Baptist Briefs: Boko Haram affects Baptists in Nigeria

Baptist church in Nigeria burned after Boko Haram attack. (Photo: BWANet)

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The Boko Haram insurgency in Nigeria has affected about 2,000 Baptists and more than 30 churches. Individuals have been killed, women raped, farms destroyed, and homes—including parsonages—and church buildings burned by samson olasupo ayokunle130Samson Olasupo Ayokunlevandals, reported Samson Olasupo Ayokunle, president of the Nigerian Baptist Convention. Affected churches are located in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, Nasarawa State and Benue State, all in the northern part of the country, he said. Ayokunle expressed gratitude to Baptist World Alliance officials for prayers offered on behalf of his country.

Alliance urges Congress to protect programs for the poor. The 125-church Alliance of Baptists joined Bread for the World, Children’s Defense Fund, Faith in Public Life, the National Council of Churches and about 1,300 other organizations from every state in the nation in signing a letter asking lawmakers to approve a budget that adheres to four basic principles intended to reduce poverty and spur broadly shared economic growth. The coalition called Strengthening America’s Values and Economy (SAVE) for All urged Congress to make budget choices that protect low-income and vulnerable people; invest in broadly shared prosperity that raises incomes across the economic spectrum; increase revenues from fair sources; and seek responsible savings by targeting wasteful spending in the Pentagon and elsewhere. Specifically the letter called on Congress to strengthen federal safety-net programs, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and protect vital services for low-income people by ending the sequestration cuts scheduled to resume next October.


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