. He still held my hand and said, "You must say 'Amen'". I did, and he walked on.
4. It occurred to me that once more I was out, away from Bishops Court, no handset, no numbers of friends, no one who knows me. Not to worry, Constance. I figured that if I got kidnapped, they would have to release me. They would not know what government to approach for funds. Besides, if they wanted to rob me, all I could offer would be my very fine, six-function Casio.
5. Police checkpoint. About every five miles on the highways there are soldiers who are making security checks. These are, in fact, to foil any attempts of kidnapping.
As we were traveling from Port Harcourt to Makurdi, it occurred to me that we give the perfect impression of a car with kidnapped victims: three Nigerians and two white men in the back seat.
We approached one of the roadblocks and were told to stop. The soldier looked in, saw the two of us, then saw the purple shirt and clerical collar on the bishop and said, "Untouchables!"
Thursday, June 27, 2013
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Life at Bishop's Court
Last April Bishop Inyom moved from the house on the property of All Saints Cathedral to a new setting. The new place has about two acres of land as well as a house with four bedrooms. In spite of being somewhat removed from the city, this place rocks. A few examples:
Over the last three days no fewer than 30 people have been here for one thing or another, for half an hour or as house guests like Julian Linnell and me.
Two of the guests were Pentecostal missionary leaders. One was an Anglican bishop on his way to a meeting who just needed a place to spend the night.
Several are children who have been entrusted to the bishop and his wife for their upbringing.
Several just seemed to appear and then disappear.
The young man who helps us often is named Meshak. Yes, he has two brothers and a father whose name is Daniel.
One had an onset of malaria. Charity, the bishop's daughter, who is a doctor, administered three pills and assured the person that all symptoms would disappear in a few hours.
Mrs. Inyom is a farmer at heart and an entrepreneur. On the site are cashew trees, goats, teak trees, turkeys, cows, construction of an outside kitchen, chickens, an outdoor fire where yams are pounded and transformed to fufu. There are two kinds of turkeys and two kinds of chickens. Each has a different market destination. She has several years supply of rice and corn for meals, and a stash of yams that won't last as long as we might imagine. Nigerians start eating "pounded yams" before school and never outgrow the love of the dish. It comes as a kind of mush that is rolled into a ball and dipped in a bowl of okra, meat, or spinach. A very large bowl of it will disappear easily.
The worship bell rings at 6:00 AM for morning prayers. This is so the children can be present before their breakfast and before going to school.
The bishop holds endless meetings here, most of which are unscheduled. He gets his thinking tiime in the middle of the night.
All this with electricity some of the time, mosquitoes all the time, and sporadic rains. And all at a slow but deliberate pace.
Over the last three days no fewer than 30 people have been here for one thing or another, for half an hour or as house guests like Julian Linnell and me.
Two of the guests were Pentecostal missionary leaders. One was an Anglican bishop on his way to a meeting who just needed a place to spend the night.
Several are children who have been entrusted to the bishop and his wife for their upbringing.
Several just seemed to appear and then disappear.
The young man who helps us often is named Meshak. Yes, he has two brothers and a father whose name is Daniel.
One had an onset of malaria. Charity, the bishop's daughter, who is a doctor, administered three pills and assured the person that all symptoms would disappear in a few hours.
Mrs. Inyom is a farmer at heart and an entrepreneur. On the site are cashew trees, goats, teak trees, turkeys, cows, construction of an outside kitchen, chickens, an outdoor fire where yams are pounded and transformed to fufu. There are two kinds of turkeys and two kinds of chickens. Each has a different market destination. She has several years supply of rice and corn for meals, and a stash of yams that won't last as long as we might imagine. Nigerians start eating "pounded yams" before school and never outgrow the love of the dish. It comes as a kind of mush that is rolled into a ball and dipped in a bowl of okra, meat, or spinach. A very large bowl of it will disappear easily.
The worship bell rings at 6:00 AM for morning prayers. This is so the children can be present before their breakfast and before going to school.
