Windibiziri, David Lonkibiri

David Longibiri Windibiziri grew up in the Lutheran Church of Christ (LCCN) in Nigeria. He was baptized in the church, became a minister, and rose through the ranks to become archbishop.

Introduction

The Lutheran Church of Christ in Nigeria was started by the Sudan United Mission. The idea for the ministry emerged in a monthly periodical entitled Sudan and the Regions Beyond that was published in 1889-1890. Dr. H. Grattan Guinness published the journal to stir up interest in the Sudan which was closed to missionary efforts at the time. His daughter, Lucy, was married to the German-born Briton, Dr. H. Karl W. Kumm who had been a member of North Africa Mission. In North Africa Kumm had learned Arabic and Hausa. Kumm and Lucy worked very hard to make the ideas of Dr. Guinness become reality.

On November 13, 1902, Kumm and a few other individuals in Sheffield, England established a mission organization named Sudan Pioneer Mission (SPM) Evangelical Churches. After Kumm consulted some of his contacts in Europe, the United States, South Africa, and Australia, the name of the mission was changed from SPM to Sudan United Mission (SUM) on June 15, 1904. Branches were then established in Europe. Pastor Pedersen of Denmark who had heard Kumm speak at the World Missionary Conference in Edinburgh in June 1910 established a Danish Branch on November 22, 1911. After discussion with the British Branch of the SUM, Pedersen became convinced that Yola (Nigeria) in the Sudan would be the sphere of influence and missionary activity of the Danish branch.

The journey of the church in Nigeria began with founder Dr. Niels Bronnum and his wife, and accompanying missionaries Margaret C. Young and Ms. Dogner Rose. The couple arrived in Nigeria and started their trip up the Niger River by boat on February 18, 1913. While in the British Missionary Station in Rumasha, near Lokoja, Margaret died of malaria shortly after giving birth to their first son, Holger, in June 1913. Margaret was buried in Rumasha while Dogner Rose took their son to Margaret’s family in Scotland. This allowed Bronnum and Rose to continue their missionary journey to Numan, Bachamaland. They arrived on October 5, 1913. Bronnum obtained the necessary approval from the British Resident in Yola to begin his missionary work. He built stations where unpaid Nigerian evangelists settled to farm. They taught Christian principles in villages and hamlets under Bronnum’s supervision.

The first five indigenous pastors, namely Habila Alyedeilo. Ezra Gejere, Shall Holma, Theodore Pwanahomo and Ahnuhu Jebbe, were ordained in 1948 after intensive theological training. In 1955, the name of the church was changed from Sudan United Mission to Lutheran Church of Christ in Sudan. Almost a year later, the church became independent of Danish supervision and control and was renamed the Lutheran Church of Christ in Nigeria. Before the Second World War, mission stations had been opened in Numan, Lamurde, Guyuk, Shelleng, Dumne, Pella, Dilli and Njoboliyo. More stations followed after the war. Numan became the headquarters of the church and the seat of power for its pastors, teachers, doctors, nurses, artisans, farmers and administrators.

This was the situation when Bishop Akila Todi, the first African leader of the LCCN and a Bachama by tribe, fell ill. Windibiziri was elected to take over in 1987 as bishop of the LCCN. When Bishop Akila Todi retired after leading the church from 1960 to 1986, the LCCN was a one-diocese church based heavily in Numan, the capital of Bachamaland.

Birth and Early Life

David Lonkibiri Windibiziri was born around 1934 in Purokayo village, Guyuk Local Government in Adamawa State. His cognomen, Lonkibiri, is a Kanakuru name which means “born at night.” His father, Saghar, was Sarkin Dawakai (chief or owner of many horses) in Guyuk. By local standards Saghar was wealthy as he owned many horses and cattle. He was a Longuda by tribe and belonged to the kingmakers’ clan. He was often approached for advice and guidance by district officials and local authorities concerning chieftaincy matters. David’s mother was Deremiya, another Kanakuru name which means “surrounded by people.” She belonged to the rainmakers’ clan. Thus David was born and bred in a traditional home environment along with his siblings - one half-brother, Umaru Zalmadai, and one sister, Sintiki. His mother had had seven children but only two of them survived—the other one being a half-brother with a different father. She believed that her children had been killed by witches except for David whom they could not kill because he was a wizard. When David grew up, he told his mother repeatedly that it was malaria that had killed his siblings but that always caused his mother to laugh and ask how a mosquito bite could kill a human being.

