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| I have my dates for my return to Nigeria. I need to provide for my airfare. I will be arriving in Nigeria 25 September 2013. To help towards this you may give using the DONATE button on the top right hand side. |
Friday, July 19, 2013
MY RETURN TO NIGERIA YOUR HELP IS APPRECIATED!
Monday, February 18, 2013
Missionary Work Is in The Genes
Here is a letter I received from my aunt who has done genealogical research into my mother's side of the family. It reads,
"Dear Allen,
I'm so proud of the work you are doing. Our prayers are with you. Did your mother tell you about our St. Martin and St. Patrick? Our Martin line started with St. Martin of of Tours, France. Brother William, his sister Jane was the mother of St. Patrick (sic). The family didn't believe in Christ. At 10 years old Martin went to a Catholic Church and studied but didn't become a Christian until he was 18 after his first miracle. He built the first Benedictine monastery in Gaul where he grew up. He walked across the French Alps to tell his family about Christ. His mother, sisters and brothers became Christian. His father never became a Christian. Gaul in 300AD was in old France. At 15 he was a Roman soldier. I have read a lot about Martin Falayse(?). In those days they use their given name in about 1200AD they used Martin as their family name. We will be looking forward to your visit. Take care we love you. Aunt Billie & Uncle Charles.
My mother's maiden name is Martin hence the relation. Obviously I come from a long line of missionaries.
"Dear Allen,
I'm so proud of the work you are doing. Our prayers are with you. Did your mother tell you about our St. Martin and St. Patrick? Our Martin line started with St. Martin of of Tours, France. Brother William, his sister Jane was the mother of St. Patrick (sic). The family didn't believe in Christ. At 10 years old Martin went to a Catholic Church and studied but didn't become a Christian until he was 18 after his first miracle. He built the first Benedictine monastery in Gaul where he grew up. He walked across the French Alps to tell his family about Christ. His mother, sisters and brothers became Christian. His father never became a Christian. Gaul in 300AD was in old France. At 15 he was a Roman soldier. I have read a lot about Martin Falayse(?). In those days they use their given name in about 1200AD they used Martin as their family name. We will be looking forward to your visit. Take care we love you. Aunt Billie & Uncle Charles.
My mother's maiden name is Martin hence the relation. Obviously I come from a long line of missionaries.
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
A Short Story on How I Became a Missionary!
Here is a letter I sent to my own parish family as a few did not know the background to my new vocation as a missionary. It's a little bit about my story.
Dear Resurrection Family~
In Jesus Name. Amen!
I have been asked to write the story on how I have been called to serve in Nigeria. So I thought it best to put it all down in writing. I am quite sure there will be many details left out but let us remember that God is in control of all things and He is to be glorified above all!
Back in 2010 God called me into a new season as I moved back to Atlanta to help my sister take of our mother who only had a few months to live as her cancer became untreatable. I knew The Episcopal Church was no longer welcoming of evangelical and orthodox clergy and an old acquaintance of mine, The Rev. Foley Beach welcomed me into the new Anglican Diocese of The South. He invited me to seek out the CANA churches on the south side of town and there I met our Vicar, The Venerable Ugo Okoroafor, who welcomed me into the Resurrection family.
For the past couple of years I have been in search of a parish where I could receive a stipend even interviewing three times for various positions. But alas, our good Lord did not call me to any of those positions. So in the meantime I worked various secular jobs and serving Resurrection Church under the leadership of our Vicar. And it was he who opened up an opportunity for me to go to Nigeria, specifically The Diocese of Isiala-Ngwa South to assist The Rt. Rev. Isaac Nwaobia. As you know the Anglican Church in Nigeria is growing. After meeting with Bishop Isaac last summer, he invited me to come and work with him on some projects subsequently honoring me a preferment as Canon. Those projects are unfolding but he has a vision for a high school so the youth do not have to go out of the area for their education. They already have DINS Academy for the primary grades. So funding for this will need to take place! I spoke with Bishop Isaac last week and he is very keen on helping his clergy 'see the world'. One aspect of this to enable his clergy to come to the States for a short period of time. This I believe is essential. Obviously I did not really know Nigeria at all until I went there last fall. I think it would be helpful for the clergy as leaders to see how a country can operate with roads and power that are consistently in good shape for starters. I have also been invited to teach at Trinity College, Umuahia by the Rector, Ven. Michael Nwoko. Those details are being worked out now as I understand it!
