Wedding in Devon

Last Friday Eleri and I made our way down to Devon. We stayed overnight in a nice AirBnB in South Molton attending on the Saturday a wedding near Braunton on the Ash Barton Estate (more here). The marriage was between a Nigerian lady, Uyo and an Englisham, Richard. We have known Uyo and her family many years. It was a wedding of mixed cultures then but it worked well and we hope that bodes well for the future. A very pleasant day. After the civil ceremony, I spoke from Colossians 3:18, 19 in quite clear terms, I hope. Eleri enjoyed meeing the harpist who was there. A Welsh speaker, of course. (I think this is the right one).

Wedding blessing

https://www.3wallpapers.fr/2015/05/15/wedding-planning/

While many others were busy watching some other wedding last Friday, I was with a family I know well, blessing the newly married bride and groom in their home. We were a small number - just four or five from her family, two from his, them and me, but I read from Deuteronomy and Genesis and Psalm 126 and preached on Genesis 2:24 before some snacks in another room. I was glad to be involved. Congratulations Martha and Chris! Every blessing for the future.

Nigeria Report

With Ani Ekpo

Conference

Conference Speakers

Old friend Engineer Emediong Samuel, former student at London Seminary

On Monday November 20 last I was up very early to head to Heathrow and fly via Frankfurt to Port Harcourt in Nigeria. It took me the best part of the day to get there adn night had fallen when I arrived. The airport arrivals building is not there at the moment and so a makeshift tent is in use. The waft of warm air, the sound of the crickets, the rain and the air of confusion over prcdures all served to remind me of my previous trip 13 years before.

I was collected by my friend Pastor Aniekan Ekpo abkly assisted by a man I remember from before called "Japan" (he's good with motors). This time I was put in a hotel. Fairly basic but with en suite wet room and seatless toilet, a fan and an AC unit. electicity is as intermittent as ever but the hotel and the church have their own generators and the former would cut in fairly soon after any loss of power.

Apart from the introduction of motorised rickshaws in place of motobikes and the obvious upgrades in 'phone technology I could see little difference in the area. Rumuodara is as dirt poor as ever. The sight of a white man is still a novelty (I saw no other in the period of my seven day stay).

The church on the other hand now has its roof completed and a wooden ceiling so that on the one day it rained heavily the noise was very limited. There is also a day school and a seminary, which had not really arrived when I was here last. About 87 children come to the school. I enjoyed their little drumming band on my first morning, when I addressed the assembled children. Whenever asked to give an off the cuff address to children I always turn tothe story of Naaman, which is very child friendy and instructive.

After this, Pastor Ani, a local Baptist pastor and myself headed for a meeting of Acmin (Akwa-Cross Ministerial Network, see here) a ministers fellowship for ministers from Rivers State where we are and the neighbouring state. It was held in Rehoboth Specialist Hospital kindly made available by surgeon Professor Aniekan Ekere (see here). The meeting was in full swing when I arrived. Fairly Pentecostal in its ethos, it was  mixed affair. Ani had asked me to speak and they listened politely. I spoke on What makes a Christian leader, stressing training and commitment.
The main reason for my coming to Nigeria was to give three addressesat a conference on the Reformation organised at the church (The Reformed Baptist Tabernacle). The conference was a two adn half day 15 session job and I spoke three times on various Reformation subjects. It is not easy to make oneself understood but I did my best. Numbers varied greatly over the sessions but we were just about into triple figures by the end. The other speakers varied in quality but some were very good. On the Friday it was native wear. I was kindly provided with a colourful shirt. The weather was good which may have helped attendance.
On the Saturday it was matriculation and graduation. There were also orindations. This seemd a rather unbaptist way of doing things but it is to do with Nigerian laws and the difficulty of establishing legitimacy. This was  long and unusual day for me. Leaving students were given copies of Ryle on the Gospels courtesy of Banner of Truth.
On the Sunday I preached in the morning and spoke to the Sunday School children and the young people. That was again a privilege.
Throughout the time at the church photographs, formal and informal were being taken adn I must appeared in at least five hundred of these.
Although hard work it was good to be away from the computer for a while and to get some reading done. I thoroughly enjoyed the time there and learned a lot. The cultural differences are huge in some ways but the way Aniekan Ekpo and men round him are getting on with the work is most encouraging. I enjoyed meeting the men from the church and also Sammy, Jerry and Bulo, three young New Calvinists from Abuja, Lagos and Jos respectively.
My flight home was  a night time one. It was good to be back.

