I left Nigeria in August of 1983 after two and a half years of teaching high school to Nigerians. The fist time I returned to Nigeria was this August 2019 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the the Great Commission Movement [GCM] (CRU of Nigeria.) It was a delight for me to see how God expanded this ministry, even well beyond it’s boarders.
I was barely 23 years old when I first arrived in Africa. That is a very impressionable age. I spent the next 13 years of my life in four countries across West Africa, beginning with Nigeria. My life will never be the same because of my time in Nigeria. I do not look African. At the same time the American people see is not what they initially think. Africa is a part of me.
When I lived in Nigeria, I was part of the Agape Movement. This was a sort of Christian Peace Corps. At the time all us expatriates had government contracts, in my case to teach secondary school. Because we all raised or finances before we came, we donated our official salaries to the ministry. This in turn allowed GCM to build an office and training center. This training center trained most of the staff for all of English West Africa since the 1980’s. That is literally a concrete contribution to the Gospel in Africa. =}
Because communications were not as they are now, I have not been able to maintain contact with the girls I ministered to. Never-the-less the 50th Anniversary celebration gave me assurances that God used me for His purposes during those short two and a half years.
The Agape staff who attended were able to be part of a panel sharing our experiences in the early years. It was a blessing to share some of the workings of God and His ways in our lives. It also opened doors to individually encourage the newer staff over meals and tea breaks.
Our over seas training braced us that our service was mostly likely going to be more about Christ conforming us to His likeness than it would be about the measurable eternal impact we would have. Our ultimate goal was always to work ourselves out a job.The nationals, who understand the languages and cultures, are best equipped to reach their country with the love of Jesus.
It was a great celebration of the faithfulness of God and those who choose to follow. It was a great joy to see how, instead of approximately 25 predominantly white staff in the 1980s, Nigeria currently has 83 Nigerians, serving full time in 11 different ministry strategies. That does not include the dozens of former staff who still serve God faithfully in other capacities. There are also countless trained volunteers who have been sent into the harvest by the staff over the past 50 years. GCM Nigeria has touched every corner of the country in some way.
I hope you will go back and click on the blue links above. I have also duplicated them in the paragraph to make it easy. Each one gives you access to a deeper look of what God has done through GCM Nigeria over the past 50 years. This link here, if you have Facebook, will connect to most of the long official celebration ceremony in the capital city of Abuja, August 24, 2019. The stories and testimonies are powerful.
It is a honor to be associated with these true laborers and pioneers. May their numbers continue to increase!
*Photo by Nigerian professional