Young David followed his father and learned to imitate what he was doing. As a child, he enjoyed swimming and riding on a corn stalk, pretending that it was a horse. With the other boys, he went to the bush to hunt birds, rats, and bush fowls. During the rainy season, they herded goats and sheep and enjoyed their milk. During the dry season, they could let the goats and sheep roam free because the harvest time had passed. This gave them free time to go hunting. Following local custom, they wore armlets to prevent them from being bitten by snakes or being harmed by evil spirits in the bush.

In 1947, a friend named Lonkiboni encouraged David Lonkibiri to join the baptismal class held by the evangelist in Purokayo village. It took some time for David’s father to agree to this because he thought it was a diversion that would make his son lazy if he was pulled away from farming. Later David said that he was grateful to his father and to God for this opportunity which led to his baptism in November of 1949. This important event made him a member of the world’s largest tribe, the tribe of Jesus Christ.

Education

By being baptized David had been diverted from the religion, trade and occupation of his father. In 1951 and 1952, he attended Numan Training School which later became Numan Teacher’s College. Upon finishing his primary education, he worked for a short while in the mission bookshop. He would have preferred to go to the evangelists’ school but for some reason, he pushed himself to attend Kofare Agricultural School in Yola for one year instead. He continued in the School of Agriculture (Samaru, Zaria) for another year and the School of Accountancy (also in Zaria). Afterwards he joined the Numan Native Authority as an agricultural assistant. Why was he drawn into agriculture rather than mission? David himself could not answer the question except to say, “It was what God wanted and not necessarily what my father or I wanted.”

Marital Life

At the age of 21, David married Margaret, née Zufa Hassan. They had six children who are all deeply rooted in Longuda traditions and culture and in ministry within the LCCN. David and Zufa had a fulfilling marriage in which they found happiness and joy and mutual love for each other. They were described as a shining example of what a Christian marriage should be.[1]

Christian Life and Ministry

For David Windibiziri, his service with the Numan Native Authority was both a challenge and an opportunity to show his Christian character in real life situations where his faith, beliefs and ethics were tested. It was an opportunity to show what Christianity was all about to co-workers and peers, both traditionalists and Muslims. It meant evangelizing at home and at work. David believed that he could not live a dualistic life, separating the sacred and the secular, that new Christians have to live their Christian witness everywhere. It was not easy nor was it adequately appreciated among the people with whom they lived and worked. But for David, there was no other way. Christianity was a total way of life at home, at play and at work, in the church and in the office.

In 1958, David left the Agriculture Department and went to work in the Accounts Department. After two years, he was sent to the Institute of Administration, Zaria, to study secretarial work and accountancy for eighteen months. Upon completion of his course, he was posted to Bauchi as an accountant. Here, he began to feel a stronger attraction to the work of mission and evangelism. In Bauchi, he told one of the pastors that he would like to go to the Theological College of Northern Nigeria (TCNN). This desire took some time to materialize because he did not easily find sponsors. He had no hesitation about committing to this ministry even though he knew that government work held better prospects and opportunities.

He prayed constantly for someone to sponsor his theological training. God miraculously provided a solution when the friend of a missionary who was a retired teacher in Denmark agreed to pay his tuition and living expenses. David realized that this was a direct answer to prayer but also a call to Christian ministry. In 1967 David left government work and entered TCCN where he completed his theological studies in 1970. He was appointed pastor of Majamia Almasihu Jos in January 1971and ordained in 1972. He worked in Jos for six years. He faced many challenges but was able to surmount all of them. As a district pastor, he found his earlier experience in local and regional services very helpful.