For the past couple of years I have been in search of a parish where I could receive a stipend even interviewing three times for various positions. But alas, our good Lord did not call me to any of those positions. So in the meantime I worked various secular jobs and serving Resurrection Church under the leadership of our Vicar. And it was he who opened up an opportunity for me to go to Nigeria, specifically The Diocese of Isiala-Ngwa South to assist The Rt. Rev. Isaac Nwaobia. As you know the Anglican Church in Nigeria is growing. After meeting with Bishop Isaac last summer, he invited me to come and work with him on some projects subsequently honoring me a preferment as Canon. Those projects are unfolding but he has a vision for a high school so the youth do not have to go out of the area for their education. They already have DINS Academy for the primary grades. So funding for this will need to take place! I spoke with Bishop Isaac last week and he is very keen on helping his clergy 'see the world'. One aspect of this to enable his clergy to come to the States for a short period of time. This I believe is essential. Obviously I did not really know Nigeria at all until I went there last fall. I think it would be helpful for the clergy as leaders to see how a country can operate with roads and power that are consistently in good shape for starters. I have also been invited to teach at Trinity College, Umuahia by the Rector, Ven. Michael Nwoko. Those details are being worked out now as I understand it!
Each one of us has been endowed by our good Lord with certain gifts and abilities. I pray that my presence in Isiala-Ngwa South will impart some knowledge and experience to further equip the clergy as servants of Christ and ministers in His Church.
I hope this helps you understand how I came to be called to be a missionary to Nigeria. As Dr. Ugo reminded us New Years Eve, God has used him to birth people into new ministry and his life has been very pregnant. So I owe him much gratitude.
I know there will be many challenges ahead. Having spent six weeks earlier has helped me have realistic expectations on my future trip which should begin in February. I do not know how long I will stay although the Bishop has asked that I be there a year. As we were reminded Sunday in our Bible Study, when God asks us to do something we should be ready to say 'Here I am'.
There are many needs I have such as luggage and other expenses to help alleviate burden of my new hosts. Your prayers and gifts will be appreciated. You can hit the DONATE button on the upper right hand side of this page and donate any amount possible. The New Testament exhorts the churches to give generously for missionary activities. If you ever wish to talk to me more about this mission, you may reply to this email at padreallenp@aol.com I am quite sure there is more to say!
In Christ, A+
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Evangelizing the Church
When the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. The two went down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit (for as yet the Spirit had not come upon any of them; they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus). Then Peter and John laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit. (Acts 8:14-17)
Last Sunday I preached on our reading from Acts expanding the text in the Lectionary to include Phillip's mission to Samaria and his encounter with Simon the Magician. (Acts 8:4-25) Phillip's journey was followed by Peter and John's trip to impart the Holy Spirit upon those who had been baptized. Simon you may remember wanted to buy the gifts and power of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 8:18) I reminded my home congregation that we are always to be sending and always to be preaching. We should never assume that everyone in church has heard the good news of God's salvation. We should always put forth the whole counsel of God so that we are firmly grounded in Scriptural teaching. (Acts 20:25-31) Like Simon, the church is full of baptized members who are just not among God's elect.
And the church is full of people who have not had their hearts circumcised by the hearing of the Word. (Acts 2:37-40) In my recent travels to Nigeria, my contacts were mainly clergy and lay workers. Our conversations were rich and I began to see the need for an outsider to be inside the Diocese where I will be working. Conversations in Nigeria are really no different than conversations in America. People talk as if they have the will to determine their own life but when things go wrong it's always Satan's fault. Somehow God is powerless (why do we call Him God Almighty?). But in reality God is sovereign and ultimately in control. We need to be reminded of this as too often we tell the non-Christian they can choose to follow Jesus selling them a bill of goods such as your life will be prosperous or all your troubles will go away. When we sell we expect people to buy a la Simon the Magician. And in another conversation I was trying to explain my divorce ultimately explaining that my ex-wife was not a Christian even though I met her in church. Yes, Jesus preached about hypocrisy (Gk: pretenders) just in case we wouldn't forget and the church shouldn't forget. To this young man, the idea goats were among the sheep or tares among the wheat seemed to be a novel teaching! The continual preaching of the whole counsel of God is a must. The failure to do so has resulted in the wackiness that pervades the church today. Just google TEC or The Church of England and you will see what I mean. We can not assume everyone knows what sin is, what justice means, and why grace is so great! And it's free of charge.
