Gospel Broadcasts Bring Hope to Nigerian Christians Facing Persecution, Kidnappings
At-Risk Nigerians Share Ransom Stories with The Tide® Radio Ministry
August 24, 2020
Chambersburg, Pa. — Thousands of Christians in Nigeria are facing persecution and the threat of kidnappings is prevalent in the country, but instead of succumbing to fear, they are trusting in and glorifying God, with encouragement from The Tide® (www.thetide.org) ministry’s global gospel radio project.
Even in their perilous environment, listeners are drawing comfort from the gospel of Jesus Christ as The Tide® ministry broadcasts the Bible’s good news through radio programs in 11 languages in Nigeria. In return, The Tide ministry often receives letters from listeners detailing how God has redeemed them and worked in their lives.
One listener wrote, “A month ago my younger sister was kidnapped with her daughter. I prayed without ceasing, sowed without ceasing, evangelised without ceasing, danced without ceasing, and today God has set my sister and her daughter free. I came to give him all the glory.”
Don Shenk, director of The Tide ministry, says the church in Nigeria faces dangers many Christians do not.
“Nigerian Christians desperately need prayer and support from the global church,” Shenk said. “When you take a high crime rate fueled by poverty and unemployment and combine it with a society permeated with tribal and religious tensions, you end up with very dangerous living conditions. Christians often become easy targets because they stand in contrast to the surrounding suspicion and violence.”
Nigeria has one of the world’s highest rates of kidnapping for ransom. As listeners face potential persecution and generally unsafe conditions in their communities, The Tide radio broadcasts share the gospel of God and remind listeners He is faithful in every circumstance.
Another listener shared, “On February 28, my husband was kidnapped. He is a naval officer. We paid the ransom fee requested by the abductors. They still did not release him. They still asked for another ransom, but to the glory of God, I attended this crusade and after a few days, my husband was released. I glorify the living God.”
The Tide ministry partners also conduct evangelistic crusades to impact communities with the gospel. Events like these remind radio listeners that God is more powerful than the flesh, and he is within them, giving them the courage to worship him through every difficult circumstance.
This is the same truth shared on a Tide radio broadcast about spiritual warfare. The speaker discussed 2 Cor. 10:3-4, which says, “For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war against the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.” The Nigerian listeners find hope in this truth and all of God’s Word shared on The Tide broadcasts.
The Tide ministry began bringing the gospel of Jesus Christ to Nigeria through their first heart language radio program 11 years ago. Since then, The Tide ministry has expanded to programs in 11 languages reaching people across the country. But with a total of 470 different languages spoken in Nigeria, there are still many more people who are missing out on God’s Word.
For nearly 75 years, The Tide ministry has recorded and broadcast Gospel programming in nine countries on three continents in 27 heart languages spoken by millions of people in multiple regions, including Albania, Bhutan, India, Kosovo, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Thailand and Zimbabwe. With more than 7,000 languages spoken worldwide and more than 2,000 people groups yet unreached with the Good News of Jesus, the opportunities are tremendous.
For more information about The Tide broadcast projects, history, radio programs around the world, special yearlong campaigns, the weekly Global Update radio features or other news, visit its website at www.thetide.org or its Facebook page. Read more about The Tide ministry and Director Don Shenk here.
The Tide ministry is actively looking for people godly and manly enough to take up the 2021 Year Beard® challenge. Visit www.YearBeard.org for background and to meet some of the participants who are growing out their facial hair to raise awareness and financial support to help The Tide ministry reach an additional 1 million people with the name of Jesus next year.
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To schedule interviews with Don Shenk, director of The Tide global radio ministry, contact Media@HamiltonStrategies.com, Jeff Tolson, 610.584.1096, ext. 108, or ext. 102.