Midweek Meeting Wednesday November 29 2017

We were only 10 last night but from several different nations originally. It was good just to share something of the recent trip to Nigeria. We also had a very good time of prayer with most taking part, including one person we haven't heard pray before - always a treat. Although this is a difficult time for the church with money shortages and many struggling in one way or another (mostly illnesses) it was a very encouraging time.

Lord's Day November 26 2017

Last Sunday was a bit different, of course, as I was in Nigeria - more on the whole trip at some other point. Suffice to say it was a joy and privilege to be once more at the Reformed Baptist Tabernacle in Rumuodara, Port Harcourt, at the invitation of Aniekan Ekpo. We were still celebrating the reformation as we had done through the week and there was also a celebration to mark a recent wedding and a college promotion that followed on. I preached from Galatians 3:1-14 on justification by faith and said something about the Reformation briefly. Several others took art in that.

In the afternoon I spoke briefly t the Sunday School children and a good session with the young people in the church parlour asking and  answering questions/

All three girls in the picture are called Peace and were in the youth meeting. They form a three peace suit or suite I guess.

A Nigerian Evening

Saturday was a bit different. One of my Nigerian members was celebrating her sixtieth birthday and recent remarriage. We had a service in church and then a do at a church hall up in Edgware. Occasions like these drive home the cultural differences. We started things half an hour later than advertised and the offering for the church was a swaying very public affair. Most had clothing provided by our hosts. The hymns were all good English ones but we sang a Tsekiri chorus. Later the food was all Nigerian (Tsekeri some of it in particular), many of the garments were the same as was the music (bit too loud for me). Oh yes, and there were gifts for everyone with the occasion recorded on a tag inside (which is a change, they used to put it on the outside; for many years we had a toilet brush holder marking the death of this lady's father!) With so many diverse traditions I get fearful sometimes but it more or less works and the gospel keeps us together. (The pics show at the top my friend first with her son then with her new husband).

Lord's Day April 28 2013

We were all sobered yesterday to think of the tragic death in Madagascar. We were a good number and there were quite a few there who haven't been for a while for one reason or another. We had a particularly large Nigerian contingent (at least 16) and nine children went through to Sunday School. In the morning we came into 1 Corinthians 3 and the matter of spiritual immaturity. I've preached through the book once before but I feel like I'm newly exploring what Paul is saying and seeing it so much more clearly. I think the congregation is with me. Our evening congregations are always smaller. We looked at Numbers 31:1-24 and the day of judgement.

Nigerian Wedding

It was great on Saturday to be at the wedding of one of the members of our congregation Yemisi as she married Emmanuel Akinfenwa. We have known Yemisi most of her life so it was a great joy to see. The wedding was at St Marylebone parish church (Emmanuel's dad is Archbishop of Ibadan - it was good to meet him and his wife) where I preached the homily then at the very swish One Mayfair. I have never seen bride and groom put on their own like this. Trends come and go I guess. Apparently it's called a sweetheart table. (I'd also not seen the throwing of the bouquet actually happen either). Emmanuel is a very talented guy. He not only sang but played saxophone too. We wish them every future blessing.

Persecution Nigeria

The Barnabas Fund ask us today to “Pray without ceasing” for Christians in Nigeria as “… a palpable terror is being unleashed in Christians so that Sunday is transformed from a day of worship in to a day of fear”. These were the words of a church leader in Jos following a second church bombing in the space of two weeks. The attack happened 10 minutes into a Sunday service on 11 March; seven people died in the blast. Later that same day, gunmen ambushed Christians in Chungwi village, killing three people. Nigerian Christians are under constant threat as Boko Haram seeks to eradicate Christians from the North. Pray for grace for our brothers and sisters, and that even in the face of such violence they will respond in love and not retaliate.

A previous prayer request stated that on 4 March, militant Islamist group Boko Haram has declared “war” on Christians in Nigeria. A spokesman said that that they were planning coordinated attacks to “eradicate Christians from certain parts of the country”. Two days later, they followed this up with a threat to kidnap Christian women. Boko Haram, which has been fighting to establish an Islamic state in Northern Nigeria since 2009, has committed numerous attacks against Christians and the security forces; these have intensified this year after the group issued a three-day deadline on New Year’s Day for Christians to leave the North. Pray that the authorities will be able to restrain Boko Haram’s violent menace, and that Christians will be protected from further attacks.