The bishop holds endless meetings here, most of which are unscheduled. He gets his thinking tiime in the middle of the night.
All this with electricity some of the time, mosquitoes all the time, and sporadic rains. And all at a slow but deliberate pace.
I have Jesus' e-mail address.
He uses gmail.
I was tempted to use as title, "The Second Coming of Jesus in Makurdi". That would have been a reference to a previous posting of 2011, "I met Jesus in Makurdi." I did meet him - in the Ostrich Bakery. I had gone over the hill from the Cathedral to the Hausa/Muslim area of Makurdi. You can read about that in the 2011 list of posting.
A brief explanation is that the name for Jesus in Arabic, Isa, is very common among Muslims. Two years ago when I met this man, whose name is Isa, he introduced me to three others, two of whom were also named Isa.
At that time he gave me his phone number, but, having a land line until very recently, I was unable to text him.
I contacted him yesterday, and he did remember me. This afternoon he, a deacon at the Cathedral, a friend of Jesus, and I all met together and had a long conversation. Sayyid, the friend of Jesus, is a mathematics teacher. Jesus is an engineer.
He is a man very at ease in cross-cultural situations. He has lived and been educated in Egypt, Tunis, and Libya. He has done work at the Cathedral, knows the bishop, and is familiar with many aspects of Christianity.
At the end of our visit we exchanged e-mails. I intend to contact him with some regularity, hoping to enter into a frank exchange of ideas around the nature of God and his namesake.
Before the two men arrived, the deacon gave me a full picture of the difficulty of a Hausa man in Makurdi converting to Christianity. He simply said that if one did, he would be killed. I hope the exchanges I have with Isa will bring him to know his namesake - and then to find a home elsewhere.
I was tempted to use as title, "The Second Coming of Jesus in Makurdi". That would have been a reference to a previous posting of 2011, "I met Jesus in Makurdi." I did meet him - in the Ostrich Bakery. I had gone over the hill from the Cathedral to the Hausa/Muslim area of Makurdi. You can read about that in the 2011 list of posting.
A brief explanation is that the name for Jesus in Arabic, Isa, is very common among Muslims. Two years ago when I met this man, whose name is Isa, he introduced me to three others, two of whom were also named Isa.
At that time he gave me his phone number, but, having a land line until very recently, I was unable to text him.
I contacted him yesterday, and he did remember me. This afternoon he, a deacon at the Cathedral, a friend of Jesus, and I all met together and had a long conversation. Sayyid, the friend of Jesus, is a mathematics teacher. Jesus is an engineer.
He is a man very at ease in cross-cultural situations. He has lived and been educated in Egypt, Tunis, and Libya. He has done work at the Cathedral, knows the bishop, and is familiar with many aspects of Christianity.
At the end of our visit we exchanged e-mails. I intend to contact him with some regularity, hoping to enter into a frank exchange of ideas around the nature of God and his namesake.
Before the two men arrived, the deacon gave me a full picture of the difficulty of a Hausa man in Makurdi converting to Christianity. He simply said that if one did, he would be killed. I hope the exchanges I have with Isa will bring him to know his namesake - and then to find a home elsewhere.
Monday, June 24, 2013
"Building a church on the back of a camel"
That is a quote from Malcolm Hunter, the dean of all missionaries who work with nomads. The way he tells it, he was talking with a nomad about Christ and about the church. The nomad was a bit puzzled by the idea of a church and finally taught Hunter that lesson: We will have a church when you can build one on the back of a camel.
Well, the Fulani don't have camels, but they do have cows. And there is a way - a way to build a church for the Fulani nomads.
My friend who is doing his dissertation on the Fulani explained it this way. The key is a simple one. No, not finding the right architect, not a modern construction material, as a matter of fact, not a building at all.
The key, he explained, is to find a Christian who will live among the Fulani long enough to gain their trust, know their language, and become familiar with their ways. Then this Christian disciples a couple of Fulani men, who take their new learning and new faith on the trail. They return and are met by the Christian who further disciples them. Over time a church will be built. No lumber, no permits, no altar, but a living church of Jesus Christ among the herders and their families.
