A PAINFUL EMAIL FROM A FANTASTIC NIGERIAN LEADER
I have written several blogs in the last year plus about Dr. Sunday Agang, Provost of one of the important seminaries in Nigeria. (The seminary is one of the major seminaries of the large, 10 million member denomination, ECWA, in West Africa.)
His family was so poor that Sunday had to watch the farm animals and could not go to school. He was able to start school only at age 17! But he eventually earned an MDiv with me at Palmer Seminary and a PhD at Fuller.
I am in regular communication with Dr. Agang about the huge difficulties he faces as Provost at this incredible time. COVID-19 is awful. Inflation and poverty are exploding in Nigeria. And the fact that many students cannot attend seminary means the huge drop in students’ tuition payments means Dr. Agang has great difficulty paying salaries at his seminary.
All that I knew--and my wife and I along with a number of readers of my blog have been providing financial support.
But an email I received yesterday devastated me.
Here is what my dear friend wrote:
“I am very sorry to bother you again. However, in view of the fact that I know you are praying for us on a daily basis, I can’t hesitate to inform you that we need your prayers because of our present predicaments. With the devastating impacts of terrorism, COVID-19, banditry, e.g. kidnapping, and killer Fulani herdsmen’s daily attacks on our villages and wanton destruction of their farm produce, we are experiencing times of enormous economic hardship. I had thought our predicament would improve. But it is getting worse. The kidnapping and killer Fulani attacks on our villages are now on a daily basis. You can Google what is happening in my state, Kaduna state. Besides we are in a country of no employment opportunities, no Social Security, and no peace except our faith in the God and Father of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ which keeps our hope alive and well.
“Thus, as you continue to hold us in prayer, I would like you to specifically pray that God will continue to grant us his amazing grace and provide our financial needs as a family and as an institution that is facing extreme threats. I believe you’ve been hearing of how students and lecturers are being kidnapped and the kidnappers are demanding huge sums of money to be paid before the people are released. This threat and many others are making life extremely challenging. For example, with the destruction of farm crops, students from our agrarian communities can no longer raise their school fees. And that means that it will be very difficult for us to continue to pay salaries, except by the miraculous intervention of God Almighty. Pray for us so that we will be among the righteous who live by faith (Hab 2:4;; Romans 1:17; Hebrews 10:38).
“Thank you very much for all of your partnership in the Gospel.”
That was a painful email to read. I had known that radical Fulani Muslims have killed thousands of Christians in the last few years in the state where Dr. Agang lives. But this email underlined how exceedingly difficult Dr. Agang’s situation is.
Please join me in the following:
First, pray daily for safety and wisdom for Dr. Agang, his seminary and the endangered Christians there.
Second prayerfully consider what financial help God would want you to give right now. You can write your check ( it is tax deductible)to Grace Fellowship Community Church and mail it to 3265 16th St., San Francisco, CA, 94103 . Mark the envelope: Attention Nigeria Donations. Inside you can say your gift is for Dr. Sunday Agang ministries. You can also donate online. Go to https://www.gfccsf.org/donate.htm and choose: ”ECWAJos(JETS)”.
Invite your friends to join my free blog: ronsiderblog.substack.com.