…Tasks them on evangelism
By Danjuma Auta
ECWA President Rev. Dr Job Ayuba Bagat has described current happenings around the world as clear indications that the church was facing imminent danger as many countries are “shutting down windows of evangelism” and called on the church to double its efforts in reaching out to the lost, given Christ’s second coming.
Rev. Bagat gave the charge when he played host to members of Gideons International from the North Central zone who paid him a courtesy visit in his office in Jos.
According to the cleric, many countries are resisting the gospel, hence openly sharing the gospel has become difficult thereby making it expedient for churches to partner with any organization that is committed to the work of the Great Commission.
Rev. Dr Bagat who described Gideons International as a Christian organization that had gained wider acceptability in Christendom because of its impact over the years, expressed worry that many countries are busy putting in place policies that are shutting doors against evangelism, hence the need for the church to rise to the occasion by supporting the Gideons.
Going down memory lane, the ECWA President recalled the ministry of the Gideons, and what made the organization distinct was the strategy of distributing the New Testament and the complete Bible by placing them in hotels, hospitals, prisons, and other strategic places.
He assured that ECWA is fully in support of the Gideons’ ministry, reiterating that the Church would continue to support its activities in whatever way possible.
The cleric also used the forum to call on ECWA churches around the world over to open their doors for the Gideons by providing the organization the desired support at all times.
Responding on behalf of the Gideons, Barr. Iliya Shanding thanked the ECWA President for the warm reception accorded them acknowledging that ECWA has been a strong supporter of Gideons International which according to him had spurred the ministry to be more effective and result-oriented.
He disclosed that the visit to ECWA was to appreciate the church for the support that the Gideons had enjoyed over the years and to see more collaboration between the organization and ECWA.
Barr. Shanding explained that Gideons is receiving encouraging reports on how God is harvesting souls for His kingdom adding that the organization was working towards embarking on aggressive evangelism through the placement of more Bibles in key places and solicited for more support towards achieving that purpose stating that the appointed time for the fulfilment of the end-time harvest is now.
In a similar vein, a group under the aegis of former ECWA Women Fellowship leaders were also at the ECWA Headquarters to congratulate ECWA President, Rev. Dr Job Auba Bagat.
Leader of the delegation and one-time Assistant leader of the ECWA Women Fellowship and current chairperson of the ECWA Christian Education Board, Mrs Rifkatu Chidawa, thanked the ECWA leadership for the warm welcome accorded them.
Mrs Chidawa stated that as past leaders of the EWF, they had continued to keep faith in the ECWA leadership assuring that the fellowship would not relent in praying for the ECWA executive to succeed explaining that as past leaders, they were not coming together to form a parallel group rather they only saw the need to be come together to always pray and support the women fellowship in every way possible for the growth of the fellowship and the church as a whole.
Also contributing one-time secretary of the EWF, Mrs. Lydia Shehu Gar, applauded the ECWA leadership for demonstrating purposeful leadership by allowing women to occupy top positions as Directors and Head of Units in the various ECWA establishments.
Mrs Gar, however, appealed to the leadership to look into the formation of the ECWA Spiritual Mothers in Ministry (ESMIM) so as to guard against what she termed a “clash of interest” among the fellowship groups.
Responding, the ECWA President, Rev. Dr Bagat appreciated the past EWF leaders for identifying with the new ECWA leadership and assured that ECWA under his leadership would continue to do everything possible to continue with the vision of the founding fathers of ECWA.
He also assured the delegation that the ECWA executive would continue to support the ECWA women and other fellowship groups considering their role in advancing the gospel of Christ.
The cleric admonished the women against pursuing things that are capable of derailing them from reaching out with the gospel emphasizing that the time has come for every believer to embrace evangelism as top priority in these end times.
On the issue of EWF and ESMIM, Rev. Bagat said the ECWA executive has set up a committee that is already working on how best ESMIM would be structured to work hand in hand with the women fellowship for effective ministry in ECWA.