The Chairman’s Report for May

In this issue of the newsletter
New: Slaughter of Christians in Nigeria – Time for USA to act!
New: Asking President Trump to act on Nigeria as he did in 2020
New: Orphanage graduate visiting village that came under attack
Update: Some responses to our poll of supporters were surprising

Christians slaughtered on trip to Good Friday meeting

Christians from Ukum Local Government Area, mostly from Gbagir were attacked on Good Friday killing 56 and wounding many more. This is an area in Benue state south of Plateau State where we operate.

Benue State is 95% Christian!!! The Sunni Muslim Fulani Herdsmen murderers are from northern states which are majority Muslim. The Fulani have declared that all of Nigeria belongs to their tribe.

Just one week before Easter attacks in Plateau State by the Fulani killed 51 Christians. Those attacks were in Zikke and Kimakpa villages just 43 km (26 miles) southwest of Jos City where our orphanage is located.

During the week leading up to Palm Sunday 126 Christians, including women and children, were murdered by Fulani and over 7,000 displaced from their homes. Their houses have been destroyed, and Fulani herdsmen’s cattle now graze in their villages.

Christian Solidarity International reported on “… a seven-year-old boy named Nenche Steven. Fulani militiamen shot his father dead in the April 13 attack and then used machetes to cut off his mother’s arms and kill his two siblings. Nenche was hacked on the neck with a machete and left for dead. Three days later in his hospital room, he was still screaming and vomiting from the pain.”

Our team in Jos has visited with and prayed with survivors of the attacks. We are trying to make some room, but sadly we do not have the space at the orphanage to take in the many displaced children who have lost their parents.

Amnesty International Nigeria said the Fulani gunmen also razed and looted homes.

“The inexcusable security lapses that enabled this horrific attack, two weeks after the killing of 52 people, must be investigated,” Amnesty said in a statement.

Rachel, one of our graduates from the orphanage, was visiting a family in Jol located south of Miango, when it was attacked. Praise God that a militia was able to repel the attack and no one in the village was killed. Miango, just south of Jos City, has been attacked numerous times.

The big problem? The Nigerian Army does nothing to stop the attacks or to retaliate against the Fulani.

All high officials in the Nigerian government including the president and vice president are Muslims.

President Trump acted to stop persecution in 2020

The Nigerian government has not taken any actions to stop this slaughter. Lack of action by the Muslim led Nigerian government emboldens Jihadist attackers such as the Sunni Muslim Fulani Herdsmen.

The lack of intervention by the Nigerian authorities in the face of such widespread and well-coordinated violence against Christians demonstrates a grave failure to protect its citizens who are not Muslim.

The Nigerian government’s failure to act underscores the necessity of pressure from the United States and Western Europe.

A declaration of Country of Particular Concern (CPC) status by President Trump is needed to compel the Nigerian government to fulfill its responsibility to ensure the safety and security of Christians.

In 2020, President Trump rightly designated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) for its severe violations of religious freedom.

The number of attacks against Christians immediately fell as Muslim leaders of Nigeria realized the CPC status would affect the economy as well as their welcome in other nations.

The CPC designation carries significant consequences and sends a clear message that the U.S. will not tolerate the murders and dislocations of Christians. The designation forced the Muslim leaders to stop the slaughter when President Trump first ordered it.

However, in 2021, that CPC designation was removed by Joe Biden.

Organizations working for religious freedom, and many aid groups, were outraged when Joe Biden removed the CPC status imposed by President Trump.

Even the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom condemned Joe Biden’s action of removing Nigeria from the CPC list.

The number of attacks immediately increased after Joe Biden took Nigeria off the CPC list and increased in severity during his four years in office.

During the time Nigeria was on the CPC list the government took measures to slow down the number of attacks and to hide information on what attacks occurred.

We must act to urge President Trump to reinstate the CPC designation of Nigeria.

The continued and escalating violence, as evidenced by the Easter massacres this year and the ongoing attacks on vulnerable Christians in rural villages clearly demonstrates the need for President Trump to once again add Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC).

A few weeks ago, I sent supporters of the Religious Freedom Coalition a post card addressed to President Trump asking him to reimpose CPC status on Nigeria.

Those on our mailing list should have received one of the postcards to President Trump with their name and city already printed on it.

I need your help in getting the post cards into the hands of others.

I could only send the card to active supporters of the Religious Freedom Coalition.

I have the names and addresses of over 200,000 Christians who have in the past signed Religious Freedom Coalition petitions or sent post cards to congressmen and Senators.

It is critical to ask those 200,000 people to send the post card to President Trump asking him to reimpose CPC status on Nigeria.

We need to do this!

We need to get as many of the post cards as we can to President Trump to get the attention of his aids at the White House. We need stacks of these cards at the White House! Once a certain level of cards is reached, he will be informed.

Please pray with me that the funds can be raised to send the post cards to those people I know will sign and send them to President Trump.

YES … I am trying other methods to influence the President as well. I have been in touch with members of the House and Senate.

I get a lot of the same replies such as, “The President is very busy with the economy and international affairs.” In other words, they have their own issues to take to the President.

There are some who will help. I know that Senator Rand Paul plays golf with President Trump, and I have sent material to him asking his help.

ALL THAT SAID: The post cards work … Over the last 40 years I have used post cards programs such as this to influence congressmen and Senators to assist in the passage of various bills in Congress.

Our post cards were very successful in reaching President Trump during his first term. The post cards were a factor in his original decision to place Nigeria on the CPC list.

Even if you have already mailed the post card to President Trump you can leave him a message at the White House Internet site. The form to leave a message for the Administration is located at ww.whitehouse.gov/contact.

Political action is needed, but prayer is needed even more.

Please pray for the Christians of Nigeria, particularly the Christians of Plateau State where the orphanage is located. Please pray for the children made orphans during these attacks.

Christians struggle in the middle of war

Pope Francis died on Easter Monday. It was not known to Western media until after his death that during the war between Hamas and Israel he called a church in Gaza to encourage the Christians who were left.

About 450 Christians remain in Gaza and many, regardless of denomination, have taken refuge at the Holy Family Church in Gaza City. About 350 Christians are sheltered in the church. During his final Easter message, the pope said he prayed that, “the light of peace radiates throughout the Holy Land and the entire world.”

The Holy Family school at a separate location was destroyed by the Israeli military in July 2024. Three died and many were injured. An Israeli military spokesman said there was a Hamas site next door to the church and that a senior Hamas leader was killed.

His daily calls to the church probably protected it from destruction.

Our Friday prayer meeting: Each Friday our ministry holds a prayer meeting by Zoom with participants from the Holy Land and Nigeria.

During our meeting we were told by our agent in Bethlehem that he could hear missiles being fired in both directions over his house.

There are Israeli military check points at various intersections in Bethlehem and neighboring Beit Sahour. Shepard’s Field and Mary’s Well are in Beit Sahour which is next to Bethlehem.

The military check points can make delivering food and adult diapers difficult. A ten-minute journey can turn into an hour.

We are also providing slip-on diapers for adults in advanced years with severe medical conditions. Most of the West Bank facilities for disabled Christians no longer have the resources to supply diapers.

The need far outpaces what we can provide … The Palestinian Authority has money sent to it from all over the world. The Palestinian Authority leaders have huge mansions on hill tops. They are Muslim and they supply adult diapers to Muslim charities. Christians get nothing.

Please pray for the persecuted Christians around the world. Pray for the safety of the Christians in Gaza and Bethlehem. Please pray for the safety of the newly orphaned children in Plateau State., Nigeria.

Please pray for wisdom for our staff in dealing with the needs of persecuted Christians.