The City of Refuge

a place where Muslim converts to Christianity can begin to rebuild their lives...

From the pastors at The City of Refuge:

The moment a Muslim gives their life to Christ, they become an infidel according to Islam. Death or rejection is considered the best way to handle anyone who converts.

Pastor Joseph’s mother was a Muslim convert many years ago. She was received by the church after her father disowned her for the new faith she chose. She held on to her faith, and Pastor Joseph says, “Today I am now a pastor because she stood firm in her faith.”

Musa had cows, and the moment he denounced Islam and converted to Christianity, his family stole all the cows he had as an inheritance, and chased him out of his own house and village. He was persecuted to stay away without food, until we brought him to City of Refuge.

Suleiman was also sent out of his village. His mother loved him dearly as her only son, so he was sent out, but not killed.

Usman faced a great challenge when he coverted to Christianity. He was cut severely, and in his pools of blood he was left half dead. A Christian brother took him to the hospital for treatment. God intervened, and after many days in the hospital, he recovered and was brought to the city of Refuge.

Ahmodu gave his life to Christ, and had to run away from his State. We accepted him at the City of Refuge. He continued there for some months, until one day he was threatened by some Muslims to change His religion. His faith was not strong enough to face the challenges and pressure, and he later went back to Islam. 

Please pray for these brothers! 

Pictured are Pastor Abednego, Missionary Emmanuel, Pastor Joseph, and Pastor Abdullahi. They call Pastor Abdullahi BABA FULANIS, because of his work with the Fulani there.

The City of Refuge has seven rooms to house new converts, next to the church. Converts often lose their job, wife and family, cattle, EVERYTHING! They begin to put their lives back together here. Discipleship classes build up their faith in Christ. Converts are trained in new jobs such as welding, shoe making, and tailoring.

The New Hebron Free Methodist Church has 62 members. Their sign outside the church says “Where we love God, love people, and make them disciples of Christ!” They have Bible Study Tuesday night, Prayer Meeting Thursday night, Evangelism on Saturday, and then a Sunday morning service! Oh man, if you haven’t seen worship in a Nigerian church, it is NOTHING like ours! They are LOUD, and filled with the Spirit, and FULL of JOY!

The Apiawe Primary School started very small, with only around 50 kids. Pastor Joseph and Pastor Abednego oversee this school. Through their visits with parents in the local communities, the pastors have enrolled a total of 230 new Fulani children this past year! This brought the need for a secondary school, as children progress through grades!

The Apiawoyi Secondary School is being finished this month! More teachers will be hired, and more children will be enrolled. School growth also brings church growth, as the pastors and teachers minister to the community. 

God continues to BLESS this community at The City of Refuge.

Bowman's Creek NEW LIFE Clinic is being built this month as well! This is the foundation of a clinic the community desperately needs and tried to build, but stopped for lack of resources. Phyllis talked to the Apiawoyi Chief, asking if he'd like us to continue our partnership there, with the successful completion of a clinic! He is over the moon!!

What does it mean to have a healthcare clinic nearby?

It is SUCH a huge blessing to the community! Nigeria has terrible health care, really non-existent, but they ARE working on it. And while they work on it, it shows great MERCY and LOVE to build our own healthcare clinics there! This is a desperate need among our people. We could share story after story of lives saved, terrible skin diseases cured, life-threatening infections cured with antibiotics, malaria treated with medicine! Our beloved people receive the care they need, from clinics that we’ve built. Most Nigerians are not used to modern medicine - in fact, they rely on witch doctors and voodoo! SO, in addition to hiring trained nurses to staff our healthcare clinics, we train Community Health Care Workers - or CHEWs- to bridge the gap between our modern clinics and shy tribal people. We will build the clinic with a waiting room, patient rooms with beds, and a locked storage room. The building will be simple, but will be stocked with life-saving medicines to be administered by trained professionals.

Pastor Joseph reports that their current prayer requests are for their congregation to have a better prayer life, and for more souls to join the kingdom. He prays for financial help to reach the unreached with a sound system, a bus, and for two of the churches in his conference who don’t have a building yet.

He said, “We give thanks to God because He's in control.”

Two SFA board members recently traveled to The City of Refuge to do some pastoral training. They trained specifically in reaching the Fulani for Christ. They are collaborating with Nigerian locals to build a coalition of trainers. The participants went by twos to visit homes and shops throughout the neighborhoods and village. Several confessed Christ as Savior, and at least one backslider got right with God! More than a half dozen community folks came the next day to our training to find out what was going on that made these people so excited and vibrant about Jesus! They stayed most of the day because the participants loved on them and affirmed them so genuinely. This was God's doing!!

The dozen or so Fulani believers among us cheered and could hardly believe their ears when they heard a trainer speak in their mother tongue, Fulfulde! He affirmed and highly respected their preciousness in the eyes of God and taught all of us how to treasure these unique and beautiful people. You see, Fulani are despised people. Virtually nobody can be bothered to learn their language or culture. 

WOW. God, I have to stop right now and BLESS YOUR NAME for the work You are doing at The City of Refuge! You care for Your beloveds more than we can! You reveal Yourself to converts, provide for them, and make a way for them. THANK YOU for the healthy and thriving church at New Hebron! Thank you for the pastors, who care so much for their community! Thank you for the children who attend our schools, and for their families! May them come to know You through our efforts! Thank you for the people at Bowman's Creek FMC, who donated $15,000 to build a healthcare clinic! May they tangibly feel Your blessing for their generous gift. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven!

Seeking monthly givers!

We have a big goal. 

We need to increase monthly giving by $6,000/mth to cover the 8 new schools we took on in June!

NEW monthly donations total  $1,500/monthly since June! WOOP WOOP!

We receive many BIG financial gifts throughout the year, which enable us to take on new projects - new schools, clinics, and grazing reserves! Praise GOD!

**Recurring monthly gifts help us to rely on a secure monthly income, so that we KNOW that we can cover our expenses, 

before we move on to more projects.

CAN YOU HELP US? 

We need MORE MONTHLY GIVERS!

God is MOVING! He is meeting our needs!

THANK YOU Dwight, Virgil, Richard, Craig, Bethany, Jerry, Judy, Anonymous - $500/mth!

for your monthly gifts! WOOP WOOP!!

It's a BIG goal, we know. BUT we serve a BIGGER God.

How can we set a small goal when we serve a BIG God?

$24,000 Matching Challenge!

This means that your NEW recurring monthly gift is DOUBLED through the end of the year!

Give monthly to sustain what the Lord is doing for His beloved people in Nigeria!

Give $35 monthly DOUBLED

Give $50 monthly DOUBLED

Give $100 monthly DOUBLED

Give $125 monthly DOUBLED

Give $150 monthly DOUBLED

NEW RECURRING MONTHLY DONATIONS WILL BE DOUBLED THROUGH 2022, UP TO $24,000!

Prayer Requests:

  • Pray for the many projects we have in the works right now, for wisdom, and for God's glory.

  • Pray for the safety of our team as we move about the country of Nigeria, doing God's work!

  • Pray as we visit the six former ICCM schools, and buy and distribute school supplies as far away as the Mambila plateau! Crazy evangelism opportunities!

  • Pray for The City of Refuge, and for MORE converts!