Port Harcourt WORK BEGINS!
Phyllis and team are in Port Harcourt now. Because of the danger here, especially for the Fulani, and for us, we're going to fence the perimeter of the land and build a safe house there for our staff and teachers. The safe house will have twenty foot walls and a wire fence as well. THANK YOU to our faithful donors, who have met this financial need!
Grab your tissues for this heartbreaking story! Recent email from Phyllis:
Greetings, friends, from the Agate Hotel in Port Harcourt! (Pronounced Ah..Gah..Tay Hotel!!) So, another delay in our working on our land. Yesterday we were so excited as we drove to meet the surveyor we'd hired to confirm boundaries of the 99 hectares. This needed to be done in order to put the boundary wall in the right place. First of all, the surveyor didn't show up. Instead we met ten or so young men from the community - they had said they knew the boundaries - but it turned out they did not. Anyway, they were peaceful and promised their availability when work commenced.
Then we embarked on the required visits to the local District Police Officer, the local Army Commander, the local Police Commander and finally, the Chairman of the local government. These visits are expected of newcomers to the area. All these men, except for the last one mentioned, were friendly, interested and welcoming. But that last one - definitely not friendly. In fact, I left that office seething at his behavior. We had introduced ourselves: Manager Lawal, two Fulani friends, and myself. The Chairman rudely announced that he had recognized that 2 of our number were Fulani, and hoped our project would have NOTHING whatsoever to do with Fulani, who, 'as it was well known' (according to him) were the cause of ALL the trouble and problems in Nigeria, and he wasn't going to have ANY of this trouble in HIS local government!
I couldn't believe such blatant rudeness and prejudice! He turned to me and said he expected written details of what our project entailed, that he would do findings and would get back to us as to whether we could proceed or not! He said all work should stop until that time. Hopefully by Monday, he said. No words to express my disgust at such behavior. Lawal assures me that once our wall is built, whatever we do on our land is our business; no one, not even that Chairman, can stop us.
The next morning, Mogodi came over to meet with us at the hotel. We, or rather, he... talked and talked about the terrible thing that had happened at the Chairman's office yesterday. There were SO MANY insults and hate inflicted on our Fulani friends - for being who they are - Fulani.
Then Mogodi, Lawal and I drove to the main road where we picked up our Fulani friends and drove the 30 minutes or so to the palace of His Royal Highness, the King of the area in which our land is located. We told the King exactly what the Chairman had said and done. I wish you could have seen our friends' faces while this story was being told. So sad, embarrassed, humiliated. For what? Being a Fulani man?
The King asked some pertinent questions, which we answered, then leaned back in his chair and said, "Don't worry. I will phone the Chairman immediately and tell him to allow you full access to your land. I will take care of this problem for you. Don't worry. I'll let you know, this very afternoon, when this problem is resolved. After all, as King, I can remove this difficult Chairman from office, replace him with another. And he knows that. He will drop this matter immediately!" It was with big smiles on our faces that we all thanked the King for his help! He kept saying, "Don't worry. Don't worry!" Now we're waiting for that important phone call!
This morning, as Mogodi and I walked back to our car after our meeting with the king, he held my hand as we walked, as friends do in this country. I told him, "You and your people coming to settle on this land, quietly, peacefully, raising your cattle and working your farms... this is our opportunity to show the world the true nature, the goodness, of a people called the Fulani."
He smiled at me, squeezed my hand and said, "Yes. This is what we will do. God will help us." And God will do exactly that.
Please pray for us. God IS faithful and true. He loves the Fulani and even loves that miserable Chairman! But pray. Trusting that we can start again on Monday! God bless! Phyllis, at AHGAHTAY!!
Please enjoy the email below, from our dear friends at WATS, West Africa Theological Seminary! Dr. Gary Maxey and his wife, Emma Lou are living near Phyllis in Imala, Ogun State. Pictured above, left to right, is SFA Secretary Carisa, Missionary Phyllis, Dr. Gary Maxey, his wife Emma Lou, and our beloved friend Carol Barrett.
The Global Crisis of Christian Persecution Is Focused Primarily on Nigeria
3 November 2025
As never before, West Africa Theological Seminary (WATS) needs your help to respond to the ongoing and horrific crisis unfolding in northeastern Nigeria. The scale of persecution is staggering. According to a recent Fox News report:
18,000 churches have been burned since 2009
50,000 Christians have been martyred since 2009
5 million people have been displaced since 2009
7,000 killed so far in 2025 alone
Fox News further reports:
“Jihadist organizations, including Boko Haram, have carried out religiously motivated killings over the last 16 years, massacring 125,009 Christians. . . . 19,100 churches have been sacked. According to Open Doors, more Christians are killed for their faith in Nigeria than anywhere else in the world.”
For the past three years, West Africa Theological Seminary intentionally reached out to churches in northeastern Nigeria most devastated by this modern-day genocide—Global Methodist Church (GMC), Church of the Brethren (EYN), Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA), and Church of Christ in Nigeria (COCIN), among others.
Today, WATS is training more than 150 students from northern Nigeria, including 112 Global Methodists and 25+ from the Church of the Brethren, along with others. Every one of these students is a pastor, evangelist, or missionary preparing to return home and strengthen churches in regions where hundreds of pastors have already given their lives for the sake of Christ. Despite unimaginable loss, their resolve remains firm: they refuse to bow the knee to Islam.
Yet the need is growing. There are hundreds more in northern Nigeria longing for the solid theological training WATS provides—but we cannot meet this need without your partnership.
Urgent Needs
1. Scholarships for 200 students – covering full tuition, fees, and a modest monthly stipend for living expenses.
$150 per month or $1,800 per year per student.
2. $150,000 for campus infrastructure, renovation, and expansion.
3. $100,000 for faculty recruitment and training.
We can only accomplish this vital mission through the help of Almighty God and the generous support of friends like you.
How You Can Help
In the USA: Send checks to Friends of WATS, 609 E. Main Street, Duncan, SC 29334.
Online Donations: https://friendsofwats.networkforgood.com
In Nigeria: Transfer your Naira donation to Zenith Bank Account #1010290423 or #1310069521.
Thank you for your prayerful engagement and generous support.
Prof. Gary S. Maxey, Founder
Dr. Olufemi Emmanuel , Provost
SFA ON THE ROAD!
Missionary Phyllis Sortor is coming home for Christmas! If you can't join us in person, click on the links to watch the live stream from home!
Sunday, December 28th, Phyllis will be sharing at Seattle First Free Methodist Church, 3200 3rd Ave W., Seattle, WA! Service is at 10am.
Sunday, January 4th, Phyllis will be sharing at Warm Beach Free Methodist Church, 20815 Marine Drive, Stanwood, WA! Services are at 9:30 & 11:00.
https://www.wbfmc.org *Services are recorded and posted by noon, same day.
Sunday, January 11th, Phyllis will be sharing briefly at
Northlake Christian Church, 19029 North Road, Bothel, WA! Service is at 9:30am!
Sunday, January 18th, Phyllis will be sharing at Warm Beach Senior Community at 10am! Join us at 20420 Marine Drive, Stanwood, WA, in Beachwood Lounge.
Sunday, January 25th, Phyllis will be sharing at Shoreline Free Methodist Church, 510 NE 175th Street, Shoreline, WA! Service is at 9:45.
*We would LOVE to share at YOUR church, wherever you are! Phyllis's time in the states is limited, but SFA Secretary Carisa would be happy to travel to your church, too! We can share our Kidnapped Redemption Film, and updates on what God is doing in Nigeria! We are a non-denominational ministry. We are happy to partner with ALL bible-believing churches. Email us for more details!