WORK OF EMPOWERMENT BY THE EARLY CHRISTIAN MISSIONARIES IN NIGERIA AND ITS IMPACT ON THE CHURCH

PAPER DELIVERED AT THE 2022 CLERGY WORKSHOP OF METROPOLITAN LAGOS HELD BETWEEN 19^TH – 20^TH JANUARY, 2022 AT THE CATHEDRAL OF ST. JUDE, EBUTE-META, DIOCESE OF LAGOS MAINLAND, LAGOS.

INTRODUCTION: A ministry in the sense of this paper is seen as service to God and to other people in Jesus name. Jesus provided a pattern for Christian ministry – He came, not to receive service but to give it. “Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” (Matt 20:28) He demonstrated the example in John 13:1-17, specifically in verse 15 & 16 he gave an order “For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him.”

THE ORIGINAL PLAN OF GOD FOR PROVISION

The account of Genesis 1 and 2 makes it clear that God planned for humanity to enjoy the beauty, abundance and fruitfulness of creation. In the Idyllic setting of the Garden of Eden, the first humans, found a rich, fertile place and humanity was intended to prosper in every sense. God provided an abundance of resources and means for humans to flourish. “God blessed them” Gen.1:28. The word “blessing” or “blessed” is central feature of the Biblical story. Later, even from the barrenness of the wilderness, the people of Israel find daily provision from God, in the form of manna (Exodus 6) and water gushing out from the rock (Exod.17). The abundant wealth of God’s creation is discovered further in the biblical narrative by the people of Israel when they finally reached the Promised Land. It is a land “flowing with milk and honey” rich with all the ingredients needed to live according to God’s design. Deuteronomy records the promise made to God’s people in the desert, that they would find on earth everything they need to prosper. “For the LORD your God is bringing you into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and springs, that flow out of valleys and hills; a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive oil and honey; "a land in which you will eat bread without scarcity, in which you will lack nothing; a land whose stones are iron and out of whose hills you can dig copper.” (Deut.8:7-9)

It therefore means that from the beginning, God perfectly provisioned the  world for humans to thrive. The good earth yielded food when human exercise their God-given ability to “till it and keep it”. Gen.2:15. God’s intent is that people would not merely subsist, but have good things in abundance “be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it.” (Gen.1:28). God gives people the capacity to understand the natural world so that we make use of its resources (Gen.2:20). Human work and ingenuity are more than capable of developing God’s creation to provide abundantly for all people. In partnership with the Creator, we are to make creative use of the resources of the earth, growing and innovating, creating new products, improving on the original. There was more than  enough raw materials to go round. This is in stark contrast to the principle of scarcity that applies to most goods and  materials at post-Eden economy.

At our best, we humans have cooperated with God amazingly well in developing His creation. Whether it be on agriculture, harnessing of mineral resources like coal, oil, gas, wind and water for power generation. All such development that enriches our lives are expressions of co-creation. The capacity to innovate, produce and develop is part of what it means to be made in God’s image.

REBELLION OF THE FIRST ADAM – Gen. 3 has a catastrophic effect on all creation, not just their relationship with God, but also then capacity to draw provision and create wealth from the land. The fall demonstrate that when we break our relationship with God, we create economic problems with all sorts of other evils. People began to live under a curse and a blessing. This has significant implications for work. The land productivity and fruitfulness was deeply impaired by the breaking of relationship, prompting God to say to Adam in Gen.3:17(b)-19(a) “Cursed is the ground for your sake; In toil you shall eat of it All the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, And you shall eat the herb of the field. In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread Till you return to the ground,” As a result of this many people were unable to obtain basic provision and necessities of lives.

THE NEED FOR FISHERS OF FISHES (PROVISION OF HUMANS’ NEEDS)

About 1.4 billion of the world’s population lives in extreme poverty, meaning they lack the basic necessities of life. A further 1.1 billion live at subsistence level, on a kind of “hand-to-mouth” existence that is only one crisis away from disaster.[1] Economic poverty affects nearly 40 percent of humanity. Given what we have seen in Genesis 1 and 2, this is clearly not how God intended things to be. So why is this the daily reality of so many people?

