Stories from the Field

April 2007

Muslim Background Believers Persecuted
By a Christian worker on the field

Recently, a young Fulani man in Nigeria accepted Christ after a local Baptist pastor witnessed to him. A month later, this new believer's family learned that he had become a Christian. They burned all his property and took all his bags of grain, leaving him with nothing. The young man began living with a friend who is a member of this Baptist pastor's church. In the days that followed, the pastor was threatened because the Fulani family was looking for their son. One day some of the son's former friends found him and said they would ensure that he reaffirmed his faith in Islam that night.

Since the young man's life was threatened, the pastor took him to a secure place where his persecutors could not find him. Two good things have resulted from these events: another Fulani has come to Christ, and a pastor has gained a new understanding of Muslim evangelism. The pastor testified, "God has opened my eyes to see the need to reach Muslims for Christ, and I will lead my church to do that." Pray that this new believer, "A," will grow in his faith and that God will uphold him in difficult times. Pray also that God will give the pastor and his church guidance as they continue to encourage and disciple this new believer, and as they witness to other Muslims in the future.