The Nigerians Are Coming!

Have any idea what the fifth largest missionary-sending country of the world might be?

Nigeria.

There are now more than 6,600 Nigerians serving as expat mission workers somewhere in the world. And if what I heard the past few days here in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital city, is going to be true, that number will explode several times over in the next few years.

I’ve been attending and participating in a conference called “Blow The Trumpet--The World Mission Mobilization Leadership Summit.” Invited to be one of the ten speakers at the event, I’ve enjoyed getting a brand new feel for the passion and potential of Nigerians as a force in global missions. You can hardly help it when some three hundred and fifty brothers and sisters all around you surge with palpable emotion every time there is a challenge from the platform for recommitment in reaching the remaining unreached of the world.

About half the attendees are pastors of churches. The other half are mission agency leaders. Interestingly, there has been a growing gap between these two groups in recent years as mission endeavor becomes more fragmented and compartmentalized. One of the important objectives of this conference has been to bring the two back together. From the way the concluding sessions have played out with groups of leaders down on their knees at the altar in visible repentance surrounded by others laying hands on them, I believe this objective was definitely achieved.

These are the two talks I was asked to give:

The New Game-Changers in World Mission--Understanding the new dynamics changing the face of world missions and what challenges Global South leaders from Africa must face in order to engage successfully in global ministry.    

Mobilizing African Churches for Global Mission Relevance—Understanding what leads to greatest relevance in today’s global mission outreach and how African churches can effectively mobilize their members to achieve powerful mission impact.

Using my best PowerPoint skills, I tried to lay out just what it will take for the next generation of African mission workers to successfully build God’s Kingdom around the world. From the number of folks lining up afterwards for copies of my presentations, I must have been fairly successful.

Young Nigerians committing themselves to become mission
mobilizers

I also got to lead two break-out sessions on resource development for missions. These were particularly meaningful to me as I offered ideas for practical solutions on raising local support for their ministry endeavors. It even appears that several significant missions may be inviting me back again to run a two day seminar for them just on this topic.

During the three days of this “Blow the Trumpet” conference, I actually did not hear a single trumpet blown. But I’ve certainly sensed the equivalent results of people stirred to a new level of readiness for action and engagement in global missions.

So, better watch out… because the Nigerians are coming!