JOS, Nigeria — For the Gangare-area congregation of the Evangelical Church of West Africa in the central Nigerian city of Jos, June 3 brought yet another difficult day of fending off Muslim opposition.
Church members were trying to erect a protective fence around the church when a large number of Muslims stormed the facility and forcibly halted the work. Previously Muslims had built a house on part of the land belonging to the church. The Christians took them to court, which ruled in favor of the church.
“To avoid a situation that will ignite a conflict between us and the Muslims, we had to stop the work,” church elder Dauda Mshelia said. “Even now, there are plans by the Muslims to attack us anytime we are in the church and to burn the sanctuary — that is why you see the police keeping watch over the church.”
Church members are well acquainted with fierce opposition; Muslims destroyed the church’s original building after conflict erupted into widespread violence in 2001.
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