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Nigeria

Population: 128,771,988
Ethnic groups: Hausa and Fulani 29%, Yoruba 21%, Igbo 18%, Ijaw 10%, Kanuri 4%, Ibibio 3.5%, Tiv 2.5%
Religions: Muslim 50%, Christian 40%, indigenous 10%
Languages: English (official), Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo (Ibo), Fulani

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Fellowship's History in Nigeria
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College Friends
Fellowship’s story in Nigeria actually starts back in 1984 when Fellowship member Dr. Charles Marable became friends with Aniefiok Udo at Arkansas State University. The two kept in touch over the years and continued their friendship while Charles went on to medical school and eventually moved to Franklin. Aniefiok went on to Dallas Theological Seminary and then sensed God’s call to move back to Nigeria with a vision to win his people to Christ. Fast forward to 2002 when Aniefiok visited the United States and came through Nashville to see his old college buddy, Charles.
The First Trip Charles introduced Aniefiok to a number of people at Fellowship including Henry Thomas, Brian Petak and Maridus Kinder, who were intrigued by Aniefiok’s passion and interested to hear more about his vision. Charles and Henry took a trip to Nigeria that year to work with Aniefiok and minister to his network of pastors. Two years later, in August of 2004 over a cup of coffee at Starbucks with Aniefiok, Brian and Charles decided to put together an exploratory team to travel to Nigeria in October. Their mission was to help facilitate a Pastor’s Training Conference with Aniefiok and the organization he was working with at the time, the Believer’s Assembly of Nigeria. That first team of Charles, Brian, Jeff Runion, Bob Elrod and Richard Scott came together and traveled to Ikot Ekpene, Nigeria a few months later.
The Partnership Deepens During this October trip, the team was able to see and affirm Aniefiok’s leadership and the trust he had obviously built over time with the almost 200 pastors who attended the conference. However, it was also obvious to the team that something was not right with the current organization, and Aniefiok’s abilities and leadership skills were not being stewarded well. Through a number of Spirit-led conversations, Aniefiok shared his vision for one day planting a church and establishing a pastor’s resource center to equip and train area pastors. His vision for reaching that part of Nigeria also included a clinic, a vocational training center and a seminary. The Fellowship team affirmed Aniefiok’s vision and passion and after consulting with Maridus Kinder back home via satellite phone, it was unanimously decided to come alongside Aniefiok as a leader, and his vision for reaching Nigeria for Christ. With Fellowship’s support and financial backing giving him confidence to pursue his dream as a leader, Aniefiok decided to call his church Fellowship Bible Church and became Fellowship’s first international church plant.
Fellowship Bible Church, Nigeria Aniefiok announced his resignation from BAN in December 2004 and launched Fellowship Bible Church-Nigeria with 12 members, including the five Udos – Aniefiok, his wife Judy and their three sons, Stephen, Samuel and James. Since then, Fellowship-Nigeria has grown to almost 200 members and is meeting in two different locations (they already have a satellite campus!).
Pastor’s Resource Center Africa Outr
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