Another report stated that at 7.20am on Sunday 26 February, a suicide bomber forced his way into the grounds of the Church of Christ (COCIN) HQ in Jos. Two women and an 18-month-old child were killed and around 50 people were injured as the vehicle sped past a security checkpoint and exploded three metres from the church building. Pray for the families of those who died in this attack, that they will find comfort in the Lord. Ask that He will also grant healing to those who were injured in this bombing, and in a similar attack at a church in Suleja, near the capital, Abuja, on Sunday 19 February. Pray for protection for the Christian community in Jos; prior to this attack, a list of potential Boko Haram targets, which included the COCIN headquarters, had reportedly been found.

PS The latest edition of Grace Magazine featrues Nigeria

Chief Paul Achimugu

It was my privilege last Saturday to be at a memorial service for a Nigerian friend, Chief Dr Paul S Achimugu, who died back in February at the age of 66.

An early press release announced his death this way

Dr. Paul Achimugu, a leading Kaduna-based businessman died yesterday in London. He was 66 years old.

Achimugu was the chairman of the board of a number of business organisations, including the defunct Eagle Bank Ltd.; Arewa Textiles; Zaria Industries, and Arewa Cotton and Allied Company Limited.

According to family sources, the late businessman had been receiving medication in a London hospital over a protracted illness before he was transferred to his residence in the British capital city, where he breathed his last in the early hours of yesterday.

A scion of the late Chief Peter Achimugu, a minister in the Northern Regional Government of Sir Ahmadu Bello, the Sardauna of Sokoto, Dr Paul Achimugu was born on December 10, 1944 in Idah in the present Kogi State.

He had a distinguished career in the civil service before he went into business following his retirement.

Dr Achimugu is survived by his wife, 9 children and several grandchildren.

Arrangements for his burial will be announced by his family soon.

With others, I was asked to pay tribute. This is what I wrote:

2 Samuel 1:19 Your glory, O Israel, lies slain on your heights. How the mighty have fallen!

It was my privilege to have known Paul Achimugu for a period of over 25 years, indeed from the time I began as pastor at Childs Hill Baptist Church in 1983. I want to acknowledge here his respect for and love to me as a younger man than himself and occasional acts of kindness that I am still grateful for.

At first, I was unaware of his prestige back home in Nigeria and his many achievements. In some ways I was at an advantage in that, getting to know and admire the man before I was fully aware of his honours and successes. It was only as the years went by that I began to be aware of his significance as a chief and in the world of business and with the YMCA.

Most of what I learned about his achievements came from others. Not that Mr Achimugu tried to hide his life in any way. He was quite happy to explain to an ignoramus like me what a cotton gin was or to laugh with me regarding the novelty that his skin colour was for the Japanese. I remember asking him too about the Qua Iboe Church's Peter Achimugu College of Theology and his simply saying, with no trace of pride, “it was named for my late father”.

I last saw him shortly before the Lord took him and he was full of Scripture. All those verses he had stored away, especially as a young man, were now rising to the surface, as it were, and what comfort they were to him. I cherish the memory of a man at death's door, yet being sustained by the Word of God.

I also remember the dignified and God-centred way he conducted himself at the time of Timothy's tragic death. What a model of dignity and of submission. He was determined to look to the Lord. His whole conduct seemed to say with Job “shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?”

These examples from the end of his life are consistent with all that I saw in Mr Achimugu in the previous years of happiness and sadness, good times and bad.

The verse I have quoted above from 2 Samuel refers, of course, to the deaths of King Saul and his son Jonathan. They were “the chief ornament and pride of Israel” just as, in many ways, Paul and Timothy were “the chief ornament and pride of the Achimugu family”. It is right then that we mourn and grieve. However, it is right too that we look to God with hope. The same God who sustained them and brought them safe home will sustain us and bring us safe home too, if we look to him. What God gave to Israel following the death of Saul and Jonathan was even greater than what they had known before. Great David's greater son, the Lord Jesus Christ, is on the throne, and the God who kept Paul and Timothy on earth until he was ready to take them to himself in heaven will keep us too, until his time.

I also spoke briefly making that same point that we should grieve but that we should not grieve without hope.

