Learning How To Plant and Grow Village Churches
A Case Study in Village Evangelism
Learning Objectives
1. The students will be able to describe four ways to plant a church in a village setting.
2. The students will be able to explain how Malam Maudi overcame the forces of evil in village church planting.
3. The students will be able to list three hindering factors in the growth of the church in a village setting.
Introduction - One of the reasons we want to study case studies is to learn through history. By observing the patterns, trends, causes, motives, and reactions of the people, we can learn errors to avoid in our evangelism today. One such case study from Kwoi in Kaduna state presented by a student a Jos seminary, Emmanuel Doyaro about his evangelist-grandfather, sheds light on how the Lord used men to begin the church in Kwoi. Let us look for Biblical models that he used or neglected. Let us also look for the way that God worked to convince the people of the truth of Malam Maudi’s message. By examining the perceptions of the people, the resistances they had to the gospel, and the ways God undertook to see His church started, we can learn valuable lessons for evangelism today!!!
I. The Effects of Culture and Traditional Religious Perspectives on Village Church Planting
We know that cultural values affect decision-making of all types. Therefore, we must ask God’s wisdom in understanding the cultural, spiritual, religious, physical, educational, and family framework with whom we wish to evangelize. By examining the historical record of how the gospel came to Kwoi area we can learn how to start churches in new areas. Perhaps, we may learn how to revitalize lukewarm churches in other areas. At any rate, by examining the precedents set by the early church planters, we can gain valuable insights into the best ways to do evangelism today!
In many Nigerian villages, the belief that the world consists of a hierarchy of gods is common. Some gods may be directly involved in the affairs of humans, others may control animal fertility rates, weather patterns, or insect infestations. In the following case study, we learn how God used an evangelist to prove His superior power, authority, and dominion over the gods of the people of Kwoi. When they recognized Malam Maudi’s God’s power, they turned their allegiance from ``idols to serve the living and the true God.’’
Malam Maudi, a recent convert to Christianity through the ministry of the late Rev. Archibald of the Sudan Interior Mission, began his church planting ministry by constructing a small mud bricked building for the church and his home in Kwoi area. The pagans in the village started reacting in a negative manner toward the messages preached by the evangelist. Apparently, the pagans became afraid that if the Christian believers continued in their worship to the ``new’’ God, their animistic gods would be upset and trouble would come to the village. They began to make life hard for Malam Maudi!
Problems were compounded for Malam Maudi by the fact that the chief of Kwoi, at that time, was also a pagan. As the chief sided with the views of the majority of the people against the evangelist, warning to leave the village came swiftly to the young preacher.
Determined to plant a church in the village, Malam Maudi respectfully told the chief he could threaten him all he wanted, but he would not leave until his work was completed. Stirred by the wicked hatred of the people for the evangelist, the chief declared that if the Christian missionary be allowed to stay, the people might experience terror from the juju spirits who were becoming angry about what the evangelist was teaching the people. A conflict seemed imminent in Kwoi.
During this time, the Lord helped many people in Kwoi to become frustrated with the powerlessness of their gods during times of trouble. It seemed that many villagers were experiencing great problems, but no matter what they did for their gods, no solutions were provided. Growing discontentment among the people allowed the evangelist to appeal to the people’s needs for real solutions to their problems in Jesus Christ. He stressed that for some time the pagan priests were losing their abilities to demonstrate signs, healings, and miracles. From this sign, Malam Maudi stressed that God was hindering their powers to show the people that He alone could provide real help for them!
As a result of Malam Maudi’s preaching, many people expressed interest in becoming Christians. However, most people were afraid of what the chief might do to them if they renounced their belief in juju and dodo spirits. It became clear that the Lord would have to perform a miracle to convince the people, the chief, and the priests of the truth in I John 4:4 that says,
``GREATER IS HE WHO IS IN ME THAN HE WHO IS IN THE WORLD!’’
