Updates provided by EYN members in Maiduguri.

Updates from EYN members in Maiduguri report that the EYN Maiduguri (No. 1) Church resumed worship on Sunday, Aug. 2, with a service held outdoors after its sanctuary was bombed. (See photo album at www.brethren.org/site/PhotoAlbumUser?AlbumID=8871&view=UserAlbum showing before and after pictures from the EYN Maiduguri Church.)

The reports also added more tragic news, that the total number of deaths may have risen to 1,000 or more, including "the military personnel, the police, Christians, and the sect members." Also, the number of Christian pastors killed in Maiduguri has risen to three. None of the pastors who have died were Brethren, although the assistant pastor of the EYN Jajeri Church was injured.

The two pastors killed in addition to COCIN (Church of Christ in Nigeria) Pastor Sabo, whose death was reported in the Newsline of July 29, were the pastor of a National Evangelical Mission who was reported to be severely injured in the violence and died after having been taken to a medical clinic; and Pastor George Orji of Goodnews Church Maiduguri, who was reported to have been killed after having been abducted along with other Christians.

An EYN church leader who is a former chairperson of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Borno State Branch, sent information about peacemaking efforts by church leaders in recent years. He has been among those calling on the government to help establish a forum where Muslim and Christian clerics could meet, and to sanction those whose preaching incites violence. These kinds of efforts to foster peaceful interreligious relationships have taken place in areas especially "where EYN has played a significant role," he wrote.

His e-mail also questioned the government's promptness in responding to problems confronting the country, and its willingness to act "in an unbiased manner."

Go to www.brethren.org/site/PhotoAlbumUser?AlbumID=8871&view=UserAlbum for a photo album of the destruction to EYN Maiduguri Church.

Go to www.brethren.org/site/PageServer?pagename=go_places_serve_nigeria for more information about the Church of the Brethren work with EYN in
Nigeria.

Go to https://secure2.convio.net/cob/site/Donation2?df_id=2240&2240.donation=form1&JServSessionIdr001=pgptd8tjf2.app44b for ways to help support and encourage Nigerian Brethren.

Source: 8/6/2009 Newsline Extra