Dear Brethren,
Greetings from your fellow workers in the vineyard of Christ in Nigeria. We are very grateful to you all for your love, prayer, financial support, and goodwill you have extended to us in Nigeria for many years ago.
January 26-29, 2016 was epoch making in the history of Great Workshop and Nigeria as a whole. The just concluded Great Workshop was the first in history since its inception in 1997 by brother Tex Williams and brother Steven Worley. Over 700 evangelists / WBSFUW and friends of brother Doug Wheeler from 17 Southern States of Nigeria and some from Abuja (FCT), Kano, Katsina, and Kaduna graced the four day workshop at NCBC Ukpom-Abak, Akwa-Ibom state to spiritually edify and witness the sending forth of brother Doug Wheeler, our brother, friend, and counselor who started his mission work in Nigeria in 1984 and was sent forth in January 29, 2016.
It seemed we should have brother Doug Wheeler forever in Nigeria because many souls were converted by the Lord through our joint effort. Many were edified and many local congregations were planted by his encouragement. Really, we shall miss his annual speech and lectures, encouragement, jokes, cares, and lastly his hands of fellowship. May the Lord continue to use him and every one of us for His glory is our fervent prayer in Jesus Christ name, Amen.
The four day workshop centered on “Church Growth.” Several lessons were addressed to remind us of the need, principle, and ways of Church Growth. Able and seasoned brothers were chosen as speakers while people like then were appointed to moderate the program.
On Thursday morning, the whole assembly trooped out to evangelize Ukpom-Abak and neighboring towns and villages. A soul was converted while many more prospects were identified. In the evening of Thursday, some brethren were recognized for their tireless efforts in the brotherhood with awards of excellency along with brother Doug Wheeler who really is a soldier of Christ, accommodative, disciplinary, and lover of God and lover of good things.
At the end of the workshop on Friday evening, brother Doug Wheeler through brother Sylvester and brother John Dania freely shared hundreds of Bibles to all the invited guests, while I and brother Kayode shared 6,000 VOTI vol. 86 and leftovers of volume 84 & 85 and 5,000 WBS introduction lessons to over 700 participants.
Brethren, we brother Doug Wheeler would ever be remembered by all the graduates of SWSE-Ibadan, the WBSFUW and by brethren in Nigeria.
We thank you all for your support in all ways for him when serving in Nigeria. We thank his wife, sister Diane too, for permitting her husband to come to Nigeria even though the kidnappers are operating day and night in the East, Boko Haram in the North, and Sooka (Ritualises) in the West. Really, we are grateful to him and his wife, associates, and to you all for your love and concern for souls of men in Africa, Nigeria in particular. May the Lord keep us fit in His loving way till death in Jesus name, Amen.
I remain yours in His grace as a servant,
Brother Makinde Ebens Olufemi (Minister)