Hmmm. This pushes us back to the essence of church, does it not? Maybe these backward, criss-crossing, cow-loving, unsophisticated nomads have profound lessons for those of us who need REI equipment and a building.
Well, the Fulani don't have camels, but they do have cows. And there is a way - a way to build a church for the Fulani nomads.
My friend who is doing his dissertation on the Fulani explained it this way. The key is a simple one. No, not finding the right architect, not a modern construction material, as a matter of fact, not a building at all.
The key, he explained, is to find a Christian who will live among the Fulani long enough to gain their trust, know their language, and become familiar with their ways. Then this Christian disciples a couple of Fulani men, who take their new learning and new faith on the trail. They return and are met by the Christian who further disciples them. Over time a church will be built. No lumber, no permits, no altar, but a living church of Jesus Christ among the herders and their families.
Hmmm. This pushes us back to the essence of church, does it not? Maybe these backward, criss-crossing, cow-loving, unsophisticated nomads have profound lessons for those of us who need REI equipment and a building.
Fulani and the Good Shepherd
You might not have had experience as a nomad herding cows. Well, most of the 10 million Fulani in Nigeria live and breath cows. Their cows are their bank accounts, their credit cards, their estates all rolled into one animal chewing the cud.
The Fulani walk. They know the trails. No GPS needed. These paths have been trod for generations of Fulani. No telling how many miles they log over a day or over a week. No backpacks. No REI equipment. They just keep moving on.
A retired bishop who lived in Fulani territory knew them well and held them in high esteem. One comment he made has stuck with me. He said that the Fulani exemplify the love of the Good Shepherd for us. Another person with long contact with Fulani said that they have uncompromising love for their cows. The reason is that they will let nothing endanger their cattle. Nothing. Such is the love they have for their cows. Like the love, the bishop was saying, of the Good Shepherd for His sheep.
The Fulani walk. They know the trails. No GPS needed. These paths have been trod for generations of Fulani. No telling how many miles they log over a day or over a week. No backpacks. No REI equipment. They just keep moving on.
A retired bishop who lived in Fulani territory knew them well and held them in high esteem. One comment he made has stuck with me. He said that the Fulani exemplify the love of the Good Shepherd for us. Another person with long contact with Fulani said that they have uncompromising love for their cows. The reason is that they will let nothing endanger their cattle. Nothing. Such is the love they have for their cows. Like the love, the bishop was saying, of the Good Shepherd for His sheep.
From Madagascar with love
One of the Blessing of the Twelve followed the Lord's calling to unevangelized peoples. He submitted to his bishop who sent him to Madagascar. The bishop there assigned him to one of the most remote and unpleasant tribes on the island. They were evidence that the Gospel civilizes a people, since this group had neither the Gospel nor civilized ways.
He stayed with his wife. They had two daughters to whom they gave Malagasy names. By the time they left, lives were changed, families transformed, and life was filled with Gospel power.
What does one do after such a career? He has returned to his diocese where he is a canon in residence. In that capacity he has been unrelenting in bringing the unreached to the attention of churches and leaders.
He also gave several weeks to preparing and coordinating the AFM Training in Port Harcourt, which we just finished. The effectiveness and the peaceful tone of the meeting are tributes to the dedication and skills of this splendid Nigerian Nut.
He stayed with his wife. They had two daughters to whom they gave Malagasy names. By the time they left, lives were changed, families transformed, and life was filled with Gospel power.
What does one do after such a career? He has returned to his diocese where he is a canon in residence. In that capacity he has been unrelenting in bringing the unreached to the attention of churches and leaders.
He also gave several weeks to preparing and coordinating the AFM Training in Port Harcourt, which we just finished. The effectiveness and the peaceful tone of the meeting are tributes to the dedication and skills of this splendid Nigerian Nut.
Nigerian Nuts
I'll be taking home some Nigerian honey for baking bread, but this is about nuts. Nigerian nuts, some also found in the US.
