Leadership Training Brings Hope to Nigeria’s Most Dangerous Regions

In northeast Nigeria, in a city plagued with insecurity, poverty and the violence of the Boko Horam terrorist insurgency, a group of 348 pastors, church leaders, business leaders and even government officials gathered for a GLS event.

Though it is quite challenging to hold a GLS event in a city whose people face suicide attacks, and destruction of their property and churches, the local team is willing to take the risk to encourage their leaders in the midst of such tragedy. In their context, millions of people are still displaced. Christians are facing particular hardship under a Muslim dominated government, leaving the most vulnerable among them in deeper strife, including orphans and widows.

The local church hungers for a solution.

Many of the churches in this region were previously being led by pastors from the Christian-dominated southern part of the country. However the pastors relocated back to the south when the crisis became unbearable, leaving many inexperienced leaders caring for the church, not knowing how to best lead, care for and encourage their people.

Local leaders are hungry for leadership training to know how to address the needs of their community.

Many of the pastors and leaders said the GLS is the only form of training they have received since the insurgency began in 2009. It has been a major source of encouragement and a critically important resource for their leadership development.

Not only did people leave encouraged and inspired to continue their ministry, the GLS also helped build bridges among the leadership of the church in the city. People also left with a greater understanding that leadership is all about adding value to what God treasures the most—people.

These local leaders were invigorated by what they heard through the GLS, and desire to take it deeper into their region, despite the difficulties to carry on.

Follow-up training is scheduled in the first quarter of the new year, and plans have been initiated to take the event into the local universities in order to empower and train the emerging leaders of their country with the kind of leadership they would like to see change their country for the better.

Thank you for your support and prayers for the GLS in Nigeria.

We praise God that the Nigerian team remained safe after two suicide attacks in the market where they had been just the previous day to purchase materials for the projector for the event. God has protected this event and the Nigerian team.

Only eternity will reveal the impact of this event on the local church and their community. To God be the glory.

To learn more about how to give toward bringing the GLS to regions of the world like Nigeria,
go to www.willowcreek.com/give