Crusade Evangelism

By Pastor Steve Nute

 

After the long funeral on our first Saturday, we loaded up into the blue Peugeot and headed to Doris Inn for lunch. After lunch, we dropped over to the site of the first crusade to be held in the Awka area. Umudioka, the children of Dioka, was the one of the clustered villages that comprised Awka town. Felix, the general handyman and fix everything person of Holy Ghost Ministries, was nearly finished with the platform. 

The platform consisted of two by two hardwood framing floored over with “white wood” boards. I gingerly walked up the ramp to see if it would bear my prodigious weight and struck my “preacher pose”. “Yes,” I stated, “this will even hold me up and that means it must be well built.” That platform, four feet above the ground, not only had to hold the preacher, but served as stage for the talented “Holy Ghost Band” as well.

Sunday, February third, 1991: “Arrived around 6:30 at the crusade grounds, slightly nervous but realizing that ‘here it is, the reason I came to Nigeria'”.

After wading through the avid mob of children, Doc and I took our seats in padded chairs behind and to the left of the platform in a building which was being constructed. I listened to the music which was being played over the loud speakers; “O Merri Wo”, He has won the victory. I bowed my head and asked God to make that evident this night.

The music was grand. The people began to wander into the village square, some boldly, others with a detached curiosity. All began to bob and dance a bit as the lively music caught hold of their senses. “…and for thy pleasure, they are ‘kerated’ Thou art worthy oh Lord”. The song finally ended and Justice, the band leader and film announcer began to introduce the feature film of the evening.

Each evening a different film would be used to get the attention of the crowd. Halfway through, the film was stopped, and the message was brought. After the message and invitation, the film would be concluded.

Some of these were dynamic and well made films. Others were absolutely horrible, poorly made and disgusting films using sensational footage of animal sacrifice and human misery to glorify an American Evangelist. I was really tested to bring a message after one of these, and I thank God that only a few of these were used.

“The best laid plans of mice and men…”, I thought as I took my carefully annotated Bible up to the darkened stage. All my wife’s hard work transcribing my notes would be of no avail here. I would have to rely on God to jog my mind and prepare those waiting hearts. God is a good mind jogger and always gave me the proper sermon for the occasion, except one time.

I foolishly listened to a pastor’s exhortation of what was “needed” in Nigeria and tried to preach in that vein. it was not a Spirit inspired attempt, and I felt that through the whole message. In spite of that fact, people came to be saved that night too. God is the one who works, sometimes in spite of us.

The crusades were each comprised of six nights. Three in a village square, three in the area church. The idea is to bring new converts into a body of believers where they can be nurtured. The nearest church to Umudioka village was the Headquarters church in Nkwelle village. I was pleased to see how many people walked the dusty mile to services there. 

Each crusade had a great deal of sameness, yet there was a great difference as well. The faces were different each night, but I could count on all of the children being present and each on bringing a friend.

The Awka crusades, as stated, were held in village centers and then moved to the nearest ministry church. The Onitsha crusade was different in that the first three nights met in a huge motor park.
Onitsha, as described elsewhere, is a city of vast proportions. It is dominated by the largest open air market in West Africa, if not all Africa. The climate of this city is based on the vast amount of trade carried on there. Dishonesty and theft run rampant. The three nights of crusades in the MCC Motor Park began with a certain amount of fear based on that knowledge.

“Don’t leave your Bible or anything near the edge of the platform, or it will go missing,” *Pastor Eric Newman warned. I was cautious to keep a watchful eye on my stuff and a wary heart injected some unnecessary fear into my first night. This proved ungrounded, however, as God, as usual, kept His capable hand over us and produced only blessings through that six night campaign.

Fruit? I can only ask God to keep those thousand souls in His care. I cannot judge whether or not they really meant business. I can, though, relate one incident of many which indicate a real grasp of the truth in a life.

He was Yoruba, tall and slim, away from his own tribal area and surrounded by Igbo. In his loneliness, he placed an ad into a paper asking to meet with a certain cult group that would provide him with sex and power.

This cult is one of many Spiritualist and “Juju” religions that comprise the ten percent “animist” make-up of Nigeria. To leave such a group results in dire threats and often death, should they suspect you have revealed their secrets.

Friday morning of the Onitsha crusades, Doc was running free clinic at the ministry church in that city. Ephraim and I visited an area church and the printer, and then returned to the church to pray or counsel with people. As we sat in the shade of a small mango tree, this Yoruba approached and handed Ephraim a sheaf of papers.

“I will not want these any more,” he said in broken English. “I have Jesus now and these do not have room in my life,” he concluded.

Ephraim looked at the papers and then silently handed them to me to read. I was moved nearly to tears as it became evident that this man really meant business with Jesus. These were not only his membership papers to the cult, but evidence that he was a Spiritualist leader as well. God is able to save to the uttermost those who come to Him.
*( as I prepare this Pastor Eric Newman has gone to Jesus, young, but ready)