Nigerian Bishop Confirms Dedication to Jesus Christ Despite Attacks

The Bishop of Jos in Nigeria, who has survived a series of attacks on his family, says he will continue to stand for the gospel, testifying that it is "worth living for" as well as "worth dying for".

"My belief is until my time is up I will not die, so I'll continue to say what I know as a fact and truth and I will continue to stand on the gospel of Jesus Christ. The gospel is worth living for - and it is worth dying for," said the Rt Rev Dr Benjamin Kwashi, Bishop of Jos.

The Bishop has again narrowly escaped death after the second violent attack on his family in 18 months, Release International reports.

A gang brandishing hammers and axes broke into the Bishop's home in Plateau State.

They are believed to be from the same group who attacked his son and wife last year, while Bishop Kwashi was abroad. During that raid they beat his son, Ringi, unconscious, and injured his wife Gloria so severely that she needed surgery to restore her sight.

In the latest attack, they again beat his son, but mercifully left Mrs Kwashi alone, though she was horrified to find herself confronted by the same attackers again.

The gang took Bishop Kwashi into the yard and threatened to kill him unless he gave them large sums of money, reports Release. When he said he didn't have that kind of money, they led him back into the house, to murder him in front of his family.

Release told Christian Today: "Inside, the bishop knelt to pray, ready to die. Miraculously, the gang just looted the house and left, without harming him."

Bishop Kwashi said he was not discouraged but would continue his work. He said: "I have decided that preaching the gospel is worth living for and it is worth dying for."

Release interviewed the Bishop after the previous attack on his home and wife. When asked how many times he had been threatened, he just laughed: "I don't know. I think I've lost count, but I can tell you that the first was when I was a priest at St Andrew's church in Zaria.

"This was 1986. I organised a massive gathering of Christians and over 15,000 people gathered at the polo field. I was saying that there is going to be death coming to the church, because there is a wave of Islamic religion that's coming that wants to exterminate the Christian faith.

"After that I got letters and threats saying that they were going to kill me. I first thought it was a joke."

However, on 18 February last year, attackers broke into the Bishop's house in Plateau State, determined to kill him. He was abroad at the time. So they took their revenge on his wife, assaulting her and beating her badly.

"Unfortunately my wife took my death on my behalf," said Bishop Kwashi. "She bore the shame, she bore the disgrace, the humiliation, and right now she is partially blind as a result. Her head was beaten badly so we suspect some form of glaucoma developed, and some things."

He added: "But I am grateful to God. My belief is until my time is up I will not die, so I'll continue to say what I know as a fact and truth and I will continue to stand on the gospel of Jesus Christ, because I have seen so much of the power of this gospel, so I am not in doubt that at the end of it all, the gospel will prevail.

"In this life we don't have anything else that is durable. Nothing will prevail, nothing will overcome, only the gospel and those who believe in the gospel."

A video interview is featured in the latest edition of World Update on the Persecuted Church, by Release International, available from www.releaseinternational.org