The Church in Nigereia

Aniefiok & Etang Akpan
WEI Director, Nigeria
Chaplain, Obong University, Nigeria

Email: weiafrica@yahoo.com
Phone: 234(813)-349-7474
Postal Address:
Box 973, Abak,
Akwa Ibom State,
Nigeria, West Africa

Mission contacts:

Bethlehem Church of Christ
Lebanon, Tennessee
Philip & Carolyn Poston
Email:cposton@genesco.com

The church in Nigeria...A GROWING MINISTRY
1. Aniefiok was baptized at the age of 10 in 1984 and became a student-preacher at the age of 12 in 1986.
2. His full-time preaching ministry began in 1986 when he served as the chaplain of Obong Christian High School for four consecutive years, and about 20 students were converted.
3. In 1992, Aniefiok became the first resident preacher of the newly established congregation in Ikot Akpa Idem, Ukanafun where nearly 30 baptisms were recorded.
4. In 1996, Aniefiok began a six-year ministry with the Garage Church of Christ, Ibio Nung Achat as the first resident preacher and over 70 souls were won for Christ.
5. While serving at the Garage church, a new congregation was planted in Rumuodogo, Rivers State in 1997 where Aniefiok served as a visiting preacher and baptized 48 persons under one year.
6. A new congregation was planted in Uruk Ata Ikot Akpan where Aniefiok visited every other week and witnessed over 40 baptisms.
7. Aniefiok was also involved in planting new congregations at Ikot Ekperikpe in 1998, Ikot Ebenwan in 1999, Ukanafun township in 2000 and a total of over 50 baptisms were witnessed in these congregations.
8. In 2001, Aniefiok began a seven-year full time ministry with Ikot Ubo Church of Christ where over 80 souls were baptized & restored and pioneer elders & deacons were ordained.

Continued below

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August 2014

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History continued

9. While serving with Ikot Ubo brethren, a new congregation was planted at Nkek Idim where Aniefiok served as a visiting preacher and baptized over 40 persons.
10. In January 2008, Aniefiok returned home to plant a new congregation in his hometown, Uruk Otong where over 70 of his people have been won for Christ.
11. Over 100 persons have been baptized into Christ in various places across Nigeria through the WEI ministry.
12. Our WEI ministry in Cameroun & Sierra Leone has yielded over 30 baptisms.
13. During the past 25 years, Aniefiok has witnessed over half a thousand people surrender their lives to Jesus.
14. Presently, Aniefiok has just begun an exciting and promising ministry with Obong University Campus Church of Christ.
15. Aniefiok is presently a university graduate preacher with a wife & three children to take care of.
16. The newly inaugurated university campus church with 12 pioneer worshipers does not have the financial strength to support Aniefiok and his family.
17. The responsibility of building and growing the campus congregation at Rhema Academy rests on their shoulders with a present dependency upon support from the US.

Using a Stone to Kill Two Birds
Suddenly, we discovered that we were 'using one stone to kill two birds.' Our students improved significantly on their knowledge of the English Language. Our pioneer students recorded 100% success in the Junior School Certificate Exams administered by the education ministry. Our students learned the truth of Jesus at the same time.

God Sponsors His Work
We did not know how to acquire WEI materials for our students. So we mentioned it in one of our reports. Nancy Gonzalez, after reading the report, introduced us to brother Tom Langley. With the support of our sponsoring congregation, the Bethlehem church, brother Langley sent the first parcel of WEI materials to us at Rhema Academy. The President, Richard Ady then took over the responsibility and later confirmed our WEI ministry in Nigeria.

The Harvests of Souls
A short while after we began using WEI materials, our students began to respond to the gospel. Within a short time, many of our students accepted Christ and were baptized. Many responded to the call for baptism during our daily chapel services. In fact, God added new souls to His Kingdom almost on a daily basis until our high school was suspended in December 2008 for accommodation reasons.

Damaging Controversies
Initially, the churches of Christ in our area reluctantly accepted our WEI converts who desired to place membership in their congregations. Some brethren thought it was unscriptural to make disciples for Christ through WEI because they did not know WEI as a ministry associated with the churches of Christ. Most of our converts were confused and some returned to the denominational groups they came from following the controversy.

Remedy to Controversies
Initially, we did not know what to do about the situation. So, we called for a one-day fasting & prayer meeting at Rhema Academy. After the prayer meeting, God gave us the wisdom to set up a campus church at Rhema Academy so that our converts and others could meet to study, pray and worship without any controversy. The inaugural worship service of our campus church which had ten worshipers in attendance was held on January 06, 2008. Within a year, membership strength increased to over 70. Thus, we were able to gather the Lord's harvests successfully and our campus church has witnessed a rapid growth since then. Although we lost most of our new converts when our high school was suspended in December 2008, other souls (villagers) who accepted Christ and were baptized replaced them. We look forward to a time when we will be able to complete our permanent school building so that we can re-gain our high school for greater harvests.

Three Successful WEI Conferences
After our first annual WEI Nationwide Conference & Graduation in 2008, other gospel preachers in Nigeria began to use WEI as a tool for evangelism. The results have been so impressive. Over a hundred souls have been won for Christ in Nigeria through this effort during the past three years. The controversy about making disciples through the WEI ministry ceased after the maiden conference and the churches of Christ in our neighbourhood now accept our converts willingly.

Nationwide Campaign
We have intensified our WEI nationwide campaign in Nigeria. As I spoke at lectureships, seminars, workshops, and gospel meetings across the nation, I carried the message of the WEI ministry along. By phone calls, text messages and emails, we are able to reach out to areas where we are not able to go in person. By these methods, we have registered hundreds of students in Lagos, Calabar, Port Harcourt, Uyo, Ibadan, Abuja and other cities. Our WEI City Office & Teaching Center in Abak helps us to better co-ordinate our WEI activities in the different zones. We have also extended the tentacles of our WEI Ministry to Cameroun where several souls have also been won for Christ.

The 4th Annual WEI Conference in May 2011
The 4th edition of our WEI annual nationwide conference at Rhema Academy will hold in May 2011. We recorded a total attendance of 520 participants in our previous conference.

WEI students in Nigeria that we taught personally. Presently, with the emergence of American postal teachers and great increase in the number of students which now exceed 1000, we are expecting more participants at the conference. We are also anticipating more harvests during the 2011 conference.

The Most Pressing of Priority Needs
Presently God has helped us overcome some of the initial obstacles we encountered in our WEI campaign. There is, now, only one big obstacle which has greatly hindered the progress of this wonderful ministry in Nigeria: TRANSPORTATION. We look forward to a time when we shall be blessed with at least one vehicle to meet the needs of our WEI campaign and mission work at Uruk Otong. A strong vehicle like a Toyota Hilux truck will be a great asset to our work as it is suitable and adaptable to our bad jungle roads. We pray that a family or congregation would come to our rescue and donate a fairly used or a new truck, or the fund to acquire one here in Nigeria.

Partnership & Prospects
It is our conviction that WEI will help to win more souls in Nigeria than any other ministry in the next couple of years. Over the years, we have been looking for the right bait to use in our fishing for souls. The Chinese people have an adage that says 'to catch a tiger, one must bait the trap.' The English lessons of WEI has proven to be one of the most effective baits for our work as fishers of men. It will be great and encouraging to hear from you and to enjoy your fellowship and partnership in this great worldwide evangelistic ministry.