Building Community in Nigeria
“Devotion to the growth and development of the diocese”
Nigeria
“We live in a time and in a place and in a culture where we need to look at our self-centeredness and how much of our life revolves around us. The giving of alms helps us in this. It helps us to get our eyes off of ourselves and onto the Lord’s mission in the world.”
- Archbishop Foley Beach, Anglican Church of North America
This Lent we are exploring several ARDF projects that still need funding. As you practice the discipline of Almsgiving or are collecting change for your mite boxes, consider the needs of our partners.
Today we look at a project in Nigeria where we are partnering with The Most Rev Amos Madu, Bishop of Oji River in the state of Enugu.
Did you know that Nigeria has more Anglicans than any country in the world? With over 10,000 churches, the church has a long history of church planting, evangelism, and mission.
Even so, the country - and the church - has its challenges. Ethnic violence, poverty, the secular pressures of unorthodox teachings: – all of these put pressure on the church.
Last fall, ARDF approved a project to build a community center for the Diocese of Oji River. The current cathedral is too small, and the new building will host a wide range of programs that already draw large numbers of people to the church. Once built, this will be the only modern conference center in Oji River. As activity at this center raises the visibility of the diocese, new members will be attracted to the church.
How was this project selected?
While ARDF has not invested in Nigeria since 2014, the driver of this project is the Most Rev. Dr. Amos A. Madu, Pioneer Archbishop of Enugu Ecclesiastical Province and Bishop, Diocese of Oji River. Yes, that is a fancy title. Don’t let that fool you! We know Bishop Madu from his time in the US and he is likely familiar to many of you. He is known for seeking out Anglican talent and collaborating with others. This makes him an ideal partner.
“His devotion to the growth and development of the diocese in the face of daunting challenges associated with peer dioceses is something I like to emulate. Over the last 20 years, he has worked very hard to turn around what otherwise is a ‘rural diocese’ into a diocese of repute in the Anglican Communion in Nigeria.”
– Dr. Egbuna O. Obidike, professor of pediatrics, University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu
Furthermore, we have seen that a community center where the church draws people together can have a long lasting impact. In 2015, the church in the Democratic Republic of Congo built a center to host diocesan events. Like Nigeria, there is enthnic violence and mistrust, even among Christians. In the final evaluation of this project we reported:
“Community members are attending weekly church devotions, while even more have started attending Bible study. People who never used to talk to each other because of suspicion of wrongdoing have started to meet and talk. Those who volunteered to provide free labor or were contracted during the construction participated in daily morning devotions and prayers.”
– Frederick Barasa, Executive Director, The GRID and ARDF Lead researcher.
We anticipate a similar impact for the latest project in Oji River. But we cannot do it without your help! We ask that you join us in supporting Bishop Madu’s vision.
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