"I Have Walked a Very Long Journey"

A Legacy of Spiritual Formation in Nigeria
By Philip M. Renicks, Ed.D

I have been greatly blessed with the opportunity to see what God is doing in Christian schools around the world. Many of those opportunities came during my years as the vice president of international ministries for the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI). My work in ACSI gave me the opportunity to encourage Christian educators in the noble task that God had entrusted to them.I had the privilege of visiting Nigeria for my first time in March of 1996. During that visit I met an elderly man, small, slightly hunched over, and white headed. He had taken the western name Frank. His eyes had grown dim over the years and his voice was soft.

We sat on short stumps of wood in the lengthening shadows of the late afternoon. We had hardly begun our conversation when I realized that I was sitting in the presence of a wise elder statesman whose life had been deeply touched by God. He welcomed me to his village and inquired of my visit and work. I told him about my work with Christian schools and explained that the purpose of my visit in Nigeria was to encourage teachers in Christian schools in the ministry that God had called them to for the intellectual and spiritual development of children.

This wise elder, a clan chief, began to brighten as I talked. The conversation turned to his village and about the Christian school that was just down the road from his home. He expressed how important it was to him that this school was a place where students could be trained in God’s Word.I asked him about his own life and walk with God. I also wanted to know when the gospel first came to his village. He told how British missionaries came at the turn of the 20th century and one of the first things they did was open a mission school for the children of his village. He explained that this was the first time he had been to school and it was also the first time he had heard about Jesus. As a result of his years at the school he came to know Jesus as his Savior. 

He said to me, “I have walked a very long journey,” meaning that he was now in the sunset years of his life. At 90 years of age, he was still following Christ. He told me how important God’s word was for him. He said, “With this book I have married my people, buried my people, settled disputes among my people, and established codes of conduct for community life in my village. This Book has helped me guide my people in every affair of life.”

However, as he talked about the youth of his village, he spoke with sadness expressing concern at their disregard for anything spiritual, their love for the material things of the world, and their attitude which reflected that the community owed them a living. In a quiet voice he said, “The only hope for my village, my state, and my country is education which is Christian.”The little mission school he attended as a child had obviously fulfilled its spiritual mission. Teachers in that humble school had introduced him to the person of Jesus Christ. It was in that school where he learned to apply biblical values to life’s challenges. He learned how to stand firm on biblical convictions. It became obvious to me that he viewed all of life from a biblical perspective.What a tremendous testimony to his teachers.
I am confident they had prayed for him and their prayers had been answered. How could they have asked for more? The school no longer exists, but his life had been impacted for eternity, and in turn he had impacted countless others.

The influence of his teachers lives on. At 101 years strong, this hero of the faith heard the words of his master, “well done good and faithful servant.”As witnessed by the dedicated life of my Nigerian friend, it is obvious to me that the Christian school while preparing students in all areas of intellectual development, is also a spiritual ministry. The spiritual formation of students is a critical element of the Christian school. The Word of God must be at the very heart of the teaching/learning process. There must be a conscious effort on the part of administrators, teachers, and board members to be the gate keepers of the spiritual mission of the school. The work of the Christian school educator is of ETERNAL VALUE.

The Apostle Paul in his prayer of thanksgiving for the Colossians spoke of the reports that he had gotten about the steady faith they had in Jesus and the love they had faithfully extended to other believers. He spoke of the clear life purpose they demonstrated, never allowing themselves to grow slack concerning the things of the Gospel and their hope of heaven. The message he said, is just as true among you today as it was when you first heard it. This is true all over the world he said, “This gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God’s grace in all its truth.”The Colossians upheld their responsibility as the gate keepers of the gospel. My Nigerian friend, Frank, was the gate keeper of the gospel for his people. Who will be the gate keepers for this generation in helping them define a faith that will impact their lives and their culture for Jesus Christ?