Matthew Mba
FGF Representative in Nigeria, Africa
It all started in Accra, Ghana, West Africa, on the 17th September, 2004, at the 1st African Convention of Full Gospel Fellowship of Churches and Ministers Int’l. On that day, the Lord, I believe led us to meet with Rev Leon Willis, President, .At the lobby of the new Coco Beach Hotel, we were released to start the Fellowship in Nigeria.
I do believe that was a sovereign move of God, considering the fact that Rev Leon Willis considered Nigeria, as the least most likely African nation to visit. Nigeria was not his first choice, but Glory to God, for all that has changed now. Amen!
The message of Unity in the Body of Christ was introduced by Rev Leon and Mark Peters in their first relationship building mission trip to Nigeria on April 22, 2005. That one thing was eminent in all the meetings. The Pastors, Ministers and other church workers that attended the meetings listened to the message of Unity with deep suspicion. For them, the talk of Unity was just one of those things that will not work. One need not blame them because, prior to this time the Church in Nigeria could at best be described as one big house divided against itself!
The Nigeria Church before the coming of the message of Unity in the Body of Christ, to a large extent was divided along tribal/ ethnic lines, hence, you could hear things like,'' an Ibo church, a Yoruba church, a Calabar church etc.
Christians tend to identify with, feel comfortable and welcomed in these churches if the Pastors happened to come from their tribe! And walls built on denominational differences and preferences stood unchallenged and impregnable. Pastors were driven by pride, competition, jealousy, self, covetousness. The clergy built empires and cathedrals for themselves.
But Glory to God for His move through FGF. The message of Unity introduced by Rev Leon and Mark Peters has gone a long way in doing considerable damage to all that the devil had erected and built in the church in Nigeria. The walls of denomination had come falling down in the manner of Jericho as more churches and Pastors come in constant and consistent fellowship under the umbrella of FGF..Alleluhay!
The Pastors do not SEE the need for us to work together in spite of tribal and doctrinal differences. Amen. It is known now, that no one local denomination or ministry or pastor can be effective in the harvest field of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ working in isolation. Today the chain of selfishness, greed, competition had been broken. We now understand more what Jesus prayed and asked the Father''...THAT THEY ALL MAY BE ONE...''.
In 2007, Rev Mark Peters, Keith Peters and Bob Harrison came to Nigeria. They were used by the Lord to bless the Body of Christ immensely. It was two weeks of intense ministry that took us to other parts of Nigeria. Men and women were healed, delivered and restored. Amen. Rev. Mark came back in the month of April 2008, for 10 days. Praise the Lord!
Full Gospel Fellowship of Churches and Ministers have come to stay in Nigeria. The enemy is too small to stand against this move of God. Right now hundreds of Pastors and Ministers have identified with the vision of FGF, and a considerable percentage have affiliated their Ministries and Churches with FGF. The Fellowship has representatives in Lagos state, Imo State, Abia State, Rivers State, Cross River State, Edo State, Oyo State, Enugu State. The Pastors in these states meet regularly for times of Fellowship, prayers and sharing of the Word of God, and we do believe that by the grace of God, the whole of Nigeria shall be covered.
As at the time of writing this report, plans are almost completed in registering the Fellowship with the Corperate Affairs Commission at Abuja. All necessary forms have been collected and filled out. All legal matters sorted out and the required fees paid in full to the firm of solicitors handling the procedure. And we do believe that with registration in place, FGF will be recognized by the government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and it will become more acceptable to more pastors and Ministers.
This is just the beginning of what the Lord will yet do with FGF in Nigeria.
This report cannot be deemed to be complete, if I do not thank the President of FGF, Rev Leon Willis, for his open mindedness and total yieldedness and sensitivity to the Spirit of the Lord. You cannot listen to Leon and not thank the Lord for this precious gift to the Body of Christ. Leon, you affected our lives in Nigeria and you actually got us all thinking again along the line of the heartbeat of Jesus. Thank you so very much, and the Lord strengthen and keep you and Latena.
We also say a big thank you to all the Board Members of FGF. God bless you all. Only eternity will tell how your wisdom at making decisions in your meetings affect us here. Thank you for making yourselves available to be used of the Lord. You will not labor in vain. A few of you like Bob Harrison touched my heart! Terry Godwin you were wonderful in Ghana. Jim Johnson you always say the heart of Jesus and your smiles is disarming!. Mark Peters, you minister the Word of God with great grace and unction. Papa Leon, you hit the devil so hard with the Word of God!
God Bless you all.
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PRAISE THE LORD FOR FGF( NIGERIA)
PASTOR MBA, MATTHEW - LAGOS, NIGERIA. flamingsword2k@yahoo.com
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