Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA)
PresidentRev. Dr. Stephen Panya Baba[1]
Origin1954
Nigeria
Congregations4,000[2]
Members4,000,000[2]

The Evangelical Church Winning All, previously known as the Evangelical Church of West Africa, is one of the largest Christian denominations in Nigeria, with about ten million members and more than six thousand local churches in nineteen countries.[2] ECWA is a partner church of the international Christian mission organization, Serving In Mission (SIM), formerly Sudan Interior Mission.[2] Since that time, mission stations, Bible Schools, academic schools, and medical programs have been transferred to ECWA leadership.

History

In 1893, North-American missionaries Walter Gowans, Roland Bingham, and Thoma Kent founded the Sudan Interior Mission(SIM) with the aim to spread Christianity in West Africa. The first evangelical church in the region was established in around 1908.[2] However, the Evangelical Church of West Africa was only officially founded in 1954 when the SIM-related churches (initially in Nigeria) came together to form an indigenous body.[3] The church was eventually renamed the Evangelical Church Winning All.[4]

Growth and population

Throughout Nigeria, especially in the central regions, ECWA churches are growing rapidly. Some churches have experienced as much as 400% growth in the last several years. Churches in the Northern parts of the country are also growing.[3]

ECWA has 90 District Church Councils (DCCs) 650 Local Church Councils (LCCs), about 6,000 Local Churches (LCs) in Nigeria and 18 other countries including the US, Canada, UK and Israel. There are 2000 indigenous missionaries serving in Nigeria and other countries. Ref. Barje S. Maigadi, "The Christian faith and divisive ethnicity in Africa: A case study of the Evangelical Church of West Africa (ECWA) in Nigeria," (Asbury Theological Seminary ProQuest Dissertations Publishing, 1997), updated by Sunday Bwanhot, Chairman, ECWA USA DCC, 2023.

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Education

Bingham University, Karu was started in 2005 as a way of meeting the need for both secular and Christian education.[5]

Seminaries

ECWA started three Theological Seminaries: ECWA Theological Seminary, Igbaja that started as a School of Prophets in 1918, ECWA Theological Seminary, Kagoro which was established in 1931, and Jos ECWA Theological Seminary in 1980. There are also eight Bible colleges and fifteen theological training institutes.[4]

Health

ECWA's Medical Department coordinates a wide network which includes four hospitals, a Community Health Program with over 110 health clinics, a Central Pharmacy and the School of Nursing and Midwifery.[6] It is also involved in radio, publications for outreach and discipleship, rural development, urban ministries, and cross-cultural missions.[7]

Evangelism

ECWA has the largest mission organization of any African church.[8] The Evangelical Mission Society (EMS) also termed EMS of ECWA has sent out about 2,000 missionaries.

There are more than 2000 missionaries from ECWA churches who serve in Nigeria and other countries with the Evangelical Missionary Society (EMS), the missionary arm of ECWA.[3]

There has been a serious confrontation between evangelical Christians standing in opposition to the expansion of Sharia law in northern Nigeria by militant Muslims since 1999.[4][9]

Annual themes

Since the year 1997, ECWA has been having regular annual themes:

Year Theme
2023 Occupy till I come. Luke 19:13
2022 Look, He is Coming with the Clouds. Revelation 1:7
2021 Christ in you, the hope of glory. Colossians 1:27
2020 Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit. Zechariah 4:6
2019 Behold, I am doing a new thing! Isaiah 43:19-21
2018 Joy in suffering. 1 Peter 4:13
2017 A generation that knew not the God. Judges 2:10
2016 I looked for a man. Ezekiel 22:30
2015 For I am persuaded. Romans 8:38
2014 Preach the word... 1 Tim 4:2
2013 I want to know Christ. Philippians 3:10
2012 Fellow workers of the truth. 3 John 1:8
2011 For we are God’s workmanship. Ephesians 2:10
2010 We walk by Faith and not by sight. 2 Corinthians 5:17
2009 Vessels of honor. 2 Timothy 2:19
2008 Living a Holy life... Hebrews 12:14
2007 Have you heard? John 4:29
2006 Walking in the light. 1 John 1:7
2005 Return unto me. Malachi 3:17
2004 Where are you? Genesis 3:9
2003 Bear fruit that will last John 15:16.
2002 That I may know him. Philippians 3:10
2001 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Romans 8:35
2000 Make the most of every opportunity. Ephesians 5:16
1999 Go and Serve. 2 Timothy 2:2
1998 Equipping the Saints. Ephesians 4:15
1997 Resist the Devil. James 4:7

See also

References

  1. ↑ Bako, Friday (April 11, 2018). "ECWA New President: Rev. Dr. Stephen Panya Baba, Govt". ECWA. Archived from the original on July 30, 2018. Retrieved April 11, 2018.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Cox Ruth. 2000. “The Lord's Work : Perspectives of Early Leaders of the Evangelical Church of West Africa in Nigeria Regarding the Spread of Christianity.” Dissertation. Trinity International University. .
  3. 1 2 3 "SIM Country Profile: Nigeria". Archived from the original on 2006-10-13. Retrieved 2006-09-20.
  4. 1 2 3 "History". ECWA USA. Archived from the original on 2023-10-19. Retrieved 2023-10-19.
  5. ↑ "Bingham University". www.binghamuni.edu.ng. Archived from the original on 2020-02-22. Retrieved 2023-10-19.
  6. ↑ "Camp of the Woods - ECWA". Archived from the original on 2006-08-26. Retrieved 2007-04-09.
  7. ↑ "ECWA". Archived from the original on 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2007-04-09.
  8. ↑ Oji, Chukwudimma C. "Evangelical Church Winning All". ECWAUSA. Archived from the original on 30 March 2018. Retrieved 4 August 2017.
  9. ↑ Terence O. Ranger, ed., Evangelical Christianity and Democracy in Africa (Oxford University Press, 2008), pp 37-66
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