II. How One Man Began Village Church Planting
Beginning with prayer, the evangelist gathered a few of his new converts to pray that God would do the things that were impossible with men. (Luke 1:37) Within days, a girl, who demons had taken possession of, was brought before the traditional doctors and juju priests to be healed. As much as the idol-worshippers tried, they could not get the demons to go out of the girl. When the evangelist heard about this opportunity, he told his converts, that the Lord had answered their prayers. Now, it was clear to Malam Maudi that God had set the stage for giving the Kwoi villagers evidence of His power.
Gathering his few converts together, Malam Maudi, prayed and fasted for three days before attempting to cast the demons out of the girl. He knew that he was entering into a fierce spiritual warfare that required special preparations. In a bold display of courage, Malam Maudi declared to the villagers that he would exorcise the demon, in Jesus Christ’s name, out of the girl. He explained that this exorcism would be done not by his power or by the power of any juju spirits, but solely by the power of God, the Father Almighty!
As the people gathered around to witness this incident, Malam Maudi, remembered how Elijah contested the prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel to demonstrate God’s power. He once again asked God to show Himself strong to the people of Kwoi! Approaching the girl and the people, the young evangelist opened his Bible to Mark 5:6-20 and read. He explained how Jesus also once met a man possessed by demons. When the demons saw Jesus they begged him saying, ``What business is it of yours to bother me. Jesus, son of God most High! I beg you do not torment me.’’
Then Jesus turned to the demon, inside the man and said, ``Unclean spirit, come out of the man!’’ Then the demons begged Jesus not to send them out of the country and back to their home in hell. They said, ``Send us to the swine so that we may enter them!’’ Then Jesus permitted them, and the unclean spirits went out and entered the swine. Then the herd of about two thousand pigs rushed headlong over a cliff and died. When the people of the town saw the man, previously possessed by demons, sane, sitting down, and well-dressed they were filled with awe! Then those who had seen it told others what had happened.
The evangelist explained that if it is God’s will today to exorcise these demons from this girl, God’s power must be recognize and told to everyone. He helped everyone understand that victory does not come by might or by power, but ``by my Spirit, says the Lord!’’ (Zech 3:17)
As the people gathered to witness this confrontation of the evangelist and the demons, they watched the evangelist bow down to pray. He prayed, ``Oh God, as you have all power over all forces in the world, show your great might over these demons by driving them out of this girl.’’
As the demons came out of the girl, they cried with such loud voices that many people ran into the bush. Later, it was learned that they feared that, like the pigs, the demons would possess them. Those who remained behind gave witness to the fact that the evangelist was a man in touch with a powerful God. Several weeks later, the girl became a believer and most of her family. From this humble beginning, a new fellowship of believers were allowed to meet in peace.
After several other similar encounters, Malam Maudi learned of the pagans plot to kill him. Late one night, some of friends of the juju priests snuck over to the evangelist’s hut to choke him in his sleep. However, when they arrived, they were unable to find any windows to crawl through so they went to the front door, but also found it sealed shut! Not to be outdone, the wicked men, lifted a man onto the grass roof to burrow his way into the hut. After several frustrating minutes he declared that the roof had an impenetrable surface that could not be broken. Finally, the men started digging under the floor of the roof to tunnel into the hut, but again they could not break through!! No matter what tools, methods, or entrance points they selected, nothing could get them into Malam Maudi’s hut. They went away believing that some great force had purposely thwarted their efforts.
When the evil men woke up next morning they went to the evangelist’s hut to see what had been done to seal it from them. To their surprise, the hut appeared as it always did, with five windows, two doors, a grass roof, and a dirt floor. Truly, they said to themselves, this evangelist must have been protected by a powerful God!!!
News about the evangelist’s protection spread from village to village. Many decided, that if Malam Maudi’s God could protect him then He surely could protect them from their enemies. As a result of these long deliberations by the villagers, many decided to believe in Malam Maudi’s God. Soon, a larger group of converts began a church. Since, most people were taught to express loyalty to the church the way they showed it to their families, the church grew both quantitatively and qualitatively!!
