News
11.01.12 | News
Partner Church of EMS/Basel Mission German Branch in Nigeria Affected by Violence
Latest reports on the tense situation, prayer of intercession, background information
The situation in the West African country remains tense. A former ecumenical co-worker and the Chief Administrator of our partner church “Church of the Brethren in Nigeria” (EYN) have given us reports on the current situation.
We ask for your prayers of intercession and for donations
Account for donations:
Evangelische Kreditgenossenschaft eG
Bank Code 520 604 10 | Account No. 1180
IBAN: DE91520604100000001180
BIC: GENODEF1EK1
designated use: Nigeria
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For further questions do not hesitate to contact our liaison desk secretary, Africa, Riley Edwards-Raudonat: Tel. .: +49 711 636 78 -14,
E-Mail: edwards-raudonat@ems-online.org
Violence in Northern Nigeria Hits Partner Church of Basel Mission German Branch and EMS
Stuttgart. Since the Christmas holidays the North East of Nigeria has been affected by grave violence: the radical Islamic movement “Boko Haram” committed several attacks on churches and gatherings of people and continues to cause great fear and shock. The church of the Brethren in Nigeria (EYN) – partner church of Basel Mission German branch, EMS (Evangelical mission in solidarity, formerly known as Association of Churches and Missions in Southwestern Germany) and Mission 21 – is directly affected by the unrest.
Church members from the city of Mubi, which lies in the core district of the EYN, and also from surrounding places reported about shootings on the open street and about bombs in front of church buildings being deactivated just in time. They tell us that they spent their Christmas holidays at home, full of fear, church services were hardly possible. In the meantime many people are escaping from the city hoping to find a certain amount of security with their relatives in rural villages. “We all flee full of fear, no matter which tribe and which religion”, says Markus Gamache, a member of the EYN.
The state security department does not succeed in catching the ones responsible for the acts of terror, neither are they able to calm the situation. This shows again what could be seen in earlier crises in this country: the public structures in Nigeria are incapable of decisive action. It is this vacuum that radical Islamism has used to build a growing power base in the past years which essentially rests upon the despair of the utterly impoverished population. It unloads itself violently now, especially with regard to the Christian population in the North.
Boko Haram strives for a theocratic state modelled on the Taliban. “Boko Haram” translates “(Western) education is forbidden/sin”. “Boko” derives from the English word “book” and stands for the Western way of living; “haram” derives from the Arab word for “sin” or “forbidden”.
Christine Gühne, former ecumenical co-worker of mission 21 in Northern Nigeria (Mubi) 2007-2010
Prayer of intercession for Nigeria
Jesus Christ, you are the head of all churches and communities in the One World. We thank your for the witness of Christians from abroad in our churches, for all, who live their Christian faith in different cultures, in many different languages and denominations. Bless us with your spirit, bless us with solidarity.
We especially ask you for the refugees who seek protection and for all who are under attack or threatened because of their belief. We ask you to make us instruments of your peace in our society. Holy Spirit, you strengthen and comfort your community and the believers.
Today we especially ask you for the Christians in Northern Nigeria and in the South of Sudan and in Syria. Protect and strengthen them, defend them against those who attack them, strengthen us in prayer and in the active help for Christian minorities all over the world, make us instruments of your peace within the One World.
Susanne Labsch, member of the provisional Mission Council of the EMS (Evangelical Mission in Solidarity), head of the Department of Mission and Ecumenism in the Evangelical Church Council of the Protestant Church of Baden, Karlsruhe.
Translation: Annika Ganter
