100 -- 42nd Annual Brethren Disaster Relief Auction
JAY M OBERHOLTZER
Bold Faith
As I reflect on my January 2018 trip to Nigeria, Africa, to attend the dedication of the EYN (Ekklesiyar Yan 'uwa Nigeria, Church of the Brethren in Nigeria) Technology Centre, one scripture passage comes to mind. Philippians 1:18-21 (NASB) (18) What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed; and in this I rejoice yes, and I will rejoice, (19) for I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayers and the provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ (20) according to my earnest expectation and hope, that I will not be put to shame in anything, but that with all boldness, Christ will even now, as always, be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. (21) For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. As we traveled with Brother Adam (all names in this article have been changed to protect identities) from Abuja to Jos, we talked with him about the terrorism of Boko Haram (roughly translated, Western education is forbidden). Brother Adam shared with us his deep bold faith in Jesus Christ. I soon discovered that I was traveling with a man who was on the top ten hit list of Boko Haram. As we stopped at the 20-30 checkpoints (I lost count) on the 100-mile trip to Jos, staffed by armed guards with AK47s, there was no sign of fear but bold and confident faith. The love of Christ was evident in the way he treated the guards and showed respect. As we traveled, Brother Adam shared about the devastation that has happened to EYN Church, the ongoing threats by Boko Haram and the Fulani herdsman. Throughout our conversation, the posture of EYN as a peace church became evident. Do not retaliate but return good for evil. Seek to live in peace with Muslim neighbors and show them the love of Christ. Demonstrate forgiveness in the midst of the terribly violent brutal loss of family members burned out homes and churches. Endure kidnappings of family members, not knowing if they will be set free, forced to do unthinkable things or killed. In spite of all this, EYN Church continues in bold confident faith sharing and demonstrating the love of Jesus to their Muslim enemies and peaceful Muslim neighbors, many of whom have been hit just as hard by Boko Haram. They care for Muslim widows. They help them rebuild their burned-out homes. What are the some of the results of these non-violent peaceful actions? EYN church is growing at a phenomenal rate. Approximately 100,000 members were added to EYN in 2017. They are seeing Muslims and some members of Boko Haram come to Christ per my recent conversations with Brother Adam. About a day later as we gathered at Brother Adam's personal residence for an evening meal, I had the opportunity to spend some time with one of the leaders of EYN whom I will call Brother Luke. As we shared together, he looked at me with tears in his eyes
expressing deep gratitude for the of suppor t the Church of the Brethren in America, who helped make the EYN Te c h n o l o g y Centre a reality and donated much to relief efforts. He showed deep gratitude toward me for walking a tiny bit where they walk daily and a deep love and concern for our safety while we were there. Yes, a n o t h e r brother with bold confident faith. A f t e r spending time with some of the brothers and sisters at EYN church and traveling in some areas where the blood of saints was spilled for their faith, I will never be the same. I have a love for EYN Church and feel compelled to tell their story. They have mostly suffered in silence because their plight is seldom in the news, especially American news. I was deeply challenged in my faith. My comfortable American perspective was changed. How boldly will I stand for the Gospel? How boldly will I share the love of Jesus? Will I continue to stand unflinchingly for the truth of God's word as recorded in 1 Timothy 3:16 so that I will not be put to shame in anything? How about you? How bold is your faith? Are you remaining true to the Word of God? How can we help and stand with EYN Church 6,500 miles away in Nigeria? I would suggest become informed and pray. Read world news sources. Open Doors USA is doing a lot currently to bring attention to Nigeria's plight. Give to relief efforts. Keep track of what is happening via social media. Check the Church of the Brethren webpage, Nigeria Crisis Response, for updates. Get involved if God stirs your heart. How bold is your faith? Jay M Oberholtzer, is a Deacon at Middle Creek Church of the Brethren