Nigerian funeral

Most of my day has been spent at a funeral that I was taking part in. I know one or two Nigerian families that have a London base though they spend varying amounts of time in Africa. I have known well respected and now retired Chief Achimugu and his large Igala speaking family since I first came to the church here. I'd not met many Africans before them and it was wonderful to get to know him and his large family. Because the family are rather spread between here and Nigeria it took a while to get to know everyone's name and I'm still not always 100% sure which name goes with which person!

A little over 20 years ago we learned that another baby was on the way – in fact it was twins! Like most of my own and unlike their Nigerian born siblings, Timothy and Martha were born in the Royal Free Hospital.

In my mind, those births only seem a month or two ago. Because I haven't seen Timothy and Martha that often, it's like a series of snapshots in my mind. First, they are newborn babies (she with earrings, him not), then toddlers, then there around 5 or 6, then 9 and suddenly teenagers and so recently a lovely young woman and a smart young man. And I assumed I would go on collecting snapshots as the two became older. However a few short months ago Timothy contracted a virulent form of cancer and died just under two weeks ago.

The whole family are professing believers and it was a privilege to be present at the burial where they sought to express their great grief and their absolute confidence in God. One of the sons, Emmanuel, had worked out a careful programme of hymns (Rock of ages, Great is Thy faithfulness, etc) readings and tributes. The UK chaplain for the Anglican Church of Nigeria Canon Ben Enwuchola led, family members spoke and read, I preached and a Charismatic pastor led in prayer (the only jarring note for me was the round of applause for Jesus - those after the tributes are simply cultural). We used the south chapel at Hendon Cemetery then proceeded to the interment, where I prayed and read Psalm 23. It was the most distressing moment especially for Mrs Achimugu. The earlier tributes brought me to tears. Martha is 21 in April. The idea of facing such an unknown is hard to imagine.

We then headed back to the chapel here where food had been laid on. I enjoyed the opportunity to eat fried plantain, jollof rice, puff puff, etc and to drink Supermalt, as well as talk with the family members and some of their many friends. Chief Achimugu spoke again later, full of faith and full of Scripture. It was a privilege to be there.

(I left as most people were going. I think we avoided a clash with our Korean friends who meet at the church two Thursday evenings a month - I love being in London!).

Persecution in Nigeria

I came across this item recently here
Amidst international reports of the recent Christian-Muslim violence in Jos, the capital of Nigeria’s Plateau State, Nigerian Christians are presenting a different and disturbing picture

According to local Christian sources, the violence began on Sunday 17 January in the Nasarawa Gwong area of Jos. Two hundred Muslim men gathered to renovate a house belonging to a Muslim and began chanting intimidating slogans. Muslim youths nearby interpreted these as a call to arms and attacked a church during a worship service. They destroyed the church and went on to loot and burn Christian homes, church buildings and shops. At one church the youths, dressed in military uniform, ransacked the pastor’s office and bedroom and “arrested” six young Christians. The theological college at Bukuru was reported to be under siege. Another Nigerian Christian source commented that, amidst the chaos, Christian leaders were being particularly targeted.

Although there has been no official figure from the Nigerian government, there could be around 300 dead. Thousands have fled their homes; some reports put this figure as high as 18,000. Church leaders have received distress calls from all over Jos from people fleeing the violence. The whereabouts of the Nigerian President, who has been in hospital in Saudi Arabia, is now unknown.

The State Police Commissioner, Mr Greg Ayanting, said in a media interview that the attack by Muslim youths on the church was unprovoked. Since then, however, Nigerian news sources have reported that Mr Ayanting has been redeployed. Christians believe he has been targeted because of his frankness.

The reports from Christians in Nigerian make three specific claims: that Muslim army commanders may have helped the rioters; that Muslim journalists have conducted a disinformation campaign; and that the attacks were premeditated by Muslims, perhaps as part of a plan to stifle Christians in Nigeria. They acknowledge that some Christians have retaliated and do not excuse their actions but they believe the principal blame for the unrest lies elsewhere.

Were the Muslim rioters helped by the military?

Many of the attacks on Christians were made by people in military uniform. Local Christians believe that they were Muslim youths whose uniforms were supplied by Muslim officers to facilitate their attacks on Christians. Reports indicate that the Muslims were “heavily armed with guns and sophisticated weapons” but the Christians “had only stones and the likes”.

Christians believe it is significant that the senior officers now in command in Jos are Muslims. It is also reported that the military sent to bring order to the situation appear to be splitting along religious lines.

Is the media being manipulated by local Muslims?