The state of the modern church can be summed up in this story told by Dr. Sinclair Ferguson:
"It is sad that a number of years ago, certainly within the lifetime of all of us present in this room, one of the royal princesses of the realm coming out of a cathedral service in England spoke to the dean of the chapter of the cathedral, and said to him, "Is it true, dean, that there is a place called 'hell?'" To which the dean apparently replied, “Madame, the Scriptures say so, Christian people have always believed so, and the Church of England confesses so.” To which she responded, “Then in God’s name, why do you not tell us so?”
Jesus came to save us from our sins that lead us to hell. The mission of the church is to proclaim this good news. If we do not keep this candle lit, then darkness surely will overwhelm us.
I share all this because I have been spending a lot of time reflecting on my life and ministry lately as I await my return to Nigeria. When I recount what I have done and where I will be going I sense my calling has been and always will be to evangelize the church! Let none of us take for granted our calling to go out and make disciples of all peoples, both within and without the church.
Your prays and gifts make this ministry possible. Please consider giving to help defray the expenses not covered by me and my host church.
Last Sunday I preached on our reading from Acts expanding the text in the Lectionary to include Phillip's mission to Samaria and his encounter with Simon the Magician. (Acts 8:4-25) Phillip's journey was followed by Peter and John's trip to impart the Holy Spirit upon those who had been baptized. Simon you may remember wanted to buy the gifts and power of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 8:18) I reminded my home congregation that we are always to be sending and always to be preaching. We should never assume that everyone in church has heard the good news of God's salvation. We should always put forth the whole counsel of God so that we are firmly grounded in Scriptural teaching. (Acts 20:25-31) Like Simon, the church is full of baptized members who are just not among God's elect.
And the church is full of people who have not had their hearts circumcised by the hearing of the Word. (Acts 2:37-40) In my recent travels to Nigeria, my contacts were mainly clergy and lay workers. Our conversations were rich and I began to see the need for an outsider to be inside the Diocese where I will be working. Conversations in Nigeria are really no different than conversations in America. People talk as if they have the will to determine their own life but when things go wrong it's always Satan's fault. Somehow God is powerless (why do we call Him God Almighty?). But in reality God is sovereign and ultimately in control. We need to be reminded of this as too often we tell the non-Christian they can choose to follow Jesus selling them a bill of goods such as your life will be prosperous or all your troubles will go away. When we sell we expect people to buy a la Simon the Magician. And in another conversation I was trying to explain my divorce ultimately explaining that my ex-wife was not a Christian even though I met her in church. Yes, Jesus preached about hypocrisy (Gk: pretenders) just in case we wouldn't forget and the church shouldn't forget. To this young man, the idea goats were among the sheep or tares among the wheat seemed to be a novel teaching! The continual preaching of the whole counsel of God is a must. The failure to do so has resulted in the wackiness that pervades the church today. Just google TEC or The Church of England and you will see what I mean. We can not assume everyone knows what sin is, what justice means, and why grace is so great! And it's free of charge.
The state of the modern church can be summed up in this story told by Dr. Sinclair Ferguson:
"It is sad that a number of years ago, certainly within the lifetime of all of us present in this room, one of the royal princesses of the realm coming out of a cathedral service in England spoke to the dean of the chapter of the cathedral, and said to him, "Is it true, dean, that there is a place called 'hell?'" To which the dean apparently replied, “Madame, the Scriptures say so, Christian people have always believed so, and the Church of England confesses so.” To which she responded, “Then in God’s name, why do you not tell us so?”
Jesus came to save us from our sins that lead us to hell. The mission of the church is to proclaim this good news. If we do not keep this candle lit, then darkness surely will overwhelm us.
I share all this because I have been spending a lot of time reflecting on my life and ministry lately as I await my return to Nigeria. When I recount what I have done and where I will be going I sense my calling has been and always will be to evangelize the church! Let none of us take for granted our calling to go out and make disciples of all peoples, both within and without the church.
Your prays and gifts make this ministry possible. Please consider giving to help defray the expenses not covered by me and my host church.
Friday, January 11, 2013
Why Do Mission Work
For so the Lord has commanded us, saying,
“‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles,
that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’” (Acts 13:47)
that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’” (Acts 13:47)
And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. (Mt. 24:14)
I remember a hymn growing called, "Christ for the World We Sing." It's included at the bottom of this post. It speak of the zeal to bring Christ so that others may not be left in despair.
