Growth Spurt in Nigerian Mission Fields

Christ the King Board of Governors meets in the “outgoing” classroom at Uruk Uso – discussing needed changesNext July (2019), our Nigerian Mission Fields will re-start their joint Seminary program. This time we will work with 22 men who desire to become part of the full time called worker core that we have there. Christ the King Lutheran Church of Nigeria (in Akwa Ibom State) hopes to more than double their ministerium of 9 pastors, bring 10 more to start the seminary program. All Saints Lutheran Church of Nigeria is also hoping to make a sizeable jump from 11 current pastors to add 12 more to the program.

It’s the biggest class we’ve had in many years, maybe ever. Big enough to push some WELS donors to put financial resources together to pay for a new dormitory building and some refurbishing of the current classroom building to accommodate everybody. Understand what I mean by “dormitory” (the new building) – in an effort to keep it simple (= inexpensive), we will have one large room with beds, dressers, and a small desk for each student. With no walls between the “rooms” – the students will get to know each other very well!

Dormitory at All Saints doubles as a place for Bible class. Notice the mosquito nets (one over each bed) in the background

This will keep our Board of Governors very busy. To make things even more interesting, that same Board of Governors, hand-in-hand with the Seminary director, has requested some revision to the seminary curriculum including an increase of classroom time by over 30%. There is a lot of work to be done in the next 8 months from digging a foundation, putting up walls and a roof, beds as well as decisions about who will teach and what books they will use – your prayers are essential to this process!

Theological training campus at Uruk Uso (Christ the King), including football (soccer) field in the foreground, Martin Luther primary school (connected) to the right and the mission house (pink) on the left

Our two sister church bodies in Nigeria currently have a combined membership of over 3,900 members that worship in 57 congregations. Five centuries after Luther’s Reformation the message of God’s salvation by grace alone, through faith alone continues to produce a rich harvest of souls all over the world. God has graciously answered our prayers for more workers in Nigeria. May the Lord continue to shower his grace on our Nigerian brothers and sisters in Christ through a new generation of pastors who serve his people faithfully!

Dan Kroll serves our mission fields in West Africa, and is currently based in Lilongwe, Malawi.

Please pray for those working in fields that are ripe for harvest. Share their story, engage with future news and receive updates. Go to this link to learn more about our mission fields in Africa and how the Holy Spirit is working faith in people’s hearts https://wels.net/serving-others/missions/africa