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Grace Foundation Inland Missions has existed for 35 years, and we are grateful to God for helping us
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| Kamberi work in the early 90s |
The labor began with consolidating the result of the earlier work carried out in Benue and Niger State by the team and others. The Aiona work in Benue state came under very severe persecution and the only way out was to formally hand it over to Christian Life Evangelical Ministry (CLEM). Pastor Freedman Akor took over and did excellent work. Pastor Mike Agada who was directly leading the work in several villages at Owukpa took over the leadership of the work in that axis and named it Christian Fellowship Center.
The Kamberi work in Kwara State came under Niger State when the Ibrahim Babangida administration carved out that section of the state and merged it into Niger State making it difficult for the Kwara State Christian Corpers Fellowship(KCCF) under which the work started to have jurisdiction whereby all efforts to get other mission agencies to continue with the work failed.
After much prayers, the passion and burden received many years earlier at Irim, to dispel darkness began to see the light of the day as the need to continue with some of the pre-GFIM labor became inevitable. The ministry today operates under five departments. They are Media and Mobilization, Missions Training, Field Operations, Home of Grace and Relief, and Homefront/Research.
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| Media Broadcast |
Media and Mobilization
GFIM recognizes the need for laborers who would serve as agents of light to dispel darkness from all the places where the prince of darkness still dominates. To recruit these laborers, we engaged in praying that God would supply them. In addition to prayers, we mobilize the body of Christ not to be passive but to actively get involved.
The department travels extensively both locally and
internationally to conduct mission awareness teachings in churches, fellowships, conferences, and other platforms.
GFIM also used national televisions such as the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) to mobilize the church as well as our YouTube channels.
The department is also involved in print media mobilization efforts where the department publishes a magazine quarterly: God’s Heartbeat and has published over 20 books which include: Agony of Unreached People, Toiling in Dark Places, My Journey into the Dark Nations, Nursing Your Missionary Vision, Understanding African Missions, etc.
Missions Training
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| Advanced Missions leadership Candidates |
GFIM has been very much committed to training and retraining missionaries bearing in mind the mission work requires intense preparation and failure to prepare is preparation for woeful failure. This department has for over two decades run one-year pre-field intensive missions training under her School of Cross-Cultural Missions(SOCM) and has graduated hundreds of missionaries laboring in different countries around the world under various mission organizations. The School had a campus in Cameroon which serviced the Francophone countries but has to be suspended for now because of inadequate funding.
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| Missions & Exposures and Training, Pretoria |
In collaboration with other ministries like the
Kingdom Bride in the Cross-River State of Nigeria, we have conducted mobile short-term mission training and we have provided leadership for the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada’s Missions Exposures and Training(MET), Pretoria to train pastors from across Africa for missions for close to two decades now.
Field Operations
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| Pioneering effort via River Niger |
The core of our work is centered on this department and off-shoot of our work among the Kamberis. The Kamberi work cut across Niger and Kebbi State as well as Benin Republic. It has also given birth to work among other tribes such as Achipawa, Boko, Gungawa, Fulani, and Dukawa.
We have four mission Stations in Kebbi Statesnamely, Woruworu, Samadobi, Tugan-Gboka, and Bayan Dutse.
In Niger State, the work has spread to Samunaka, Tugan Haske, Tugan Ali, Ishi, Igbeshi, Kubule, Angwan Borgu, Rama, Angwaru and Lambu.
In the Benin Republic, the work spread to Libante, Tugan-Yakubu, Morou, Maidaji, Magaji, Shagiya,
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| Indigenous Believers Campmeeting |
Badelu, Kwalaye, Segbana, Kawuya and Morou II.
From the axis of the Northeast of Nigeria, the GFIM is working among the Beru, Dir, Bolu, Bum, Zull, and Sangawa people in Bauchi state. Before we began our pioneering efforts, all these places and people groups either had no believers or a negligible number of believers.
In Benue State, GFIM works at Oma among the Aiona people of the Idoma tribe. We attempted to extend the work to a diasporan community at Ade-Igwu but had to suspend it because of increased tension and insecurity.
At the Niger Republic, the GFIM labors among the Gobirawa people, the Bankoula people, Tibiri, Ahole and Salkam people.
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| Kamberi convert |
In Plateau State, we work among the Furaka and Zarazong people. Our work among these people groups includes evangelism, discipleship with scores of Discovery Bible Study (DBS) groups, and pioneer church planting where none exists.
At Chad, we had fruitful work in Bonghor where Samuel Benuoji and his team labored for many years before his demise. The work is suspended pending when God provides a replacement.
In Zambia, GFIM registration certificate was Business Name and not Incorporated Trustees as agreed and paid for so the work has to be suspended to avoid future challenges.
In Brazil, GFIM recalled her missionary because he hesitated to allow his family to join him after serving for over one year.
Home of Grace(HOG) and Relief/Helping Hands
This department is a byproduct of the field operations department. The GFIM encounters several needs
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| Receiving New Kids from IDP Camp |
on the mission fields that cannot be ignored. This includes victims of cultural practices and intense persecutions as well as banditries and Jihads. A young girl lost her mother when she was six months old. In the process of burying the mother, they placed her by the mother’s corpse to bury both of them together.
