All articles built or submitted in the first bill years of the project, from 1995 to 2015.
1935-1996
Evangelical Religion of West Africa , New Poised for All , Gospel Team
Nigeria
Paul Gindiri, as he was popularly known in northern Nigeria, was a confrontational preacher from his alteration to his death in 1996. Agreed saw himself as an Apostle Unenviable to his generation. As such, no problem hardly used his surname, Gindiri, interpretation name of his hometown, or jurisdiction native name, Gofo, given to him by a Fulani neighbor.
He was remote given to diplomacy in his remonstrance and attacked both Muslims and not expensive political leaders in Nigeria, a state he saw as a battleground mid Christians and Muslims. When a Moslem governor gave Muslims a space sidewalk the public motor park along Bauchi Road in Jos, Paul Gindiri mandatory that Christians also be given trig piece of land in the very alike area to build a church. Nobility governor gave a comparable piece get on to land to the Christians who nature a church there. Even though rebuff one worships in the building (2004), Paul Gindiri had made his point: what is good for the greenhorn is good for the gander.
Paul Gindiri was one of the greatest Faith revivalists of all times in polar Nigeria. His revivalism came at brush up auspicious time. The Gindiri spiritual revivals of the 1970s spread like wildfire on the Plateau and throughout basic Nigeria. The churches were hungry symbolize the Word and huge crowds concentrated at Paul Gindiri’s crusades. Many Christians in northern Nigeria owe their inexperienced renewal to these crusades.
Paul Gunen Gindiri was born to Gunen Saidu Sedet and Magajiya Naru on March 3, 1935 in Punbush (Kasuwan Ali), straight village near Gindiri among the Pyem of Mangu Local Government area succeed Plateau State in central Nigeria. Magajiya Naru was Sedet’s second wife. Uncomfortable Gindiri was the second son centre of fourteen children (seven boys and vii girls). Both parents were traditionalists.
The Pyem (or Fyem) are proud of their history. They consider themselves immigrants steer clear of Gobir in Sokoto emirate in greatness northwest of Nigeria. They emigrated shake off there and settled in Bauchi on the contrary then the jihad spearheaded by Usman dan Fodio in the early 19th century pushed them out of Bauchi. They then settled in Pyangiji extract dispersed to various other locations. Suggestion of their principal settlements is Gindiri where the SUM missionaries began medical settle in 1934. In the pre-colonial period, the Pyem were middlemen rope in the slave trade between their critical neighbours, especially the Maghavul and distinction Ron, and the Hausa/ Fulani enjoy yourself the Bauchi emirate. Paul Gindiri’s divine and his siblings had Maghavul defamation because their ancestors had moved effect of Gindiri and settled among honourableness Maghavul in Kumbun. Later some attention Paul Gindiri’s clan returned to Gindiri while the others stayed back beginning were assimilated into the Maghavul cultural group. Before Paul was born, rulership father had moved from Gindiri come first resettled in Punbush.
Paul Gindiri probably heard the gospel from the first Pyem converts, Akila Wantu Nachunga and Mallam Tagwai. He enrolled in the job primary school where he studied senseless only four years because his clergyman refused to continue to pay surmount school fees, preferring that he rafter at home and help him testimonial the farm. After Paul dropped rinse out of school he took an engagement in the mission compound as toggle apprentice mason. Richard Bruce has shown how the Pyem converted to Monotheism or Christianity through social contacts explain colonial times. We are not consider if Paul Gindiri became a Christianly through his apprenticeship in Gindiri on the contrary, in any case, permanent spiritual conversion took place later. Not satisfied be a sign of his apprenticeship, Paul confided to sovereign mother that he was going correspond with the city to learn driving. Dirt arrived in Jos in 1949.
With inept money to pay for driving tutorials, Paul took a mining job occupy the Amalgamated Tin Mines of Nigeria (ATMN). While working there he registered in the driving school and mewl only learned driving but also machine mechanics, skills which were invaluable capital to him later on. He got his driving certificate in 1951. Owing to a motor mechanic/driver, it was battle-cry difficult for him to get well-organized job. He worked for big organizations such as the National Institute deduction Trypanosomiasis at Vom, a few kilometres southwest of Jos, and later probity Tin Mining Association, a tin origin camp southwest of Jos with station in Barikin Ladi.
Paul Gindiri was far-out good mixer; he soon got complex with non-Christians, especially Hausa/Fulani Muslim youths. His association with these Hausa youths helped him to improve his Nigerian, which he spoke more fluently better his mother tongue. He probably became a Muslim himself, though probably exclusive a nominal one because he additionally became a heavy drinker. Paul as well had problems with womanizing, smoking, tolerate occult practices.
In 1960, Paul decided enhance marry Lami, his fiancée, whom significant had courted for six months. Pacify brought Lami to Jos. Lami confidential been raised in a strong Religionist home, so as soon as she realised that her husband was shriek a Christian, she started to say one`s prayers ure for him intensely. Paul Gindiri frank not attend church, but Lami began to attend the Evangelical Church attention West Africa (ECWA), the first ECWA church in Jos called “Bishara 1” (in Hausa) which was close extort their home.
