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Violence Isn’t the Only Threat to Evangelism in Nigeria

The Anglican Archbishop of Jos discusses the gospel's endurance through intense persecution and casual indifference.
Violence Isn’t the Only Threat to Evangelism in Nigeria

In June Benjamin Kwashi, Archbishop of the Anglican Church in Jos, Nigeria, was elected as general secretary of the Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON). Only a few days later, his home in Jos was attacked by Fulani raiders, resulting in the death of his neighbor Adamu Dung. “He was shot through the head because he flashed his light when he heard footsteps of cattle being rustled,” Kwashi wrote on Facebook. “The cows were mine.” This is far from the first time Kwashi has been targeted for religiously motivated violence resulting in tragedy. He and his flock have been under attack for nearly two decades.

Yet external persecution is not the only pressure Kwashi feels against his evangelistic ministry. Timidity is more endemic when it comes to sharing the gospel across the globe. “There was never a time when the apostles handed over anything but a hot potato gospel, one that was sizzling with excitement and power,” he said two days after the raid on ...

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