In mid-2023, Encompass sent a small team to Nigeria, which marked our first visit to the country in an official capacity. The purpose of the trip was to meet with the local Charis Alliance leaders, observe their ministry efforts, and assess if it makes sense for Encompass to start sending workers there.

The Charis Alliance has had a strong presence in Africa for decades. In recent years, missionaries have been working hard to nurture the Alliance’s presence in Nigeria, and now the country is home to a handful of young Charis Alliance churches. 

The Charis Alliance in Nigeria recently invited Encompass staff members Florent and Jason to make an exploratory trip. Florent directs Encompass’s Church Equipping Network, and Jason serves as one of our global workers in Cameroon. While they were there, Florent taught about the centrality of Christ, and Jason facilitated a training course on the qualities of pastors and elders.

The local brothers and sisters warmly welcomed our team and told them about all their projects regarding church planting, church equipping, and holistic ministries. One of the projects they initiated was the development of a fish farm, but in order to run optimally, they needed more investment, new equipment, and further training. While they were there, our team took inventory of Nigeria’s churches, needs, and ministries and prayed with their leaders about future collaboration.

While Encompass does not have immediate plans to send workers to Nigeria, we are prayerfully considering next steps. If God wants us to send workers to Nigeria, He will need to give us a clear pathway for our development there. In the meantime, we are committed to assisting their fledgling churches through our Chadian partners and by occasionally helping directly.

Pray for God to continue working through Charis Alliance churches to bless the people of Nigeria.