This section analyzes the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria and the Nigerian Brethren understanding of reconciliation and how they witness reconciliation in a violence torn Nigeria. It is in reconciliation that the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria has made a land mark achievement. There had been constant rivalries, skirmishes and hostilities among the various ethnic communities in the areas of the Church of the Brethren Mission to which the missionaries and now Church of the Brethren in Nigeria have brought reconciliation. This was achieved as a result of the emphasis laid by the missionaries on the gospel of Jesus Christ which is centered on God’s love for humanity.
The Ministry of Reconciliation to which St Paul charged the Corinthian, Ephesian and Colossian Church has been emphasized by the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria. Paul in 2 Corinthians 5:16-21 says,
From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once regarded Christ from a human point of view, we regard him thus no longer. Therefore, if any one is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, behold the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. So we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We beseech you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Because, through Christ sinners have been reconciled to God, have been given the ministry of reconciliation. Just as sinners are reconciled to God, the Sinful world shall
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be reconciled through Christ to God. Paul goes on to tell the Church at Ephesus in Ephesians 2:11-22;
Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles In the flesh, called the uncircumcision by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands–remember that you are at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenant of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near in the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who has made us both one, and has broken down the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in his flesh the law of commandments and ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby bringing the hostility to an end. And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near; for through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; in whom you also are built into it for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.
It is interesting to note that this passage was the portion of Scriptures read by Kulp and Helser when they held the first worship service in 1923 under the Tamarind Tree at Garkida and since then, this passage is seen in most church documents as the motto of the Church. Paul again speaks to the Church at Colosse through his epistle in Col 1:15-23
He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation;
for in him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or authorities-all things were created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the first-born from the dead, that in everything he might be pre-eminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. And you, who once were estranged and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and reproachable before him, provided that you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the Gospel
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which you heard, which has been preached to every creature under heaven, and which I, Paul, became a minister.
This is reminiscent of the missionary history, where the practical demonstration of this reconciliation among families can be observed. Prior to the arrival of the missionaries, polygamy was the standard family system and women were treated largely with disrespect. However, the missionaries came and introduced monogamy where respect for women and children was greatly encouraged. This has continued in the life of the church to the present. When there was crisis in homes, the church had played major role of restoring peace and bringing about reconciliation.
To further show that the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria learnt from the mother Church of the Brethren in the USA and strongly maintains the ministry of reconciliation, Bugu comments, “The Church of the Brethren in Nigeria is well known for this one thing, the concern for peace through reconciliation. The Church has helped in reconciling sister churches with the TEKAN (Nigerian Council of Churches) fellowship and between churches and the government. It has confronted the government many times around issues relating to peace and justice”57
The story of Malam Risku has further demonstrated clearly how the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria has taken seriously the Ministry of Reconciliation. This could be seen today in rural areas where Church of the Brethren pastors and evangelists are reconcilers of families and peoples in their communities. There are several stories where some of the pastors and evangelists have reconciled Muslim families and when they have further misunderstandings, they approach pastors, missionaries, evangelists and some respected Christians for reconciliation and solutions to some life threatening challenges.
Could the above understanding of reconciliation be as a result of what Schreiter noted to be a new paradigm for mission? In his writing, “Reconciliation and Healing as a Paradigm for Mission,” Schreiter points out some number of shifts which necessitated the consideration of reconciliation and healing as a paradigm for mission. He states that the shifts began in the last part of the 20th century and continued to the 21st century. He categorizes the shifts into five starting with the end of Communism, the
57 Bugu, p. 130.
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changes that have taken place in the social order which was as a result of the growing awareness of past social justice. The next shift was the effects of economic globalization which enriched some people from both the developed and developing countries but also increased the overall disparity between the rich and the poor. The spread of HIV/AIDS from segments of wealthy society of the west to wider spread devastation of societies in Africa and Asia was another shift. The fifth shift is the impending ecological crisis all over the world where human beings are not living at peace with and in a constructive relationship with the physical environment ending in threatening the future of humanity on the planet.
Schreiter was of the opinion that the above shifts make the need for reconciliation and healing as a new paradigm for mission imperative. He goes on to discuss vertical and horizontal dimensions to reconciliation this way, “Much of the previous theological literature on reconciliation has been addressed to what might be called the “vertical”
reconciliation between God and sinful humanity. This is certainly a prominent Pauline theme in the New Testament, especially in the letter to Romans. The more “horizontal”
dimension of reconciliation, viz., between human beings as individuals and societies, and between humans and the earth, has not received as much attention in theological reflection until quite recently. It has been the urgent need to rebuild ravaged societies and human relationship, to heal memories of horror and degradation, that has prompted a newer approach”58
Schreiter goes further to give five basic points as characteristics to the horizontal approach to reconciliation. First is that reconciliation according to him is God’s work and we as humans just cooperate in God’s work. The second is that God himself begins the process by healing the victim. This however, is not in any way exonerating the wrongdoer. The third is that the reconciliation makes of both victim and wrongdoer a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17). The fourth is that the pattern of healing and redemption from suffering is patterned on the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. But all the above is incomplete until when God has reconciled the whole universe to himself in Christ (Eph. 1:10).
