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| We land, welcomed by a crowd holding spears. Photo credit: Shadrach Yusuf |
“What would Dr. Brønnum think if he could be here today?” Mike Rueck and I (Zach) sit in a canoe, carried across the swiftly-flowing Benue River towards a crowd celebrating and rejoicing on the other side. The world has changed a lot in 111 years since Dr. Brønnum first crossed from the Royal Niger Company on the North bank to greet the Bacama chief under a tamarind tree. A giant dual-carriage bridge carries traffic into Numan. High-tension power-lines bring in electricity. Numan has become a large town. On the banks are gathered a crowd of people dancing and jubilating with spears—and cell phones to capture the event. I am moved almost to tears of joy in the excitement of the moment—the New Testament has finally arrived for the Bwatiye People in the Bacama (pronounced Bachema) language!
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| The Bishop thanks God for the Bwatiye New Testament. I doubt there were cell phones and power lines 111 years ago! Photo credit: Shadrach Yusuf |
As the tour continues we get to see more extremes: so many have come to faith; there are many churches in Numan. The headquarters of the Lutheran Church of Christ in Nigeria (LCCN) has cathedrals, bishops, and large congregations. We enter the first church ever built in Numan, a renovated simple hut-style construction. There is no room for all the people who have gathered to enter, but Mariama and I have the privilege of praying with bishops and pastors in this historic site. We move on to the remains of a larger stone cathedral, only the entry and bell tower still standing. Rev. Caleb, the Bwatiye translator, addresses the growing crowd from the historic pulpit in the empty space where the church building used to be. He beckons Mike and me to join him there. As he speaks to the crowd in the Bacama language, I find it appropriate that he stands in the front, and we stand behind—a symbol of the lead that the Bwatiye people have taken in their project. What would Dr. Brønnum feel if he could stand in this pulpit again today?
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| Left to Right: Zach, Mariama, Mike Rueck, and Rev Caleb join many others in the first church in Numan. Photo credit: Shadrach Yusuf |
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