Some people are unable to provide for their needs because of disability, illness, age or other factors that aren’t anyone’s fault. In the Old Testament, three such groups of people were particularly vulnerable—“the widow, the orphan and the foreigner.” Anticipating this, the Hebrew Law contained regulations that would ensure these people were provided for. Zechariah is typical of the Prophets when he writes: “Thus says the Lord of hosts: Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another; do not oppress the widow, the orphan, the alien, or the poor” (Zechariah 7:9-10).

NIGERIA IN FOCUS

Nigeria is a large country both in terms of size and population with mammoth natural resources and valuable farm produce that grows on their soil yet the number of poor ever-increasing geometrically. On a daily basis, both newspaper and internet media overflowing with incorrigible reports such as; ‘More than 2000 people perished yesterday of extreme poverty, 100 children dead of malaria because they could not afford hospital bill, 20 people died of Lassa fever while guzzling Gari, 18 people lost their lives in unavoidable collision because of bad road, 12 people died of Ebola virus, many Orphan die on scavenging for food, thousands of Internally Disperse person lost their life in starvation, etc.

It is pertinent to note that Nigeria was rated among top twenty poorest countries in the whole world because of poverty that predominantly mete out despite the amount of crude oil, natural gas produced in Nigeria. As the decades have gone by, the number of poor increasing day by day. The poor die in hospital where there is no drug, in villages that lack anti-malarial bed nets, in houses that lack safe drinking water.

The hardship of poverty in Nigeria had broadened to every corner with catastrophic effect on both men and women, old and young, educated and non-educated, military and paramilitary, government parastatal and civil servant which leads more than 80 percent Nigerian to live under precarious condition. In the light of this, millions of human souls on earth are living with severe appalling poverty and horrendous condition which is quite alarming. In fact everyone is talking about poverty mitigation and some strategies to be charged for its alleviation.

Poverty is a topical issue in Nigeria and its reality is manifested in worsening incidence and severity over the years, despite the vast human and natural resource, economic and human potentials the country is blessed with. The issue of poverty is multidimensional and encompasses issues such as inadequate income, malnutrition and poor social status especially in the rural area. In the light of this, Bello dichotomizes the reflection of poverty into absolute and relative poverty. He defines absolute poverty otherwise known as extreme poverty as a situation in which people barely survive, where the next meal may literally to be a matter of life or death. He confirmed that relative poverty on the other hand, is a situation where by there is lack of income necessary to satisfy essential non-food such as clothing, energy and shelter, and exists as long as there is inequality in income and wealth distribution.

FROM AN ATTITUDE OF OWNERSHIP (GOD) TO TRUSTEESHIP (THE CHURCH)

The first humans were directed by God to take care of the Garden and all creatures and plants within it. This is often called the “creation mandate.” God shared the day-to-day management of the Garden with Adam and Eve. They were to view themselves as caretakers of the created order.

This trusteeship is built on the principle that ultimate ownership of everything we have and inhabit is not ours, but God’s. God is the owner, who has entrusted management to us, to be exercised according to his purposes. As the Psalmist declares, “The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it” (Psalm 24:1). King David affirms the same in his prayer in front of the people of Israel, at the establishment of the Temple building fund. “All things come from you, and of your own have we given” (1 Chronicles 29:14b ). We have no right to claim absolute ownership of any of our resources, neither money, possessions, business, abilities, physical environment nor heritage. We are merely trustees of whatever provision or wealth we receive, either as individual or the Church.

Acting as trustees of whatever wealth we have been given, is therefore foundational to a biblical perspective on provision and wealth. These resources are not for us to do with as we please. How we use them is not our business alone either. God expect distribution that is the focus of this paper. The Church which is the custodian of God’s wealth both spiritual and physical is expected to share and build up more rich men and women.

EMPOWERING OTHERS AS FISHERS OF MEN

Are we doing missionary ministry in ways that reflect Christ?

"God's Way is not a matter of mere talk; it's an empowered life." -- 1 Corinthians 4:20.

When Jesus gave His Great Commission, He wasn't simply assigning a task to people. He was empowering them. Indeed, the verb "to commission" carries some of the same nuances as the verb "to empower."

