By Nsisong Morgan
The Shining Light Kingdom Builders Church on Sunday, July 23, 2017, raised funds to support gospel missionaries who work in rural areas in the FCT.
The event, which took place at Silverbird Galleria, Abuja, brought smiles to the faces of 40 missionaries, who preach the gospel in hard-to-reach areas in the FCT and nearby states.
On hand to witness the fundraiser by members of the Shining Light Kingdom Builders Church were guests and friends of the church, who took turns to make donations.
The event was also an opportunity for those on hand to participate in the service that heralded the donations made to the missionaries.
In his sermon, the host pastor, Tunde Dada, called on Christians to preach the gospel, whenever they have the opportunity.
Dada, who preached on the topic “The Rewards of Christians is in Heaven,” charged Christians to always prioritise service to God and support missionaries across the country.
According to him, missionaries deserve all the support they can get as they regularly sacrifice their comfort and risk their lives to promote Christianity.
He encouraged the Christian Association of Nigeria and other churches not to relent in funding interventions for missionaries and even assisting their families.
“We are trying to get other people involved as well, but right now we are actually on our own. We have members of other churches, who come to us individually but right now we do not have corporate sponsors,” Dada said.
When it was time for them to speak, the missionaries could not hold back their joy. They expressed gratitude to God and the church for its kind gesture. They also reiterated their commitment to spreading the word of God, especially among those in the hinterland.
Evidently moved by the donations made to him and others, Pastor Amorji Solomon, who works with Christian Missionary Foundation, Tudungu, commended Dada and his congregation.
Solomon disclosed that, even though he was aware that missionary work was not for the faint-hearted, the high level of underdevelopment in rural areas has made his job much harder.
“The road is very bad in Basa community, where I carry out my missionary work, though it is not far from the city centre. It should be a two-hour drive from town, but because of the bad roads, you can drive for five hours to get to these people.
“When you finally reach the community, there is no water, no electricity or even a hospital,” he said.
A female missionary, Grace Umoh, who preaches in the Tubwa area of the FCT, said she has survived by God’s grace: “As a female missionary, many people have come physically to attack me, many of them come with blows.
“The Fulani herdsmen attempted to rape me but my God gave me victory. My family asked me what is wrong with me to take up this kind of calling, that often puts me at risk and they have denounced me?”
Umoh also joined in calling for government to invest in the rural poor as the Tubwa settlement, where she works lacks basic infrastructure.
Another female missionary, Yinka Fayomi, applauded the generosity of Shinning Light Kingdom Builders Church , adding that there was a need for other churches, wealthy Christians and friends of the church to fund the project.