58 Robert Schreiter, Reconciliation and Healing as a Paradigm for Mission, (Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books), 2005:79.
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What then is Schreiter’s understanding of reconciliation? The answer to this shows that that was the way the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria understood it. He says,
“Reconciliation in terms of healings of individuals might be described as God’s restoring of the humanity of the victim, a humanity that has been wrested away by oppression, poverty, disease and wrongdoing. Social reconciliation is to be understood as the reconstruction in justice of a broken society, so that the wrongdoing of the past cannot happen again, and that this renewed society might look toward the fulfillment to be found in the reign of God.”59
As to healing in relation to mission paradigm Schreiter defines it thus, “Healing is a concept paralleled to that of reconciliation, and incorporates many of the same distinctive features. A central concept in reconciliation has been termed the ‘healing of memories’ for both individual and social reconciliation. The healing of memories recognizes first of all the importance of memories in forming both individual and collective identity. How we think of ourselves, both as individuals and as groups, has to do with accumulated memories we have of past actions and relationships.”60
To sum up his argument that reconciliation and healing is to be accepted as a paradigm for mission, he continues, “From a Christian and theological perspective, reconciliation and healing constitute a paradigm of mission. That is to say, they can order our theological thinking, our missionary endeavors, and our preparation of missionaries in the present time. Like other missiological paradigms, they do not constitute a complete break from the immediate past. Rather, they recognize a reordering of priorities and action in light of changed circumstances.”61
The Church of the Brethren in Nigeria leaders are making headway in this due to the emphasis being laid on justice and love of your neighbour as taught by our Lord Jesus Christ. The peaceful co-existence hitherto enjoyed between Christians and Muslims in most communities where the Church of the Brethren is predominant was as a result of major contribution to peace and reconciliation by the Church of the Brethren members.
To buttress this point, Rev Dr Samuel D. Dali of Church of the Brethren in Nigeria in his teaching at the Church of the Brethren Jos District Annual Conference of 2011 on
59 Ibid, p. 80.
60 Schreiter, p. 80-81.
61 Ibid., p 82.
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the topic, ‘Brethren Life and Teaching’ says, “With the number of Church of the Brethren members killed in the north-east of Nigeria, their properties destroyed and the number of churches burnt, but no Church of the Brethren member reacted violently, it means the Brethren heritage of peace and reconciliation are rooted deep in the Church.”62
In the areas where the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria is predominant, that is the north-east of Nigeria; it is not uncommon to see in the extended families a Muslim, Christian and sometimes an African Traditional worshipper. This could be noticed also among the Yorubas in the South-west as well as some other tribes in Nigeria. In such situation, one can observe how the Christian always maintains a middle position in order to bring reconciliation. There are lots of practical testimonies of many Brethren who did reconcile many including family members having different religious beliefs.
There are other practical ways through which Brethren demonstrate their reconciliation ministry. It is not unusual to see a Christian naming his child after a Muslim friend, Muslim brother or a Muslim sister, although hardly does one see Muslims naming their children after a Christian friend, brother or sister. What is the significance of this in relation to the ministry of reconciliation? When one names his/her child after someone, one is automatically bridging the gap against crisis. The child that is named after someone is considered as belonging to that person and the person whom the child is named after can only wish the child well and support the child in every area of human endeavor, this we could say is building bridges. The significance of naming a child after somebody also shows that the person whom a child bears his or her name is respected, valued and accepted by the parents of that child. This is similar to alliances which were sometimes sealed with intermarriages even in Biblical narratives.
During Muslim festivities and even mourning periods, one can observe how Church of the Brethren members massively attending the celebrations and the ceremonies, sharing the grief and joys with their Muslim friends and family. This action is standing for reconciliation as we have noted in Schreiter’s words the horizontal dimension of reconciliation. This action has always helped in keeping the church reconciled to peoples of other faiths in the society.
62 Rev Dr Samuel D Dali, “Brethren Life and Teaching,” Being a Paper Presented at the EYN Church of the Brethren in Nigeria Jos District Annual General Synod, April 2011.
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