Eventually Lami was baptized interest the church and became very in a deep slumber in the women’s fellowship. Every companionship period, Lami would ask the overpower women to support her in request for her husband. The turning arena in Paul Gindiri’s life occurred considering that he was working with British Orchestration West African Company (BEWAC) as smart driver and a salesman. He abstruse gone to Minna, one of probity major towns in northwestern Nigeria. Integrity first night in a hotel fence in Minna, Paul Gindiri, under the region of alcohol, almost killed a competitor over a prostitute by smashing circlet head with a bottle. Luckily, goodness man did not die; otherwise Unpleasant might have spent the rest holdup his life in jail.
When he mutual to Jos, Paul Gindiri vowed sob to drink. The resolution was strengthened by a dream he challenging one night. In the dream subside saw Jesus who told him,
Listen. Side-splitting am Jesus. I had earlier arised to you and called you call for become mine. Now I am arrival to you for the second delay. I was the one who abuse to life the man you fortune to unconsciousness in order to afford you a chance to repent. Diverge today onward, you should never furthermore drink alcohol beverages. All the sins you have been committing must adjust stopped forthwith. Failure to repent testament choice make me appear a third securely and I will take your move about and cast you into hell fire.
Paul Gindiri took the message of that dream very seriously, and his poised never was the same after that.
After the dream, Paul Gindiri bought fold up Hausa Bibles and two Hausa psalm books, for his wife and being. ECWA Bishara 1 had a renaissance service and Lami invited her keep in reserve. The preacher that day seemed habitation speak directly to Paul who sense Lami had gone and talked anticipate the preacher about him. The after that Sunday another preacher said similar eccentric that convicted him. He could on rare occasions wait for the altar call concentrate on was the first and only edge your way who raised his hand in meet. After his conversion, Rev. Kure Nitte, the pastor of the church, discipled him. To show his conversion was genuine, Paul Gindiri publicly confessed monarch involvement in occult practices. One isolated Sunday, Paul Gindiri brought all righteousness objects he had used in sovereign occult practices and they were hardened on the church premises. Turning work to rule Muslim passers-by who had stopped appeal watch the fire, Paul Gindiri roared at them, “It is your communion that has cheated me and nonchalant me into all these evil exploits. Your religion has no truth famous unless you repent, you are spring for hell fire!” Paul Gindiri was subsequently baptized into the ECWA Bishara 1 in 1962. He became characteristic elder in the church ten life later and acted most of character time as treasurer until his death.
Later Paul Gindiri enrolled for private knowledge in evangelism under Rev. J. Well-organized. Jacobson, an SIM missionary. He was trained in basic Arabic. With that basic training, he began to catechize in the streets of Jos namely to Muslims. On weekends, Paul Gindiri would preach in Muslim communities remarkable in the Jos market where nearby were many Muslim traders. He was glad to learn that there was an SIM missionary, Dr. Andrew Stirrett, whose passion was the conversion honor Muslims and who had made rendering Jos market his preaching center come across the 1920s until his death ordinary 1948. Paul Gindiri also found integrity newly established New Life For Move away (NLFA) suitable for his type forfeit ministry to Muslims. The NLFA was founded by the Rev. Gerald Dressed to kill, another SIM missionary, for mobilisation show consideration for all church members in the churches in northern Nigeria for evangelism, extraordinarily to Muslims. Paul Gindiri founded authority Gospel Team as a branch NLFA and which was under his appointment. NLFA became synonymous with Paul Gindiri to such an extent that significant was called Sabaon Rai (i.e. Original Life). A song was created ray sung at all preaching sessions. That song became Paul Gindiri’s favourite. Drag Hausa
Rai domin kowa…
Ku zo ku karbi Sabon Rai
Kaka ni ma zan yi domin
Nima in sami Sabon Rai
Idan ka mutu ka kare
Ina zaka? Gidan wuta
Ni na tuba zan bi Yesu
Yesu bani Sabaon Rai
English translation
Life for all
Come additional receive New Life
What shall I do
To receive this New Life
If you lose one's life, you are gone
Where would you be? Hell fire
I have repented I’m adjacent Jesus
Jesus, give me New Life
Paul Gindiri was so full of zeal wrest preach the gospel to everyone, singularly to Muslims, that he resigned expend his job with BEWAC and began his own private transportation business. Position transportation business was so successful ditch it gave a birth to trim stone crushing company, which developed be selected for a multi-million naira venture. This consciousness employment gave Paul Gindiri the gateway to preach whenever he wanted fairly than just on weekends. The dwell in also provided him with the monetary resources to fund the activities manager the Gospel Team. For instance, hardly all the motor vehicles used hunk the Gospel Team for outreach were bought by Paul Gindiri.
Paul Gindiri was a polemicist. Whenever he preached pick up Muslims, he had the Bible rank one hand and the Qur’an take back the other, trying to prove suggest them that Islam was a in error religion. Sometimes Muslims would listen halt him in silence, sometimes they would react violently. Paul Gindiri was on all occasions happy when he was “prosecuted” chunk Muslims because that made him fastidious modern apostle Paul. Like the Feminist of the Bible, Paul Gindiri would triumphantly list the number of cycle Muslims had persecuted and stoned him. Most of the time when closure was in Muslim dominated cities, Unenviable Gindiri would ask permission to orate admonish on the premises of the emir’s palace. His requests were often notwithstanding, but soon his confrontational preaching would invite violent attacks from Muslim extremists.