One Christian source indicates that the Muslims claimed they were reacting to the refusal of some local people to allow the rebuilding of the Muslim man’s house, which stands in a mainly Christian area and was destroyed in the riots of November 2008. But, says the source, the story has been “maliciously changed in the international media controlled by the Muslims” to centre on rebuilding a mosque. This, say the local Christians, may have been intended to gain sympathy from Muslims around the world.

A Christian leader in Jos states that Muslims manipulate the media locally and are now doing the same internationally in order to discredit the Church. He also says that Muslims have already carried false reports about the conflict.

Is there a “grand design” to smother Christianity in Nigeria?

As in the rioting of November 2008, Christians believe that the violence did not break out spontaneously. They believe there is evidence of premeditated attack and there are suggestions that some Muslims are working to foment trouble for Christians as part of a “grand design” to “smother Christians and Christianity” in Nigeria.
Dr Patrick Sookhdeo, International Director of Barnabas Aid, comments,

“The voice of the Christians of Jos must be heard. Sadly, it seems that Christians have moved from defence to retaliation, and we cannot condone that. Our brothers and sisters have been victimised in what they believe to be a premeditated attack. Please pray for all who have suffered in this violence, and pray that Christians will cease to retaliate.”

Christians are striving to be heard and their plight should stimulate all Christians to prayer on their behalf.

Drink Malta

I don't normally drink this stuff but our Nigerian friends brought some to the fellowship lunch on Sunday. If you like stout it's too sweet but I like it. It's very popular in West Africa. Wikipedia says:

Malta is a type of brewed but non-alcoholic soft drink. A carbonated malt beverage, it is brewed from barley, hops, yeast and water much like beer. Corn and caramel colour may be added. It is similar in colour to stout (dark brown) but very sweet, generally described as tasting like molasses. Unlike beer, ice is often added to malta when consumed. A popular way for Latin Americans to drink it is mixed with condensed/evaporated milk (increasing the drink's already high caloric value).
Most malta is brewed in the Caribbean and can be purchased in areas with substantial Hispanic populations. It is also popular in Colombia and Venezuela (with a Caribbean Coast). However, malta is brewed worldwide and is found in many parts of Africa eg Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon and the Indian Ocean. Malta Guinness is brewed under license internationally.
Malta originated in Germany, as Malzbier (malt beer), a malty dark beer whose fermentation was interrupted at circa 2% ABV, leaving quite a lot of residual sugars in the finished beer. Up to the 1950s, Malzbier was considered a fortifying food for nursing mothers, recovering patients, the elderly, etc. Malzbier in its native form was finally superseded during the 1960s by its modern form, formulated from water, glucose syrup, malt extract and hops extract, which had been on the market since the latter half of the 19th Century, notably in Denmark. Such formulated drinks are to be called Malztrunk (malt beverage) according to German law, since they are not fermented. In colloquial use, Malzbier has nevertheless remained, along with other nicknames such as Kinderbier (children's beer). Some native Malzbiere can still be enjoyed in Germany, notably in Köln, where the taps of breweries Malzmühle and Sion sell it alongside their traditional Kölsch. Many German breweries have a malta in their range, sometimes produced under licence (eg Vitamalz).
Malta is also occasionally called "champagne cola" by some brands. However, there is a separate type of drink with this name, having a flavour and consistency more akin to cream soda. Despite this appellation, neither drink is achampagne or a cola.
Due to its distinctive colour, malta is sometimes known as black brewed beer. It is high in B vitamins. Some breweries, eg Albani Breweries Ltd of Denmark, fortify their non-alcoholic malta beverages with Vitamin B complex. Albani claim on their website to have been the first brewery to create non-alcoholic malt beverages in 1859.

More here.

Last Week

It's only now that I'm catching up with myself and last week's activities. I made another dash to Newport last Thursday to see my dad who was in hospital. He's out now and making a good recovery from his operation. (The pic was taken earlier this year).

The night before my friend Ani Ekpo from Port Harcourt, Nigeria, was with us. I had the privilege of speaking at a ministers' conference organised by Ani just under three years ago. It was good to have fellowship again. Ani has a fine Reformed Baptist congregation and having organised pastors' fellowships and conferences in recent years he has now launched out with a Seminary for pastors. Some 16 men are training with lectures on several evenings a week. What a man of vision he is. We also talked about the setting up of an Evangelical Library in PH.