Kingdom Opposition
Ngwenche, also a former Muslim, became a Christian as a young adult and soon thereafter heeded the missionary call. After graduating from the Foursquare Gospel Church missions school, he decided his first mission field would be his family; his Muslim parents were the first to convert.
"My family members became the first members of the church I planted in my village," he said.
In April of 1997, he planted the Nasarawa state's first Foursquare Gospel Church in Aban village, which today has about 100 members. He's also planted a church in Agyaga with 60 members; in Ningo village, 20 members; and in Goho village, 25 members. Other villages where his church plants are budding are Ninga, Anjida, Andaha and Buku.
On the whole, Ngwenche has planted 18 churches in eight years with a total of about 300 members. While developing 26 pastors as well as missionaries working in 22 areas, Ngwenche has seen opposition rear its ugly head.
"In 1989, I planted two churches in the villages of Nunku and Nunku Chu," he said. "These villages were Muslim villages. I was frustrated there; I was beaten up by the Muslims, our church was attacked and all we had was destroyed."
The 15 members the church in Nunku, including 14 converts from Islam, scattered. Likewise, the 25 members of the church in Nunku Chu dispersed; 15 of those members had been Muslim. The two churches existed for just one year.
Because of the opposition he faced in those two villages, Ngwenche moved to Akwanga to plant the church he's now leading. Of its 34 members, three are converts from Islam.
Copyright 2005 Compass Direct
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