When Guyuk Local Government was created in 1977, his people, the Longuda, invited him to serve as councilor in the new local government. The public announcement was made before he was contacted. It was difficult for him to say no. He said, “I saw this as a temptation to leave my work as a pastor.” He accepted but for only one term and he later returned to his job as a pastor. But as portfolio councilor for Education and Social Welfare from 1977 to 1979, he left an indelible mark on the lives of his people. When he returned to church work he was asked to serve as secretary to the Rt. Rev. Akila Todi. He also doubled as administrative secretary of the church for almost eighteen months, before leaving to pursue further studies in the U.S.A. in 1983.

In the U.S.A., he completed an M.A. in New Testament Theology at Luther North Western Seminary. In the second year of his studies, his wife, Margaret, and their youngest son, Hanim, joined him. The objective was to pursue a Doctor of Ministry degree at Luther Seminary. He and his family had a favorable impact on his colleagues in the program and on the entire seminary family.

When David Windibiziri arrived at the Minneapolis airport, David Olson of the Minneapolis Area Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (1987-2001) was there to welcome him. He subsequently became his lifelong friend. He attested to Windibirizi’s humility and confidence, his concern for the country, its agriculture, and industry as well as international relations and inter-religious dialogue and his vision to plant a million trees to counter the advance of the desert.[2]

Upon returning to Nigeria in September 1985, David Windibiziri was appointed pastor in the new Federal Capital Territory of Abuja. His assignment was to establish an LCCN congregation and church there to cater for the many LCCN members who had moved to Abuja. He also discovered a great number of unreached peoples’ groups in the area which led him to develop an outreach ministry in Abuja and Kontagora. David’s assignment in Abuja was a key period in his development as a church leader. He was on this assignment when he was elected to succeed Bishop Akila Todi.

In addition to his studies in the U.S.A., he attended a three-month course in Christian Mass Communication in Evangelism at Radio Voice of the Gospel in Addis Ababa in 1976 and a church administration course for four years in Madras (now Chenai), India, in 1981. He travelled internally and internationally to attend conferences, seminars and workshops, lecturing and presenting papers.

Leadership of LCCN

Windibiziri was consecrated bishop on February 22, 1987, thus becoming the second bishop of the LCCN, the successor to Akila Todi (bishop from 1973 to 1986) who could not continue due to poor health. It must be underlined that Todi was neither tribalistic nor myopic about his successor. If he had been, it would not have been easy for Windibiziri to succeed him.

Windibiziri was an evangelist, a servant leader, a visionary and an innovator. As soon as he became bishop, he took steps to outline necessary changes for modernizing the church. Under his leadership, the LCCN expanded beyond the borders of Numan and Adamawa State to become a national church with global contacts and partnerships. He successfully launched training programs for pastors. In 1994 for the first time, seventy-seven pastors were ordained in one ceremony by Windibiziri. He expanded the Bible College (Bronnum Lutheran Seminary) to a degree awarding institution, affiliated to both Ahmadu Bello University and the University of Jos.

Windibiziri’s episcopate suffered from the disruptive church politics between the Bachama and the Longuda members of the LCCN. Windibiziri was of the Longuda tribe. The Longuda are the second major tribal group after the Bachama who were first attracted to the Gospel when the Danish Sudan United Mission came to the area in 1913. In the late 1960s, the Longuda people left the LCCN en masse and joined the Baptist Church in protest over certain issues connected to the relationship of the two tribes within the LCCN. Afterward only a few Longuda remained in the Lutheran Church. As a result, the church came to be identified as a Bachama church. It was no little surprise to most people when Windibiziri, a Longuda, became bishop of the LCCN after Todi.[3]

Windibiziri detested the idea of “African time,” that is, the practice of not being punctual. He believed that time is a commodity that must not be wasted. He worked to reform this attitude and to make everybody conscious of time.