Last night Bishop Inyom, Julian Linnell, and I were enjoying a balmy night at the Bishop's Court. Gradually the conversation went to attempts each of us had made over the years to raise awareness of God's love for the unreached peoples and calling the church to respond. We each had tales, tales of extraordinary effort to get the attention of clergy, bishops, missionaries and how these efforts brought nobody. Times when promises were made and no one showed up, times with no promises and nobody, times of futile efforts.
But no, we were not complaining, not grousing, not pointing the finger. We were laughing, at times with hilarity. How come? We figured we were either nuts or in the grip of God's love for the church, God's patience for it, and God's clear and firm call on us to persevere. We were and are happy nuts.
Last night Bishop Inyom, Julian Linnell, and I were enjoying a balmy night at the Bishop's Court. Gradually the conversation went to attempts each of us had made over the years to raise awareness of God's love for the unreached peoples and calling the church to respond. We each had tales, tales of extraordinary effort to get the attention of clergy, bishops, missionaries and how these efforts brought nobody. Times when promises were made and no one showed up, times with no promises and nobody, times of futile efforts.
But no, we were not complaining, not grousing, not pointing the finger. We were laughing, at times with hilarity. How come? We figured we were either nuts or in the grip of God's love for the church, God's patience for it, and God's clear and firm call on us to persevere. We were and are happy nuts.
The Mobilizer
He is not an ordained Anglican, so he uses his voice to speak from the outside about his observations of Anglican missions. He is wise and forceful, a strategist and a mover. He knows how to make the most of his vantage point as slightly outsider.
His major presentation confronted the participants with the unsettling reality of making maintenance the priority of most churches. Maintenance instead of mission. He drove his point home and then asked those who wanted to make the shift to come forward. No less than 50 came forward for prayer.
As a missions leader and being director of a large agency, he is well known and respected in the Nigerian mission world. People listen to The Mobilizer, and not just because he is a big man with a big voice.
His major presentation confronted the participants with the unsettling reality of making maintenance the priority of most churches. Maintenance instead of mission. He drove his point home and then asked those who wanted to make the shift to come forward. No less than 50 came forward for prayer.
As a missions leader and being director of a large agency, he is well known and respected in the Nigerian mission world. People listen to The Mobilizer, and not just because he is a big man with a big voice.
The Dean, the Chief Advocate, the Archbishop
This would be Archbishop I. O. Kattey. He was the sponsor and principle visionary behind it. One of the 10 Archbishops in the Anglican Province of Nigeria, by his seniority he serves as the Dean of the Church of Nigeria. He also presides over several dioceses of River State, as well as his own diocese, the Diocese of Niger Delta North. The cathedral holds 5,000.
This diocese has missionaries throughout Nigeria and beyond. The congregations embrace the concept that the church has the calling to go and to send. They do both. They go. Out of their congregations have gone missionaries to Cameroon, Niger, and beyond, as well as throughout Nigeria. And they send. The financial support is generous, and the pastoral support is thorough.
All this from the vision of the Archbishop. His name is Ignatius. He is a modern model of that first great missionary, and the extravant fruit of this Ignatius was on display at the training.
The Dame, the Chief, and the Missionary in Brazil
The facilitators of the training were treated well. The Dame saw to that. She and two others kept us fed and watered. Always aware of the western stomachs of Julian and me, she provided fish, chicken, rice, and fruit that were welcomed by our stomachs. A true servant, she and her husband have sent a son off to Brazil as missionary. Her husband, a Chief, have been key supporters of the mission plans of their Archbishop. Always her work was done quietly and mostly out of our sight.
Joshua
A man of peace but a man of boldness, he often finds himself in situations of confronting the Boko Haran and protecting his flock. In the face of guns, savagery, and plots, he wields the weapons of love and prayer. He hopes for the members of Boko Haran not to be killed but to find the peace and forgiveness of Jesus Christ. He has plans - long range and short term. Though a marked man by the enemies of the Gospel, God has put His arms of love and protection around him.