Empowerment means giving people authority and power. Jesus did not hesitate to do that. Though His earthly ministry lasted only three years, the Gospels mention instances of Jesus sending followers out on short-term peaching/healing/deliverance missions. More importantly, Jesus empowered others for the future when He would not be there. For example, the night before His crucifixion, Jesus said to His closest disciples: "You will do greater things than this" (John 14:12). Because those words exuded trust and gave people permission to dream, the message was empowering.

Empowerment does not mean shoving people out the door and leaving them to flounder with no mentoring or accountability structures. Jesus debriefed those he sent out two-by-two. His Great Commission includes the words, "I will be with you."

The Apostle Paul followed Jesus' example of empowering leadership. As Paul made his missionary journeys, he appointed "elders" or leaders for the churches he planted. Then, he kept in touch with these churches, writing letters to them and visiting them. When a pastor/evangelist needed some training, Paul turned to a couple from Rome, Aquila and Priscilla. Paul also empowered people like Titus and Timothy by making them "overseers" or superintendents of groups of churches. These are the perfect examples set for us by Jesus and Paul the Apostle in making fishers of men.

Global missionaries dream about reaching lost people (or at least they should!) One potent way of turning such dreams into reality is to empower newly-developing churches and their leaders. Among other things, empowering others multiplies the reach and effectiveness of evangelistic and discipleship ministries.

Most times, the small; parishes with zeal in evangelism, mission and discipleship needed help from either the bigger dioceses/parishes in order to empower the struggling churches to expand Christ kingdom. For instance, there are many areas in the rural that are crying for pastors, evangelists but for lack of fund, they have been left to be harvested by other denomination. Those that has no capacity to sustain them in the faith. This area calls for concern at this workshop.

THE ROLE OF THE CHURCH AND HER PEOPLE

When we are genuinely aware of the presence of God’s grace in our lives, our grateful hearts inevitably overflow into generous giving. Jesus directs his disciples, “Freely you have received, freely give” (Matthew 10:8).  This is exactly what happened to the churches in Macedonia, as described in 2 Corinthians, chapters 8 and 9. These chapters form the fullest articulation in the New Testament of the practice of generosity and giving. According to Paul, the Macedonian churches spontaneously gave to the church in Jerusalem for the relief of its members enduring economic distress. Yet the Macedonian Christians themselves were poor. Paul tells us that we have a responsibility to lift up our brethren.

During a severe ordeal of affliction, their abundant joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. For, as I can testify, they voluntarily gave according to their means, and even beyond their means, begging us earnestly for the privilege of sharing in this ministry to the saints.” (2 Corinthians 8:2-4)

What is striking is that they did not give out of abundance, but in the midst of their own struggles. If we are ever to become givers, we have to begin giving now, out of whatever little we think we have. If we wait until we think we have enough, we will never have enough.

Paul observes that Jesus himself is the model for such giving. “For you know the generous act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9). Why are we to give? It is because the One whom we follow modeled generosity to us.

The big BUT here is that in giving it must be to teach the people how to fish and not always giving fishes. This will take the form of empowerment that will be discussed in the course of this lecture.

EXAMPLES OF HOW MEN CAN BE EMPOWERED

It is not enough to just talk about fishing, learn about fishing, or desire to fish. To be a GOOD fisherman, you must actually do something. You must wet a hook – engage in the process of fishing. Peter and the other disciples understood this when Jesus told them to cast their net on the right side of the boat (John 21:6). They caught an incredible amount of fish – impossible though unless they had been willing to actually cast the net. Likewise, we all must cast the net as GOOD fishermen of men. Your neighbor, coworker, family member, or anyone with whom you come into contact need the message of Jesus Christ for salvation. Opportunities are everywhere. We must take advantage of those opportunities and lovingly share the great news of the Gospel.

Jesus our ideal master and teacher showed more than enough examples to follow that it is not only that we concentrate on being fishers of men but to also pay attention to other needs to present a complete Gospel. In the feeding of both 5,000 and 4,000 people as recorded in Matth.14:13-21 and Matt.15:29-39. These events are demonstrations that Jesus though care for the Spiritual wellbeing of the people, is also compassionate for their physical and material needs. This is a strong message to the Church that while we are fishing for men, their welfare and needs are equally important. This was the reason for Paul’s collection for the Macedonia.

