Lutheran Church of Christ in Nigeria

Bille

In the fall of 2003 St. Philip's began a partnership with the Lutheran Church of Christ in Nigeria (LCCN) Bille, a congregation of about 1500 members. Photographs and information about our two congregations have been exchanged, as have letters between the Sunday School children. In the fall of 2006 three members, and in the fall of 2008 four members, of St. Philip’s visited LCCN Bille. They were awesome and humbling experiences, as their appreciation for our partnership and the strength of their faith was evident.

At that time a covenant formalizing our relationship was signed, and three ongoing joint ministries were identified. They are:

1. A nursery school in Bille, where each congregation funds part of the staff and LCCN provides the facility and administrative functions.
2. Scholarships for secondary students in Bille. LCCN Bille monitors and administers the program and St. Philip's provides the financial support.
3. Support for an Evangelist serving as a missionary in a remote part of Nigeria. St. Philip's provides his salary and LCCN Bille provides transportation and supervision.

In addition to these joint ministries, the two congregations have agreed to continue exchanging information and praying for each other. We hope that at some time in the future, members of LCCN Bille will be able to visit St. Philip's.

Bille is situated in Adamawa State in eastern Nigeria, West Africa. It is about 11 kilometers from the main road between Numan and Jalingo. The road to Bille is not tarred, but it is motorable. Bille is the name of the tribe and the town as well as the main language spoken. It is a heterogeneous community that is made up of Bille, Yandang, Fulani, Bali and some other minor tribes. Other languages spoken in this community are Hausa and Fulfulde. The main occupation of the people living in this area is farming, both food and cash crops like corn, maize, rice, yams, cotton and nuts, as well as animals. Weaving of baskets and calabash designing are also practiced in the area. Most of our members are farmers, traders, weavers, and a few civil servants.

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