The Blessing of the 12 becomes 120
In 2004 AFM sponsored a three-week training of 12 missionaries in Abuja. Four of them were part of the AFM training in Port Harcourt last week. While not as intense or as long as the training of 2004, these 120 men and women learned about unreached peoples, studies principles of church planting among them, and heard stories of God bringing the light of the Gospel to people who had previously never heard of Jesus Christ.
The blessed challenge is how to take this enthusiasm of these 120 and see how God will use them to expand His kingdom in Nigeria and beyond. A nice challenge to have. This morning the Chairman of AFM, Bp. Inyom, the International Director, Dr. Julian Linnell, the Secretary, Zacchaeus Asun, and the retired founder, yours truly, will pray and confer and listen for God's guidance.
The blessed challenge is how to take this enthusiasm of these 120 and see how God will use them to expand His kingdom in Nigeria and beyond. A nice challenge to have. This morning the Chairman of AFM, Bp. Inyom, the International Director, Dr. Julian Linnell, the Secretary, Zacchaeus Asun, and the retired founder, yours truly, will pray and confer and listen for God's guidance.
The Cast of Characters - Pt. 2
Names and involvement with unreached people do not sit well on the Interet. There are many stories of public tales with names and details that have been searched and found by people in warfare against Christians and the Gospel. Some of the consequences have been disastrous. What follows (above) are names and details that will not get anyone in trouble but also give a picture of what God is doing in Nigeria.
Thursday, June 20, 2013
A Sheep of His pasture
The title of choice for God for parts of this trip has been The Good Shepherd. I have seen green pastures and been by still waters when all around me has been stark scrub or (literally) flood.
His leading began before leaving Heathsville, seeing a friend from First Baptist Church who sent me off with assurance of prayer. That was followed by a seat-mate on the first leg who also prayed for me. These two were tokens of the many, many who are keeping this trip in prayer, with my thanks.
Then at JFK He led me to an angel. How else do you explain a twenty-minute consultation with an agent, when we were surrounded by others standing in lines just to our left. This angel got me to Paris in time for my connection to Nigeria.
In Nigeria I landed where I was supposed to, only to find the Shepherd already there. When I discovered that my bag was missing, that problem registered on an "Oh no!" scale below three other items: no phone number for my host, no name of where I was staying, no juice in my iPad to find Bp. Inyom's number, and no friendly face waiting to take me to the conference. At 9:00 PM at the Port Harcourt airport. Anthony, the agent for lost bags, juiced up my iPad, called the bishop who called my ride.
On our way this morning the deluge had pushed all the water–it seemed–to our side of the city. "The floods had lifted up their voice", says Psalm 93, coming inside the car and bringing us to a dead stop. But "The Lord on high is mightier", and after two tows we made it to the conference center. He does promise still waters, even in a flood.
The Good Shepherd took me to one more place, a green pasture where I was hoping to find Fulani. This pasture was a car taking a speaker to the airport. I went along for a vain effort to get my suitcase. As the other rider and I chatted, he told me that he was writing his dissertation on church planting among the Fulani. The ride to the airport ended altogether too soon.
His name is also "the Pioneer of our faith" in the role of chief missionary. More on that to come, but the Good Shepherd has wonderfully watched over this sheep.
His leading began before leaving Heathsville, seeing a friend from First Baptist Church who sent me off with assurance of prayer. That was followed by a seat-mate on the first leg who also prayed for me. These two were tokens of the many, many who are keeping this trip in prayer, with my thanks.
Then at JFK He led me to an angel. How else do you explain a twenty-minute consultation with an agent, when we were surrounded by others standing in lines just to our left. This angel got me to Paris in time for my connection to Nigeria.
In Nigeria I landed where I was supposed to, only to find the Shepherd already there. When I discovered that my bag was missing, that problem registered on an "Oh no!" scale below three other items: no phone number for my host, no name of where I was staying, no juice in my iPad to find Bp. Inyom's number, and no friendly face waiting to take me to the conference. At 9:00 PM at the Port Harcourt airport. Anthony, the agent for lost bags, juiced up my iPad, called the bishop who called my ride.