SOCIAL CONCERN OF THE CHURCH

The Church must explore the possibility of introducing such social services that will impact the life of the ordinary person in the church and community which may translate into future spiritual, physical and financial gain to the Church.

• Institute Scholarship Fund or Education Grant or Bursary
• Establish low fees school in the community with volunteer teachers.
• Engage Christian Doctors in organizing free medical care
• Serve free clothes, shoes, food etc occasionally as may be available
• Engage the church in public work of sweeping, clearing and simple construction work in the community

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1. Create smart goals:

Dioceses should create time bound developmental goals that reflect their immediate environment. We all have mission and vision statement but here I speak of specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-based goals.

1. Prioritize membership growth

Church growth requires all hands on deck, everyone needs to be motivated to participate in growing the church membership. For a Diocese to Develop Annual Consistent program with a conscious effort to grow her membership and increase church resources, these are needed:

1. Create a simple Church Growth Mission Statement and run with it.
2. Apply quarterly or annual Church Growth Diocesan Programs such as Mission 1-1-3 “Win one soul, Disciple one soul in three months”
3. Train your people in soul-winning strategies and send them out – apply Jesus principles.
4. Recognize and follow up opportunities for church growth – move of community development.

1. Build stronger Children and Youth Programme

A church that does not focus on her children and youths is bound to fall or even die with time. Younger church members are essential to build your church today and tomorrow. Your application may differ from that of other Diocese but do apply some of the following among others.

1. Induct and register your youths – know them
2. Institute and encourage physical and spiritual programs that appeal to them,
3. Create opportunities for them to serve – Youth Sunday, Ushering, Volunteer Services etc.
4. Create older groups to help attend and solve youth challenges
5. Open communication.

1. Establish and Build Institutions

Depending on available human and capital resources, attempt should be made by every Diocese to continue to build and more infrastructure and investments. Build institutions that serve your environment. Non-profit and for profit institution such as:

• Schools of various levels
• Hospitals and Diagnostic centres
• Printing Press
• Water Factory
• Bakery
• Plant and Annual Husbandry
• Small Scale Industrial Enterprises – Tissue Paper factory, Animal Feeds production Flour Mill, Fruit drinks, etc.

Skill acquisition to be encouraged

Inter Diocesan Experience for Clergy workers will be useful.

CHARACTERISTICS OF GOOD FISHERS OF MEN - Luke 5:1-12

1. They catch fish. They do more than talk about fishing in meetings. Neither do they allow themselves to be caught up in such maintenance activities as repairing their nets, buying the latest lures, or giving seminars to others about how to fish. They are productive people who have something to show for their efforts. You know them by the fruit of their labors.
2. Fishermen are passionate about fishing. In many cases they would rather fish than do anything. They do not mind all of the hassles of long hours because they are satisfied with the processes, purposes, and identities that come with their lifestyle. Fishing is more than just a job to them, it is a way of life.
3. Fishermen are unique. They do not mind being misunderstood. They do not mind when people laugh at them about their seemingly lower class standing in the community. They believe that they are on a holy mission from God that transcends social-economic class. They are not afraid of being disliked for what they do, even by their relatives who would prefer that they take a more profitable job somewhere closer to people of power.
4. Fishermen do not get side tracked by disappointments. When someone does not catch a great quantity of fish he does not get discouraged. They are equally concerned about the quantity and quality of their catch. Fishermen are dependent on the Lord for their success just as much as the farmer is dependent on the Creator for his harvests.
5. 5. Fishermen are enterprising without being self-serving. Wise fishermen know that they cannot over harvest their fishing fields or a breeding stock will be killed off. They are able to plan the best times to go fishing. They utilize the best seasonal factors to enhance their experiences. They are patient, waiting on the Almighty God to give them favorable seas where they can bring in the maximum harvest.
6. Fishermen are equipped with tools for all kinds of jobs. In order to accomplish their jobs, fishermen have the latest equipment, knowledge, and machinery to make the most of every opportunity. They constantly read the latest journals, articles, and news bulletins to find the best places, methods, and tools to catch the kind of fish that will be most profitable.
7. Fishermen learn a great deal through on the job training. By never ceasing in their learning about the art and science of fishing they are able to acquire new ideas from just about anyone. They are never too proud to learn from even the youngest or the oldest advisor. They recognize the diversity of gifts, abilities and callings in their profession so as to utilize a wide diversity of people in accomplishing their mission.
8. 8. Fishermen do not sit around and philosophize about fishing. These are men who are busy with the task of bringing fish into their boats to spend time talking about it. They sometimes grow discontent with others who are just spectators or armchair critics. Realizing that they will always have scoffers they have developed a thick skin to handle accusations, misunderstanding, or abuse.
9. 9. Fishermen are contextually wise about how the environment effects the kind of fish they want to catch. They are students of the situational factors that will help them determine the right kinds of bait to suit the fish they want to attract. They realize that one kind of bait will not appeal to every kind of fish. They study the habits of fish through practical experience as well as educative literature that gives them a leg up on their competition.
10. Fishermen realize that by following Jesus, He makes them into fishers of men through a long process. They are humble enough to know that they are always in the process of becoming more like the Master. Never do real fishermen rest on their laurels and insist that they have arrived. They do not demand respect for their accomplishments. These are men who recognize that it is the Spirit’s transformation that changes people into His image and gives lasting blessings without sorrow.
11. Fish Legally – (Follow the rules.) A GOOD fisherman understands and submits to applicable regulations for a particular body of water. This is also true to fishing for men. We must fish God’s way. Jesus says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes to the Father but through me” (John 14:7). People do not receive eternal life or become followers of Jesus Christ by creating their own ways or following their own rules. The only way to obtain eternal life is through Jesus.