What I learned from my recent trip to Nigeria is that while many have heard the Gospel, there are still many who have not heard it, especially in places of power. I am also concerned by the number who claim to be Christian and yet do not really know the cross. It is The Cross that saves us!
Upon my future return this February (2013) it is my prayer to share the cross with those inside and outside the church! Please pray that this is God's will. Christ commands us to take the Gospel to the ends of the world and His Second Coming is predicated on it!
Please pray how you can support this ministry. You financial and in-kind gifts are welcomed. To give monetarily, use the 'Donate' button on the top right-hand side of the Blog! Thank you and God bless you.
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
My First Experiences, A Preparation for The Year 2013
Here are just a few snap shots (or snaps as the Nigerians would say) of my brief time in Nigeria from October through early December 2012. This trip was to introduce me to the country, rural living, and my sponsoring Diocese.  |
| My first week in Nigeria I experienced the ancient custom of a dowry ceremony. The groom still has to pay a bride price for his betrothed. I was told if we did this in America, our divorced rate would plummet. The dowry took the form of yams, rice, etc. |
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| Here the men are gathered for the dowry exchange. There was eating and drinking, a quite festive affair. |
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| Myself with Rev. Christian and his wife and a friend. Behind us is St. John's Anglican Church, Umunumo Ehime Mbano where a wedding would take place the next day. Can you recognize the American in this picture? |
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| The Sanctuary of St. John's. A typical Anglican church is large, the size of a cathedral in the USA. |
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| The library at Trinity Theological College. I was hard-pressed to find any books of modern scholarship. |
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| Students presenting there papers for evaluation at Trinity Theological College. |
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| This is the kitchen of the refectory of Trinity Theological college. Since electricity is rare, wood fire is the most dependable source of heat for cooking. |
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| The children in Nigeria are taught discipline at a very young age. Here they are getting ready to enter their classrooms in the morning. These children belong to DINS, Diocese of Isiala-Ngwa South Academy. |
The Christians in Nigeria are very religious and appreciate traditions. But those living in the rural areas live without the benefit of electricity It's there but distribution is a problem. Education is valued but text books wanting. The clergy are on fire but theological training is limited.
The goals of The Diocese of Isiala-Ngwa South are to add a high school so students do not have to go away for their education in the upper grades and to increase opportunities for the clergy to broaden their experiences. All of this is within the scope of the Great Commission as there are many folk in these communities who have yet to hear the gospel.
My ministry is to share resources from America and connect the Diocese to opportunities available in America through my presence and gifts God has provided me! Your prayers and support are greatly appreciated in this calling.
Heavenly Father, You sent Your Son to preach peace to all the world: Raise up sponsors and benefactors for Your servant Allen and for The Diocese of Isiala-Ngwa South as they seek to spread The Kingdom of God through preaching and teaching to all peoples. In Jesus Name I pray. Amen.
Please donate using PayPal Donate button on the top right corner of this blog! Thank you.
Thursday, December 20, 2012
The Mission Statement of Epiphany College
Here is the working mission statement for the proposed high school to be established in The Diocese Isiala-Ngwa South this coming year.
Epiphany College
Mission Statement
The Mission of Epiphany College is to train the future leaders of Nigeria through a traditional education in a Christian environment. Epiphany College equips young men and women with an education in the sciences and humanities providing a foundation for knowledge that will guarantee success in all future endeavors of the student.
Why is Epiphany College Unique
Epiphany College provides a curriculum guaranteeing the students acceptance in most American universities.
Administrative Structure
President
Board of Trustees
Principal
Vice-Principal
Vice-Principal - Academics
Chaplain
Dean of Academics Dean of Students
Chairmen of Departments
Teachers
Office of Financial Affairs & Student life
Through Community Life and Boarding students are wrapped in discipline with an emphasis on Christian life, the arts and dancing.
Our goal is to build linkages between this rural Diocese in Nigeria and western education in order that youths have a greater opportunity to escape poverty and broaden their horizons.
To support this project you may make a financial gift by clicking the "Donate" button in the top right corner of this blog. For in-kind support please email me at padreallenp@aol.com. subject 'Nigeria 2013'.
May all glory be to God and to His Righteousness!
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