Each morning at GAFCON IV, the delegates, of whom I am one among 1,300, gather in small groups to pray for one another. The other day, a bishop asked for us to pray for the security of Nigeria. Today he called us to pray more earnestly because there had been more killings, though details are still hazy.
He asks to remain anonymous because to be known to speak out will endanger his life, but in a private message, he shared this, which, out of respect, is reported in his own exact words,
"I write with a burden," he said, "I write as one with compassion. I write as one who have seen widows, motherless babies, men who have lost their entire family and means of livelihood. I write as one who have consistently encouraged people living in fear of being hunted down."
He continued: "Beloved, being a Christian [there] takes more than a belief in Jesus Christ alone; it will require grace; it will take a firm resolve to pay the ultimate price if need be.
"Pray for us that God will strengthen us and grant us the courage to do His Will despite the odds. Pray for our persecutors that God will help them by His Spirit to experience the love of Christ. Thank you so much for your love."
Sadly, the incident that sparked this request was not unusual. It followed violent attacks at the weekend in another part of Kaduna State. That time 33 Christians were killed by Fulani herdsmen and Boko Haram terrorists in the early hours of Sunday morning. On Monday, Rev Jacob Kwashi, bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Zonkwa, buried the dead.
Hearing first-hand accounts of such suffering is not uncommon at Gafcon. It is a profound challenge to any ignorance or indifference on the part of delegates from more secure parts of the world. And so too is the faith of those who suffer.
In another seminar, a clergyman who had just shared a quite extraordinary story of suffering and redemption was asked how others could support people in his setting. Instead of listing a series of requests, he responded by saying, "Persecution makes better Christians of us – a Christianity that costs nothing is not biblical."
That is the wonder of GAFCON IV – you never know what the person sitting next to you will teach you.
Susie Leafe is director of Anglican Futures, which supports orthodox Anglicans in the UK.