12. Use Proper Bait – (The Gospel of Jesus Christ.) A GOOD fisherman uses proper bait to catch the particular species desired. The message of the Gospel draws people to follow Jesus Christ. The story of the birth, life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus is the message of the Gospel for sinful mankind. Jesus willingly chose to sacrifice His life in order to provide eternal life for us. “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned…For if by one man’s offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many. …For if by one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.” (Romans 5:1-21).

13. Have the Right Equipment – (The Word of God.) A GOOD fisherman has and uses the right equipment for the occasion. Likewise, a GOOD fisherman of men uses the right equipment. The Bible teaches that “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God” (Romans 10:17). The only way to have faith is through the declared propositional truth of the Bible.

14. Understand the Right Presentation – (A spirit of grace.) A GOOD fisherman understands how to present the bait or lure to the fish. Often the weather, water conditions, and species demand a particular presentation in order to catch fish. In fishing for men, we must also present the compelling message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ appropriately. The Gospel demands compassion, love, and a spirit of grace. We speak truth in love (Ephesians 4:15). In the process we choose our words wisely, choose the timing of our conversation wisely, and choose the particular aspect of the Gospel to highlight wisely.

15. Have the Right Attitude – (Go with anticipation.) A GOOD fisherman fishes with anticipation of catching fish. It makes it extremely hard to catch fish without the right attitude. This is also true to catching men. We share the Gospel with anticipation of God using our meager efforts to draw people to Himself (John 6:44).

As we seek to present Christ to others, we recognize that ultimately God is the One who draws people to Himself. So regardless of the person, we share Christ resting in God’s grace and mercy to bring salvation (Ephesians 2:1-10). Only the Spirit of God can do the work of salvation in another person’s heart (John 16:8).

CONCLUSION:

For the Church of God in the 21^st Century to fulfill her role in the scheme of the full gospel, she must follow the example of Jesus Christ which apart from preaching and teachings, He engaged in healing and setting people free from bondage of different kinds. He was there for the people at all times, meeting every needs. He was there to still the storm, to provide food for the hungry, to care for the poor, to make the bereaved and the sorrowful happy. The Apostles in like manner in the choice of the seven Deacons in Acts 6:1-7 to be in-charge of the distribution of food while others concentrate on preaching, teaching, evangelism and baptizing. We should follow the ministry of the apostles in sharing and teaching our members how to fish for men to gain spiritual salvation and as well add value to their physical wellbeing.

1. REVD. J. AKIN ATERE Ph.D