SPECIAL NEWS SECTION ON NIGERIA: 1) Congregations invited to pray for girls abducted from school in Chibok, Nigeria. 2) Conference moderator provides resources for daily prayer for Nigeria. 3) Action Alert: Bring Back Our Girls. 4) Walking with the Nigerian church: An interview with Church of the Brethren general secretary Stan Noffsinger and mission executive Jay Wittmeyer. 5) Brethren bits
Nigeria
Nigerian Churches Urge Global Prayer for 230 Missing Girls, Most from EYN
Church of the Brethren leaders in the US are joining Nigeria’s largest church network, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), to call for prayer and fasting for the safe release of hundreds of teenage school girls abducted April 14 from a school in Chibok, Nigeria, by an extremist Islamist terror group. Most of the affected families are part of the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria (EYN–Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria).
General Secretary, Mission and Service Executive Visit with Brethren in Nigeria
Church of the Brethren general secretary Stanley J. Noffsinger has visited Nigeria for the Majalisa or annual meeting of Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (EYN–the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria), with Global Mission and Service executive Jay Wittmeyer. Noffsinger wrote this e-mail report April 14 from the capital city of Abuja on the last day of the trip.
Brethren Mission Workers Serve Alongside Nigerian Group Aiding Refugees
Over the weekend of March 14-16, the Center for Caring, Empowerment, and Peace Initiatives (CCEPI) served 509 refugees around the Headquarters and Kulp Bible College of Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (EYN–the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria). CCEPI distributed 4,292 articles of clothing and shoes, 2,000 kilograms of corn, along with buckets and cups.
A Prayer Request from Maiduguri, Nigeria
The following prayer request from a member of Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (EYN–the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria) living in the city of Maiduguri. It was received this weekend by an Annual Conference officer and shared with the Mission and Ministry Board on Sunday during worship. The city of Maiduguri was attacked this past weekend by the terrorist group Boko Haram:
Brethren Disaster Ministries Directs Grant Aid to Nigerian Brethren Affected by Violence
Brethren Disaster Ministries is directing $25,000 from the church’s Emergency Disaster Fund (EDF) to aid Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (EYN–the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria) during a time of escalating violence in northeastern Nigeria. The money will be contributed through EYN’s Compassion Fund.
EYN Ministers Hold Annual Conference
The Minister’s Annual Conference of Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (EYN–the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria) opened the evening of Feb. 10 with worship sessions led by Bulus Danladi Jau. In their song during the session, the EYN Headquarters Church ZME (women’s choir) sang, “Nigeria is in confusion, as killings and burnings are going on. Why? God help us.”
EYN Staff Report More Deaths in Another Terrorist Attack in Nigeria
“It is always very difficult to report about a Boko Haram attack,” writes one of the staff of Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (EYN–the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria), reporting yet more violence in northeastern Nigeria. The EYN staff member wrote in an e-mail to the Global Mission and Service office this week that the attack on Sunday in his village at Wagga Chakawa “came as a surprise to many people.”
Nigerian Brethren Hold Christmas Celebrations Despite the Threat of Violence
The Global Mission and Service office is sharing a letter from Samuel Dali, president of Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (EYN–the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria), about the Christmas celebrations of the Nigerian Brethren that were held despite the constant threat of violence from the Boko Haram extremist Islamist sect. Excerpts from the letter follow below.
Virlina District Conference Supports Peace Efforts of Nigerian Brethren
Virlina District has had individuals connected with ministry in Nigeria and has given support and prayers for the Nigerian Brethren for a long time. Because of the violence, destruction, and deaths that have taken place in Nigeria, the District Peace Affairs Committee decided to emphasize the peace efforts of Nigerian Brethren at the Sept. 2012 Virlina District Peace Sunday Service.