The bulldozers arrived one morning without warning. Within hours The Lord’s Chosen Church and The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) had been completely destroyed.
Another five churches in Dutse, Jigawa State in northern Nigeria, were under threat of demolition. But because of CSW’s training, the bulldozers went no further.
All thanks to your support, gifts and prayers…
In January 2017 local authorities had slated seven churches for demolition – allegedly because they were ‘illegally constructed in a residential area’. Church leaders were still negotiating with the authorities when police arrived at The Lord’s Chosen Church with bulldozers, and proceeded to demolish it. The RCCG building was next.
No warning, no due process, and no court order.
But some church leaders remembered a CSW training course they’d attended ten years earlier – and they decided to take a stand before more churches were demolished.
They told us, “We remembered what you taught us and we decided to make a noise with the press.” The authorities had planned to demolish all seven churches within two weeks, starting with the smallest. Putting CSW’s training into action meant this plan was halted. “Because of the noise we made they cannot do anything.”
In fact, their social media campaign was so extensive that some of us had assumed more than two churches had been destroyed!
“What they did was so effective that local government plans to destroy churches have been disrupted, despite local officials denying it has anything to do with the church’s press campaign.” CSW staff member
“For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.” 2 Corinthians 5:1
This scripture sits boldly on a sign outside the tent in which The Lord’s Chosen Church meets today. As the leaders told us, the church “is being persecuted and being denied its right to worship”. While a recently constructed mosque remains, church leaders have been told their buildings will be moved to an undisclosed location. Whatever occurs, they remain encouraged by the promise that they have an eternal house in heaven.