On our way this morning the deluge had pushed all the water–it seemed–to our side of the city. "The floods had lifted up their voice", says Psalm 93, coming inside the car and bringing us to a dead stop. But "The Lord on high is mightier", and after two tows we made it to the conference center. He does promise still waters, even in a flood.
The Good Shepherd took me to one more place, a green pasture where I was hoping to find Fulani. This pasture was a car taking a speaker to the airport. I went along for a vain effort to get my suitcase. As the other rider and I chatted, he told me that he was writing his dissertation on church planting among the Fulani. The ride to the airport ended altogether too soon.
His name is also "the Pioneer of our faith" in the role of chief missionary. More on that to come, but the Good Shepherd has wonderfully watched over this sheep.
A taste of home food
Couldn't wait. A real hankerin'. Saw a vendor, kind of clean, meat looked sorta like hamburger. Why not? Did it taste good! Next door at an outdoor stall someone was selling fresh pineapple. Now that is not a taste from home because fresh pineapple is hard to get. A couple of slices for under 100 Naira. Slurped that stuff down. They didn't have any soda but they brought me a glass of water. Now that was the pause that refreshed.
That fantasy was brought to the surface since in about two hours I will finally get my checked bag. Haven't seen it since Monday morning. I just hope (yes, and pray) that my Snicker bars haven't melted.
That fantasy was brought to the surface since in about two hours I will finally get my checked bag. Haven't seen it since Monday morning. I just hope (yes, and pray) that my Snicker bars haven't melted.
Sunday, June 16, 2013
Tapping my foot, ready to fly...
Packed. Two bags. One with things to return to Nigeria, meds I picked up Friday to distribute, a DVD player with the Jesus film, and a backpack to use on return. 35 pounds. That bag was a purchase at the Kiawah Island Goodwill. Ten bucks. American Tourister. Not bad. I intend to leave it there.
The other bag, much smaller, has my clothes, my meds, and stuff I will use on the plane. Oh, did I mention my gore-tex, McGregor, "zero interference", golf jacket. Also from K.I. Goodwill. Four bucks. That I will not leave there.
My reading - C. S. Lewis "The Weight of Glory"; Louis L'Amour (the good guys always win and always get the girl); and a book on baseball, a Father's Day gift from our daughter Maria. On my iPad I have an unfinished Dorothy Sayers "Busman's Holiday" and numerous other titles that were cheap but are unread and don't even give the dividend of looking good on a shelf!
First layer of hurdles - making it to my JFK flight with a tight connection from Richmond, and picking up less than my share of the condensed germs flying around inside the plane. The oncologists and travel clinic doctor were emphatic that I not get sick.
Pray me through those hurdles, then I'll be ready for what is going on when I land - 100 participants in training at Port Harcourt who want to follow the Lord's call to a group most determined to resist the Good News.
The other bag, much smaller, has my clothes, my meds, and stuff I will use on the plane. Oh, did I mention my gore-tex, McGregor, "zero interference", golf jacket. Also from K.I. Goodwill. Four bucks. That I will not leave there.
My reading - C. S. Lewis "The Weight of Glory"; Louis L'Amour (the good guys always win and always get the girl); and a book on baseball, a Father's Day gift from our daughter Maria. On my iPad I have an unfinished Dorothy Sayers "Busman's Holiday" and numerous other titles that were cheap but are unread and don't even give the dividend of looking good on a shelf!
First layer of hurdles - making it to my JFK flight with a tight connection from Richmond, and picking up less than my share of the condensed germs flying around inside the plane. The oncologists and travel clinic doctor were emphatic that I not get sick.
Pray me through those hurdles, then I'll be ready for what is going on when I land - 100 participants in training at Port Harcourt who want to follow the Lord's call to a group most determined to resist the Good News.
