CFM Mission Centres Attacked
Helping Our Widowed, Wounded & Displaced
Dear Friends,
We get a different perspective here. At this morning’s staff prayer meeting, we heard from one of our staff sharing from 1 Peter 5:1-7.
“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7)
Tope, head of CFM’s children’s schools, went on to say this verse flows on from the beginning of the chapter, admonishing elders to care for God’s flock. Likewise, youth are not to think of themselves. It’s in this context of caring for one another, that God promises to care for us.
Faith doesn’t come by calculation. It comes by hearing the will of God.
CFM Mission Centres Attacked
We heard this message as we were praying for three CFM mission stations in Benue State affected by Fulani attacks over the weekend. Four of our members lost their husbands. Some are now in a local Internally Displaced People’s (IDP) camp, very large. There is no food there and no security. The people fend for themselves. The government gives food once a month and it lasts only a week. Other members have sent their children to CFM mission stations in safer places, while the parents watch over their villages at night. There is no government action to prevent these attacks.
No one can go to farm. Its impacting food, not only in the state, but Benue is the “food basket”, the main agricultural centre of the nation. This is one of the reasons for these attacks.
The Situation
CFM members at the Daudu IDP camp.
One of the homes taking in children from ravaged villages. Pst Godwin is hosting children in a temporary single room. CFM gave him N150,000 last week to repair his storm damaged house.
CFM has 36 mission centres in Benue State. This one in Gboko, a large more secure town, is making plans on how to help.
We are taking this boy, who was wounded in an attack, to a major town hospital, probably Makurdi, where we have churches and many pastors associated with CFM.
CFM’s Support
We have decided to help our members in the IDP camp by sending them food while they are there. They will have to share with others also: they can’t eat while those around them go without. Our staff at Wurin Alheri are gathering clothes among themselves to send. We were thinking of taking our members out of the camp to one of our churches, but they are hoping they may eventually be able to get back to their farms. We are sending support to other CFM pastors caring for children. They wanted to refuse, saying CFM has enough to do, but we know their needs. This camp has been there 8+ years, showing the complicity of domestic & foreign agencies.
One of our lead missionaries, Pastor Joseph, visits the IDP camp last weekend, shown here with one of our members who lost her husband in the attacks.
General Support
This comes at a time of serious need throughout the whole nation: inflation in fuel and food has taken a grip on livelihoods everywhere. Last week, CFM gave out A$7,000 to address some of the most serious needs among our staff team. God willing, we will do more, to spread God’s grace to get us all through.
Francophone Update
Our Francophone Dean currently going round our churches in Cameroon, Sudan, Chad and Niger. New students are gathering to come to Jos. Pictured above is the church Sunday School hour before the main service. This man was arrested by Janjaweed, a murderous terrorist group, prayed and was freed, and then imprisoned for three weeks under false charges, spends months on dangerous roads every year, lost his house in a fire - for the gospel, with joy.
“These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again. Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown.” (Revelation 2:8,10)
Reflecting the Image
Made in the image of God: when Christ lives in us, we reflect his loving kindness to our neighbours: they will know we are Christians by our love (John 13:35).
Thank you for standing with us in reaching out to our Benue State neighbours, widowed, orphaned, injured, homeless. Thank you for continuing to stand with us in prayer and finances to impact our Francophone neighbours, to see the gospel reach deep into Islamic strongholds, winning millions in coming years with God’s mercy and grace. Please see below on details of how to give.
Blessings,
Kent, Ruth & CFM team.
Donate
Donations to CFM’s associated accounts below, go 100% (less bank charges) to the work of CFM in Africa, without any administration costs.
Giving in Australia: 1. Christian Faith Ministries Australia (CFMA) Incorporated, BSB 035046, Account No. 607721. Secretary: Warren Mack cfmaustralia@outlook.com. CFMA is a registered Australian Charity (ABN: 24239839075). Donations to CFMA are tax deductible. If you would like statements for your gifts, please read this attachment. 2. Voice of the Martyrs kindly receives tax deductible gifts on behalf of CFM. Please contact Melissa Hill (mhill@vom.com.au).
Giving in the USA: CFM is a tax-exempt charity in the USA. Christian Faith Ministries USA, US Bank, Routing Number 122105155, Account Number 151708783072. Contact Bart Langland tmatf16@gmail.com. Or make an online donation at CFMUSA.org.
Giving in the EU: Christian Faith Ministries Africa is a registered charity. Boezingestraat 103, 8906 Ieper, Belgium: IBAN: BE50 7330 7602 7418, BIC/SWIFT: KREDBEBB. Contact Pieter Morisse, pieter.morisse@telenet.be
Giving in the UK: 1. Transfer to CFM’s account in Belgium, details listed above. 2. Use the “Make an Online Donation” link (see below). 3. Transfer directly to Nigeria (details below).
Make an Online Donation: You can click CFM Donation Form to be taken to a secure site where you can make an online donation.
Transfer to CFM in Nigeria: This must be made in US$. United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, Nigeria. Swift Code: UNAFNGLA. UBA branch sort code: 033200987. Beneficiary account number: 3002513431. Beneficiary name: Christian Pentecostal Faith Assembly. Beneficiary address: Wurin Alheri, Du, Jos South, Post Code: 930101, Plateau State, Nigeria. Bank address: UBA Plc., Dadin Kowa Branch, Jos North, Jos, Post Code: 930272, Plateau State, Nigeria.
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Kent & Ruth receive no wage from CFM, only our weekly living costs in Nigeria are covered. CFM cfaithministries.org Substack kenthodge.substack.com CFI (Bible College) cfaithinstitute.org
Our Faith:
We believe in One creator God, who created all things. The incarnation of God in Christ, as redeemer, son and heir of creation. The death of Christ for our sins, his bodily resurrection on the third day and his current rule over the nations. God the Holy Spirit, the agent of salvation and restoration in the church of Jesus Christ. The resurrection of all humanity from the dead and the final judgement. Eternal life for those of faith and eternal destruction for the godless.