OPINION:
A high-profile event at the Museum of the Bible is drawing attention to the escalating crisis of Christian persecution worldwide — and to the work of Brad Brandon, an American pastor who has made northern Nigeria his primary mission field.
The event, “Persecuted and Prevailing: Addressing Christian Persecution in the Modern World,” takes place Thursday, Dec. 4, and is being hosted by the Washington Policy Institute, National Religious Broadcasters and The Washington Times.
Lawmakers, religious leaders and international advocates will discuss the realities facing Christians across the globe.
“This is a great opportunity to raise awareness about what’s happening,” Mr. Brandon, CEO of Across Nigeria, said on The Times’ “God, Country and the American Story.” “Not only in Nigeria — though that’s my focus — but around the world.”
Mr. Brandon, a former pastor from Connecticut, said his path to northern Nigeria began after he realized he had slipped into spiritual complacency.
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“My ministry had become nothing more than a work of the flesh,” he said. “I had stopped relying on God’s power and God’s strength working through me.”
Then, a sudden medical crisis placed him in the ICU for more than a month — an experience he credits with transforming his faith.
“God took all of my power, all of my strength. I couldn’t do anything on my own,” Mr. Brandon recalled. “When I came out of that hospital experience, my walk with the Lord was closer than it had ever been.”
And that set the stage for him to create Across Nigeria, a transformational organization that seeks to stop Christian persecution in Nigeria in its tracks.
Shortly after Mr. Brandon’s medical crisis, he sensed what he describes as clear spiritual direction. While preparing for a trip to southern Nigeria to assist with church-building efforts, he believed God redirected him.
“I heard God speak to my spirit and say, ‘I don’t want you to go to southern Nigeria. I want you to go to northern Nigeria,’” he said.
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Mr. Brandon arrived in the region — largely controlled by Boko Haram and the Islamic State-West Africa — without contacts or a predetermined plan. “I literally bought a one-way ticket, landed in the airport and said, ‘OK, God, what’s next?’”
Human rights groups say 70% of Christians killed worldwide die in northern Nigeria. Mr. Brandon repeated that grim statistic, noting that between 50,000 and 60,000 Christians have been killed there since 2009.
“It’s the most dangerous place in the world to be a Christian,” he said.
His first significant connection came in a Fulani Muslim village, where relationships developed unexpectedly. “We ministered to them. I became very close with the chief,” Mr. Brandon said. “We led a couple of them to Christ.”
This was the beginning of a powerful ministry. Today, Across Nigeria operates schools in Fulani villages to teach children to read and write English — a skill Mr. Brandon says is “like having a college education in northern Nigeria.” The classrooms also create space to “show them the love of Christ and preach the gospel to them.”
Mr. Brandon said Americans should care deeply about persecution overseas, citing both moral and spiritual responsibility.
“Too much is given, much is required,” he said. “We are channels of God’s blessing. The more that we give away, the more that we are blessed.”
He also addressed the question many ask about his work: why he continues returning to such a dangerous environment.
“There’s no safer place than in the middle of God’s will,” Mr. Brandon said, adding that he believes he is fulfilling his life’s purpose. “My Nigeria just happens to be northern Nigeria,” he said. “Somebody else’s Nigeria might be a Bible study, a prayer meeting or witnessing to a neighbor.”
More information about Mr. Brandon’s work is available at AcrossNigeria.org. Details on the event, “Persecuted and Prevailing,” can be found here.
• Billy Hallowell is a digital TV host and interviewer for Faithwire and CBN News and the co-host of CBN’s “Quick Start Podcast.” Mr. Hallowell is the author of four books.
Portions of this article were written with the assistance of generative artificial intelligence based solely on this video interview produced and published by The Washington Times. For more information, please read our AI policy here or contact Ann Wog, Managing Editor for Digital, at awog@washingtontimes.com.
The Washington Times AI Ethics Newsroom Committee can be reached at aispotlight@washingtontimes.com.