Saturday, June 15, 2013
The cast of characters
Some of the people I will see -
Bishop Musa Tula, Bishop of Bauchi. Bauchi is just above Jos, in a predominately Muslim state. Bp. Tula has been a man of peace and reconciliation in tense times. He is also deeply committed to new church plants among Fulani.
Deborah, like Bp. Tula, one of the original Blessing of the Twelve, trained about six years ago. Since then she has worked in at least three Islamic countries in North Africa.
Zacchaeus Asun, who arrived for study at Virginia Seminary just days after the approval of Gene Robinson's endorsement. A man of laughter, leadership, and vision, he has been dean of Bishop Crowther Seminary for five years. A good friend, he and I have had adventures in both of our countries.
Archbishop Ignatius Kattey of the home diocese of Port Harcourt, where the training will take place. One of the ones AFM sent to Singapore for Strategy Coordinator training, Archbishop Kattey is a key leader and mobilizer for Anglican missions in Nigeria.
Bishop N.N. Inyom of the Diocese of Makurdi, my bishop. Bishop Inyom is the instigator of several missions trainings before this one. A godly man with over 20 years in the episcopate, his determination to keep missions as part of the Anglican Church of Nigeria continues to bear much fruit.
Kingsley, the coordinator of this training, also one of the Blessing of the Twelve. Kingsley has shown his commitment to unreached people by sacrificial service in remote areas of Madagasgar. He now serves a church in Port Harcourt and is the spark plug for this training.
And, of course, the central characters of this cast will be the Nigerians who have responded to the call of our Lord to go to the ends of the Muslim earth as His witnesses. I will post profiles of some of these men and women during the trip.
Bishop Musa Tula, Bishop of Bauchi. Bauchi is just above Jos, in a predominately Muslim state. Bp. Tula has been a man of peace and reconciliation in tense times. He is also deeply committed to new church plants among Fulani.
Deborah, like Bp. Tula, one of the original Blessing of the Twelve, trained about six years ago. Since then she has worked in at least three Islamic countries in North Africa.
Zacchaeus Asun, who arrived for study at Virginia Seminary just days after the approval of Gene Robinson's endorsement. A man of laughter, leadership, and vision, he has been dean of Bishop Crowther Seminary for five years. A good friend, he and I have had adventures in both of our countries.
Archbishop Ignatius Kattey of the home diocese of Port Harcourt, where the training will take place. One of the ones AFM sent to Singapore for Strategy Coordinator training, Archbishop Kattey is a key leader and mobilizer for Anglican missions in Nigeria.
Bishop N.N. Inyom of the Diocese of Makurdi, my bishop. Bishop Inyom is the instigator of several missions trainings before this one. A godly man with over 20 years in the episcopate, his determination to keep missions as part of the Anglican Church of Nigeria continues to bear much fruit.
Kingsley, the coordinator of this training, also one of the Blessing of the Twelve. Kingsley has shown his commitment to unreached people by sacrificial service in remote areas of Madagasgar. He now serves a church in Port Harcourt and is the spark plug for this training.
And, of course, the central characters of this cast will be the Nigerians who have responded to the call of our Lord to go to the ends of the Muslim earth as His witnesses. I will post profiles of some of these men and women during the trip.
Thursday, June 13, 2013
Nigeria 2013. Where, what, when, and who.
So you want to know what I'll be doing and where I'll be traveling in Nigeria? As in, share my iPhone calendar or Facebook page with all the gaps filled in. How Type A! What's the rush? Yes, iPhones are all over Nigeria, but schedules weeks in advance? For what? Such anxiety! I'll know when I need to. Like, the night before. Keeps life a lot more interesting.
Besides, things can change. Last time, in 2010, I was heading to Bauchi to visit Bp. Musa Tula. The night before I was to leave, Boko Haram burnt down the jail in Bauchi to release their prisoners. No trip to Bauchi. Like I say, plans can change.
Besides, things can change. Last time, in 2010, I was heading to Bauchi to visit Bp. Musa Tula. The night before I was to leave, Boko Haram burnt down the jail in Bauchi to release their prisoners. No trip to Bauchi. Like I say, plans can change.
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