African Church Leaders Find Silver Lining to Jihadist Violence: Mission Work Gets a Boost as More Muslims Turn to Christ
An African evangelist says the apostle Paul was the "first Boko Haram militant."
Rev. Reuben E. Ezemadu said this is because before Paul became an ardent disciple of Jesus Christ, he was a persecutor of Christians—just like the Boko Haram terrorist group.
"But God used Paul to take the Gospel to different places," Ezemadu told World Watch Monitor in a recent interview.
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Ezemadu is the Coordinator of the Movement for African National Initiatives (MANI), a grassroots African initiative aimed at mobilizing African churches to send Africans as missionaries around the world. He is also the founding and current International Director of the Christian Missionary Foundation Inc.
Ezemadu mentioned the apostle Paul while discussing how Christians in Africa are responding to the escalating attacks being carried out by radical Islamic groups worldwide.
He acknowledged that the attacks have dramatically affected church activities in Africa.
But he said the violence has at least one unexpected positive effect: boosting mission work in Africa.
"The violence constitutes a real challenge for churches and mission work. But on the other hand, people displaced by that insurgency can come to places where they can easily be reached by the Gospel," he told World Watch Monitor.
Ezemadu noted that the number of missionaries among groups of internally displaced persons has increased and that many Muslims have converted to Christianity.
"The upsurge in attacks has made some Muslims detest their religion," he said.
He said these Muslims are now asking themselves, "Is this really a religion of peace? Is it really what we should follow?"
When they are approached by Christian missionaries who show them the love of God, most of them turn to Christ, Ezemadu said.
"We have heard stories of how God visited some of them, through wonders and miracles," giving them more compelling reason to convert, he added.
He believes that out of the present crisis, "something great will come."
The phenomenon of mass Muslim conversion to Christianity is also happening in the Middle East, according to BosNewsLife.
The news outlet says thousands of Muslims are turning to Christ in Syria, Iraq, Jordan and other parts of the Middle East.
"There are thousands upon thousands coming to Christ," said the Voice of the Martyrs Canada (VOMC). "We are in regular contact with our FM stations in Iraq and have talked with many people who have family in the Middle East," VOMC told BosNewsLife.
