“I want to leave the world behind me better than how I met it to the praise of the one who made it.”
That’s the cry of Disciple Nations Alliance master trainer Steve Chia. For thirty-seven years, Steve has worked as a civil engineer in Jos, Nigeria. He is passionate about seeing communities develop and flourish, not only in his work as a civil engineer but also in his commitment to train and disciple local leaders.
Steve was introduced to the DNA in 2001 when someone gave him a copy of Hope for Africa. This small book changed his life. Since then, Steve and his wife, Ashi, have printed and distributed over 1,500 copies. Steve says, “The DNA has been such an instrument to us that we cannot get over it. … It is liberating for people to know that what they do on a daily basis contributes to God’s work to make the world a better place. …That is why we are willing to sell our shoes to make sure the church hears this message!”
God has opened doors for Steve to partner with a Nigerian television station to broadcast contextualized content from the Coram Deo Basics Course. Steve hopes to broadcast content from the Monday Church course in the same way.
Steve and Ashi have opened their home to local pastors, offering a sixteen-week training course derived from DNA materials. They have also begun using the materials to disciple seminary students who are receiving these biblical truths with enthusiasm. One student used what he learned to train eight other pastors, gathering them around his computer screen!
A pastor came to Steve lamenting that his congregation could not access Monday Church content as they did not speak English. God provided yet again, through Steve himself as he translated the Monday Church course into Hausa, the primary language of the pastor’s congregation.
Because of his faithful response to God’s call on his life, Steve is witnessing, firsthand, the life-giving impact of biblical truth. He reports, “Lives are changing!”
These are just a few of the many stories Steve tells about the spread of biblical worldview teachings in Nigeria. The stories are profound, especially against the backdrop of intense religious persecution against Christians in Nigeria: attacks, kidnappings, and murders because of their faith. You can read more about this crisis here.
Steve’s response to this sobering reality is a reflection of his faith and hope in Christ: “We are relying on the grace of God to uphold us. God’s perspective is different than ours. Death cannot stop God’s promises. Let us live right. Let us live in line with God’s precepts. … God is asking Nigerian Christians to walk with him. We cannot afford to go the other way.”
God is asking Nigerian Christians to walk with him. We cannot afford to go the other way.
Join us in praying for the protection of our brothers and sisters in Nigeria, for men and women who know biblical truth to continue to rise up, and for the violence to end.
The Kingdom of God is advancing in Africa and around the globe as courageous men and women choose to proclaim God’s truth and live counter to their culture. Steve often asks people, “Are you an African Christian, or a Christian in Africa?” In other words, is your culture shaping your faith, or is your faith shaping your culture?
May we all join voices with Steve in proclaiming, “I want to leave the world behind me better than how I met it to the praise of the one who made it.”
To learn more about Steve’s work in Nigeria and how to support it, write to us at info@disciplenations.org or click here.
