NIGERIA Appeal
Northern Nigeria - where even your Christian name makes you a target
“We live in a society where being a Christian is a crime. My name betrays me because everyone knows it is a Christian name.” – Catechist Tobias Yahaya
Earlier this year, ACN UK announced Nigeria as their project country for the year, one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a Christian. The quote from Catechist Tobias Yahaya paints a very real, and very disturbing picture of Christian life in Northern Nigeria and the Middle Belt.
Since the beginning of the year, there have been at least 12 reported kidnappings of priests, Sisters, and catechists with an alarming increase of violence throughout the country. In June, over 200 displaced Christians were massacred in Benue State, leaving their homes burned and families attacked with machetes. Bishop Wilfred Anagbe of Makurdi described the situation as: “a genocide against our people.”
Yet, in the face of such darkness, the light of Christ still shines. The faithful remain courageous, resilient, and determined to live out their Faith. But they cannot do it alone. They need your support to help train future priests, build pastoral centres and continue to keep the Faith alive in Nigeria.
HELP THE SUFFERING CHURCH IN NIGERIA >>
HELP THE FAITHFUL IN NIGERIA
ACN continues to support the Church in Northern Nigeria and the Middle Belt by offering key pastoral projects that help to sustain Christian communities under threat. Through your support, you will be standing with the Church in Nigeria, reminding our brothers and sisters that they are not forgotten.
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£25 –
could support a catechist as they share the Gospel in Nigeria, bringing hope and faith to communities.
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£500 –
could help build a Pastoral Centre in Pankshin, Nigeria, ministering to the people through trauma counselling, skills training and spiritual support.
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£250 –
could help train a courageous priest in Nigeria as they continue to bring the love of Christ to hurting communities.
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£75 –
could help foster peaceful communities through interfaith dialogue between Christians and Muslims.
Thank you for your prayers and compassion – you are offering the hope of Christ’s love to those who suffer for our precious faith. Please be assured of our prayers for you and your intentions.
THE SHOCKING TRUTH ABOUT BEING A CHRISTIAN IN NIGERIA
Despite the terrors faced by the Christian community in Northern Nigeria, their faith remains strong and we must continue to support them. ACN is working with the Church in Nigeria to offer spiritual and practical support to those in need
- Trauma counselling for people escaping persecution
- Support for Sisters ministering to the sick and the poorest of the poor
- Training and ongoing support for catechists, seminarians and Sisters
- Mass stipends for priests ministering on the frontline of persecution
- Rebuilding churches and community centres in areas attacked by extremists
You can find more stories and details of the faithful by download the report here
THEIR STORIES – ACN NIGERIA DIARY
ACN’s John Pontifex has recently returned from a fact-finding and project-assessment trip to north-west Nigeria. A remote, desert and periodically volatile area, this was a rare opportunity to get inside in region of Nigeria where Islamic law is tightly enforced and where life for Christians is made worse by an ongoing cycle of violence perpetrated by extremists and bandits. In many parts that John visited, an armed security presence was vital at all times. Despite a climate of oppression and fear, the faithful John met testified to the hope that comes from faith in Christ. So many gave personal witness to the impact ACN is having in the lives of young and old, clergy and lay. This was a common thread John found as he encountered families, be it those living in bustling city streets or those who belong to farming communities in far-flung rural regions.
Your generous gift is a blessing that goes where the needs are greatest. Thank you very much for your prayers and kindness. Your support means the world to our faithful brothers and sisters. Also, please be assured that you and your own intentions will be remembered in their prayers.