Our missionary plucked her from untimely death from the grave. She is 24 years old now and an undergraduate at the University of Jos. The Jihadist visited a home and slaughtered a man and his wife in the presence of his son. Thank God they did not kill the boy. He is today in his final year in High school and several others in that category. The HOG has scores of orphans and vulnerable kids across three mission bases as well as missionary kids whose parents are laboring in very dangerous mission fields without access to education.
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| Benin Republic |
We have drilled boreholes to provide water for various communities such as Sanga, Bum, Samunaka, Zarazong, Furaka, etc. We provided foodstuffs to many displaced communities at Taraba, Benue, Kaduna and Plateau States.
Homefront/Research
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| Dukawa Convert |
This department is sometimes ignored but is one of the most important departments. It is the pillar
carrying the weight of the first four departments. The department handles all the logistics needs of the missionaries. It comprises the finance and administration departments and coordinates the work nationally and internationally. It carries out research and planning as well as enforcement and over the years has provided prayer cover through mission prayer squads for all the missionaries, and member care/pastoral oversight for the missionaries.
Collaboration/Networking
GFIM has been able to survive and make such a huge impact because of friends and partners that have over the years collaborated with us. We are ever grateful to God for blessing us with one of our earliest corporate partners, the Missions Supporters League (MSL). You believed in us so early. We can never forget those bundles of zinc for our second church on
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| Oma Field |
Kamberi field. The memory of the grinding machine you bought for Dir field and the huge difference it made and many other supports. God bless you richly.
For Gospel Bankers and Anude Family Legacy Endowment Fund, Grace Fatii Omalli Fellowship, Engineer David Okpanachi, Late Apostle Livinus Ofem, and Mrs. Ebele Okojie the devil would have grounded our missions training effort if not for the scholarship you provided at different points which kept the school running. May the Lord bless you richly.
We are extremely grateful to Our Daily Need Ministries, Eternity Ministries, Soteria Church, Tabitha Arise Foundation, Assembly of Redeemed Church, Sao Paulo Assemblies of God church, The Mighty Cry Missions, White Camp Mission, Purpose Driven Life, Day Spring International, Redemption Missionary Church, Gospel Bankers, Final Command Ministry, Dream Center, Chapel of Goodnews, ATBU Chapel of Victory, Forgotten Ones Foundation, Christ Impact World Mission, Mission Challenge Network,all the Network of African Missions Leaders(NAMIL)family and many more too numerous to mention. Thank you for not just partnering but taking ownership of the ministry. Most of the testimonies we publish are jointly owned. You sponsored them. We are very sure that the only way forward is collaboration.
The Director's former colleagues in the journalism profession, such as Professor Taiye Obateru, Professor Adeyi Major, Honorable Rima Shawulu, and many others, have solidly supported the work.
We cannot list all our partners but our earliest friends/partners and fellow 1988 Corp members, Dr.
Malobi Ogboli, Bisi Fanimo, Kemi Bamgbala, Lola Abrahams, Daniel Ayidu. Joke/Gboyega Eyitayo, Yinka Laoye, Kunle Adeyemo, Emmanuel Abuh, etc. You have been there since the inception.
Some of our dearest partners have gone to be with the Lord, Mama Esther Anaja, Engr. Livinus Ofem, Mama Gbenle, Barrister Tubosun Oyelade, Peter Okoh. Douglas Martins Junior, Agnes Okpe, Abraham Abah, Joy Sanni, Tope Madamori, Papa Aderinto, Clement Anegbe, Papa Merwe, etc. Enjoy your rest and your reward. Your impact remains indelible.
For many others whom God has brought our way as destiny helpers, Yemisi Madamori, Ron Meyers (Prof. & Dr. Mrs.), Chinelo Ohanyere, Bernet Madgwulike(Mr. & Mrs), Adindu Ezeocha, Chichi Okonjo (Mr. & Mrs.). Mummy Bolanle Olabisi, Ikechukwu Ugwuanyi (Elder & Mrs.), Mike Adegbile, Ndidi and Chuka Anude, Mrs. Sanyaola, Elizabeth Edime, Mummy Abigail Aderinto, Peter Akinyemi, Oridota Ezekiel, Engr., & Mrs. Yele
Akinsipe, Sister Moni Olopade, Patience Amajor, Elizabeth Edime, Idowu Osaghie-Bello, Adeyemi, Awosika, Dr. & Prof. Isaac Amuta, Elder Samson Abah, Elsie Govender, Barrister Pius Akubo (SAN), Amina Ochai, Oladayo Samuel, Adebowale Kuforiji, Abada Mathias, Eunice Ojobo, Samson AbahShitu Bolaji, Godson Abraham, Danjuma Yahaya, Ugochukwu Obi, Barnabas Omali, Renee and Paul Frangoulis, and family.
For every member of our Board of Trustees, Prof. Joel Onu, Rev. Dr. Samson Amedu, Mrs. Lucy Abah, and Rev. Yinka Laoye, thank you so much for your selfless sacrifices.
Conclusion
We conclude
on the note of Philippians 3:12-14 (New International Version):
Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
We are just beginning. Pray and partner with us as we press on!
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