III. How to Overcome Opposition
Frustrated by their diminishing influence in Kwoi, the Muslims called one of their witchdoctors to destroy the evangelist. Now the preacher threatened their power, influence, and standing in the community. The Muslim and pagan leaders agreed that unless the evangelist was shown to be vulnerable he would eventually win the allegiance of everyone in the area to Christianity. When the witchdoctor secretly arrived in the village, he began to prepare a special poison solution to kill Malam Maudi. Late one night, the poisonous mixture was placed outside of the evangelist’s hut. Through the night, the gases from the solution were suppose to poison the preacher as he slept.
The next morning the Muslims paid a ``courtesy call’’ on the evangelist to see if the poison had taken effect. However, Malam Maudi was up and about with no apparent ill-effects. This greatly puzzled the Muslims and pagans since they believed the poison to be deadly. When they went back to their meeting place, word soon came that one of the Muslim leader’s sons had died that very night. Apparently, the wind had shifted the poison through the night diverting it to the Muslim leader’s home, where the poison killed his son rather than the evangelist. God had turned their evil plans back on themselves!! Now they were frightened of the evangelist’s God! (Doyaro, Interview, 1986)
With fear and trembling, the bereaved Muslim man declared that if the evangelist’s God could turn an evil intention into a reverse tragedy on the sender of the curse, he had no other choice but to place his faith in that man’s God! God used a tragedy to bring about a triumph for Jesus Christ in Kwoi through that man.
Eventually, hundreds of people bowed before the evangelist, Muslims, pagans, back-slidden Christians to declare their faith in Jesus Christ. They wanted to believe in Christ’s substitutionary death on the cross for the forgiveness of their sins.
Today, Kwoi area is known as a Christian center in southern Zaria of Kaduna State in Nigeria. Nearly 60 years after the Lord used Malam Maudi’s faith to confront the forces of evil, the area remains a sending area for missionaries. By some estimates, the southern Zaria area of Kaduna State has nearly 1 million Christians with over 1,000 churches representing many different denominations. The little church that Malam Maudi helped start now has nearly 1,500 people attending every Sunday morning!
Since the early missionaries started the church in Kwoi area many other methods have been used to see the church continue to grow quantitatively and qualitatively including the following:
IV. Suggested Methods of Village Church Planting
1. New Life For All prayer, Bible study, and witnessing teams.
2. New denominations being started from discontented members breaking off from ECWA. Certain issues like polygamy, baptism, dancing, money matters, clothing, worship practices, and disagreements of various kinds have motivated some to help start other churches in the Kwoi area.
3. Dispensaries have contributed to credibility of Christianity.
4. Rural development projects have increased the visibility and witness of Christianity through agricultural helps.
5. A series of Bible schools, Christian training institutes, and branch Bible schools have contributed to the training of leadership for the church.
6. A Christian culture has influenced all families, tribes, and beliefs of the people of Kwoi since it has become the domineering religious system.
7. Outsiders have not been able to effectively penetrate the Kwoi area since Christianity is known to have solid roots in Kwoi.
8. Many leaders of ECWA have come and are still coming from the Kwoi and surrounding areas.
9. Christians are recognized by government for employment in Kwoi area.
V. Some Factors Hindering the Growth of the Church Around the Kwoi Area
1. Divisions exist between the elderly leaders and the young English speaking leaders.
2. Philosophical disagreements arise often about ways to lead the church into a new era.
3. Certain people are returning to idol-worshipping practices.
4. Differences arise over the most appropriate means of spending money from church offerings.
5. The preaching of the gospel by local Pastors, at times, seems to lack relevance, contextualization, and an ability to meet people’s felt needs. The leaders may have to re-think their approach in preaching, teaching, prayer groups, and discipleship ministries.
6. People want easy solutions to difficult problems.
7. Pastor’s have become maintenance minded rather than growth minded.
8. People are more concerned with physical and material concerns than spiritual concerns.
9. People and Leaders lack commitment to Christ, the church, and the great commission (Matt. 28:19,20).
10. Leaders fail to integrate Christ into culture!
Study Questions
1. What allowed Malam Maudi to plant a church in Kwoi?
2. What oppositions did he experience that other church planters can expect?
3. What methods should we use to start village churches?
4. What errors must we avoid in starting village churches?
5. What can you do to help accelerate the pace of village church planting and church growth?