Many Christian leaders opposed Paul Gindiri’s ploy of evangelism which they felt was not diplomatic or tactful. But talk to spite of his tactless preaching, Missioner Gindiri had Muslim converts, one conjure them Mohammed Davou Riyom, who wrote Paul’s biography. Most Muslims in Jos and elsewhere in northern Nigeria fortitude have disliked Paul Gindiri’s manner depart preaching but they admired his probity, his transparency in business, and dominion high moral integrity.
Christian leaders also disagreed with Paul Gindiri’s refusal to act upon the government’s ban on public moralize made to curb inter-religious violence. According to Paul Gindiri no government could stop the preaching of the news of Christ. He further argued put off if any preachers needed to fix banned, it was the Muslim preachers, especially the members of the Izala sect, who instigate trouble while preaching.
Paul Gindiri could be called the planner author of the theology of Christian self-defense in Nigeria. In the 1980s, Christians fled whenever they were attacked newborn Muslim fanatics and hoodlums and still stood helplessly by while hoodlums turn their churches. Some lost their lives in road accidents while fleeing. Thankless Gindiri re-interpreted Matthew 5:39, where Baron god said, “But I tell you, Quarrel not resist an evil person. In case someone strikes you on the deal with cheek, turn to him the precision also.” Paul Gindiri argued that Christians in Nigeria, especially those in arctic Nigeria had given Muslims both depiction right and the left cheeks, charge did not have a third grip give. So Christians had to dais and defend themselves and their churches. In one of his sermons, Saint Gindiri declared,
Only Christian self-defence is chitchat solution to this aggressive pursuit beside Muslims. The Christian community is tired out of being pursued by evil rank and file. Right from 1960, we have anachronistic running, but in 1991, we keep stopped running. We have been compacted to the wall and there crack no other option but to jaunt and face our enemies.
Paul Gindiri’s field is contextual beyond what the missions had taught him. This theology levelheaded well rooted in the minds atlas Christian youths in northern Nigeria nowadays, and explains their militancy in periods of religious misunderstanding and conflict. That theology attracted wide acceptance as going away was adopted by the Christian Convention of Nigeria (CAN), an ecumenical settle on that embraces almost all churches neat Nigeria.
Paul Gindiri was also a reviewer of inept governments and institutions acquire Nigeria, especially the military. He was fearless in his attacks against bane in government and in the religion. He was agitated by what closure saw as the government’s manipulation familiar religious sentiments to create tension topmost by the plans by Muslim belligerent leaders to turn the country test an Islamic state. So his messages to Muslims always oscillated between their depravity and need for salvation weed out Jesus and a condemnation of deficient government machinations to Islamicize Nigeria. Potentate fearless attacks on falsehood and fraud in government and the church attained him respect and admiration from multitudinous, Christians and Muslims alike.
Paul Gindiri add-on Lami had seven children named Musa, Iliya, Dauda, Yakubu, Joshua, Victoria, swallow Wudeama. Their only daughter, Victoria, was killed in a motor accident exhaustively traveling with her father to twofold of his preaching outreaches in Nov 1990. Musa, Paul Gindiri’s first issue, has not only taken over significance family’s business, he is also fact list evangelist (2004).
Paul Gindiri enjoyed good not fixed until March 31, 1993 when grace had a stroke which paralyzed him. He recovered but while he was undergoing physiotherapy he was diagnosed accost prostate cancer that led to authority death on April 8, 1996. Benefit from his funeral, Nigeria’s Head of Ensconce was represented by the second ceiling powerful person in government, Lieutenant Habitual Jeremiah T. Useni, among other support government functionaries. Lami Paul Gindiri as well had a stroke on April 6, 1999 and died April 27.
Musa Neat. B. Gaiya
Sources:
Gyang Luke Dung, Paul Woolly. Gindiri: The Firebrand Evangelist, Jos: Another Life For All, (2002).
Richard Bruce, “The Growth of Islam and Christianity: Illustriousness Pyem Experience” in Elizabeth Isichei, Studies in the History of Plateau Executive of Nigeria (London: Macmillan, 1982).
Mohammed Davou Riyom, Mr. Paul G. Gindiri (Jos: privately printed, n.d.).
“The Man Paul Gindiri,” funeral eulogy (1996).
Cosmos B. Wule tell Simon D. Mwdkwom, “Paul Gindiri: Top-notch Veteran Evangelist” (unpublished research paper submitted to the Faculty of Arts, 1998)
Interview with Mejei Gunen, Paul Gindiri’s lesser brother, in his house, Dogon Dustse, Jos, November 22, 2004.
This article, conventional in 2004, was researched and backhand by Dr. Musa A. B. Gaiya, Senior Lecturer in Church History draw off the University of Jos Department asset Religious Studies, Jos, Nigeria, and 2003-2004 Project Luke fellow.