Windibiziri encouraged women to go into the ministry. Although women have played critical roles for many years in the LCCN, they have not been accorded the attention and positions they deserve. The theological orientation of the first missionaries was an obstacle to the growth of the leadership of women and youth in the church. According to Dr. Musa Gaiya, Windibiri’s predecessor Akila Todi “was very conservative in his theology. For example, he opposed the ordination of women and dancing worship. According to him, dancing in God’s house was a sin.”[4]

Rev. Naomi Martin was the first LCCN female pastor ordained by Windibiziri in what was considered a major reform that ensured the inclusion of women in church leadership and administration. He had a strong vision for women’s leadership in the LCCN, insisting that 40% of the leadership be made up of women according to his friend Bishop David Olson. As of February 2015, there were thirty female pastors in the LCCN. Naomi Martin has this to say about her experience:

The time I was ordained in 1996 was a hard time for the bishop and the church as there was division in the LCCN. The bishop and others like him stood by me. They loved and cared for me. They ensured that whatever the church was doing, I was included. They also made sure they included women. The late bishop had the mind to empower women. He sponsored me on workshops and programs abroad.[5]

I remember when we were at the Lutheran World Federation Forum in Geneva in October 1995; he stood very firmly and declared that if there is any woman that is educated and wants to be ordained, he would be the first to support her. There was opposition among the other bishops, including the bishop of Ethiopia who vowed that no woman would be ordained under his watch. Windibiziri’s position was, however, well received and respected among many of the Western bishops.[6]

Windibiziri was also a pioneer in providing leadership opportunities for the youth and inviting their participation in the life of the church.

During the 1980s and 1990s Muslims and Christians in the Northern Nigeria were locked in a serious religious conflict. They disagreed about membership in the Organization of Islamic Countries (OIC). Nigeria had been an observer for many years and some northern states wanted to legislate Islamic Sharia Law. The youth expressed increasingly radical views about Christian militancy and they wanted revenge –“to retaliate, to kill and burn as they saw the Muslims doing.” [7]

The LCCN caught the vision of an Interfaith Dialogue Center where Christians and Muslims could meet to dialogue on matters of mutual interest and to resolve conflicts before they snowballed into violence. From November 2 to 6, 1993, an initial conference was organized at Miango, Plateau State. Papers were presented on the following topics: “Dialogue Between Christians and Muslims in Nigeria: How Feasible?”; “The Theology of God’s Word from the Biblical and Qur’anic Perspective”; and “The Influence of Politics on Religious Dialogue.” Participants included Christian and Muslim leaders, some of which were women and youth leaders. Windibiziri felt that it was a positive experience, with frank and open discussions, and sometimes confrontations. Time was spent identifying the historical, political, and economic causes of the conflicts. The religious aspect of the conflicts was not neglected, especially since general ignorance of each group’s beliefs played a role in creating tension and bitterness when it bled into the media and public preaching. One of the recommendations of the conference was to encourage the development of more education programs for both Muslims and Christians so they could learn about their own beliefs and that of their counterparts. This would help avoid inflammatory statements and actions. [7]

The first five conferences between 1995 and 2005 were sponsored by the LCCN through the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). However, in accordance with the principle of mutuality, the sixth conference was sponsored by the Muslim Community through the Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA). Initially, issues of mutual concern in the area of religion and ethics were discussed at the conferences such as “Secularism and Religious Pluralism” and “the Importance of Moral Conscience in Improving Co-existence.” Later more political issues were addressed such as “The Role of Religion in Sensitizing Politics,” “The Role of Religion in Poverty Alleviation,” and “The Position and Rights of Women in Society.” This effort, spearheaded by the LCCN under Windibiziri’s leadership, was the forerunner of the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC) established nationally at the beginning of the 21st century. The sultan of Sokoto, a Sarki Muslim, and the president of the Christian Association of Nigeria are co-chairs of NIREC. The position of secretary is filled alternately by a Christian or a Muslim. Windibiziri had this to say about the effort:

We soon found that although we have been living together as neighbors for many years, there is considerable ignorance about one another and our faiths. It has, therefore, been very much a learning period. We have been able to analyze our situation and background and already at the first conference we remarked that most of the causes for crises and confrontations were not basically religious, but based on historical, political, social and economic issues.”[8]

The lessons that came out of this exercise and the interaction fostered confidence, trust, and mutuality and built a relationship between the two communities, particularly in Adamawa State. The achievement came amidst heavy criticisms of Windibiziri who, nevertheless, continued to believe in the rightness of what he was doing and forged ahead. The Youth Fellowship once criticized him with an ominous prediction that while he was busy trying to foster good relationships with the Muslims, he would one day wake up and find out that his church had been burnt to ashes and all his members had deserted him.

Windibiziri encouraged Christians to participate in politics. The early missionaries, in accordance with their pietistic traditions and culture, were very conservative. They did not allow their converts to participate in politics or to be involved in profit-making ventures. But Windibiziri, because of his experience and background, put an end to that. He fiercely encouraged LCCN members to participate actively in politics and to undertake profitable and profit-making commercial ventures. However, he insisted on clean politics and doing business with integrity and honesty as good Christians who must be salt and light in the world.

Windibiziri also fostered the formation of international church partnerships. In 1988, the ELCA reoriented its mission approach and emphasis along the lines of the paradigm of “accompaniment.” This meant that the ELCA would actively seek to partner with other congregations. Missionaries would be sent out to churches under a new plan which encompassed accompaniment in mission. But this is how it all happened:

It so happened that the newly installed bishop of the Lutheran Church of Christ in Nigeria, David Windibiziri, was a graduate of Luther Seminary, and his advisor, David Olson, was elected to be the bishop of the Minneapolis Area Synod of the ELCA in 1989. In the following year, church leaders from Minneapolis visited Nigeria and formalized their companion synod relations with the hopes of finding congregations that would be willing to participate in the companion congregation program.”[9]

From that small beginning, church relationships have grown, and at the moment, the Minneapolis Area Synod has partnered with fourteen congregations in the LCCN.[10] This can be attributed to Windibiziri’s wise leadership and influence because he saw the need to pursue such an agenda. His church partnership and outreach programs were both national and international.

Another area where Windibiziri brought his non-theological training and experience to bear on his mission work as a church leader was in the area of agriculture. His previous training in agriculture led him to focus his attention on tree planting. As a result, he established the Agro-Forestry Department of the LCCN, an effort that coincided with the overall plan of the Lutheran World Federation at the time. Windibiziri was able to get support from the Lutheran World body for his tree planting campaign, but unfortunately, it did not meet with understanding from the grassroots.

Personal Qualities

When it came to character, Windibiziri was a servant of God with tremendous patience and humility. But at the same time, he was a determined and committed leader and administrator. While Dr. Musa Gaiya (who wrote the biography of his successor Akila Todi) may have mistaken his patience and humility for weakness, he nevertheless acknowledged his success in the area of church growth because it was so phenomenal. Even his adversaries respected him for his achievement in creating five dioceses which helped the growth and outreach of the church. This writer came into contact with Windibiziri’s disarming patience and enchanting humility when Rev. Boniface Shenmi, one of the chaplain visitors to the prison in Yola, invited him to mediate and reconcile the different groups in the LCCN.

The growth of the church under Windibiziri was described as spectacular. Rev. Lautai acknowledged that Windibiziri was the only one who talked about church growth and expansion in the early days. In an interview with him, Lautai said that Windibiziri’s most important achievement was, “church growth and church growth.” He was both a great church leader and a great missionary. He was also described as “a charmer and a disarmer.” His personality and appearance did not evoke anger or dislike, no matter how you felt about him. He was a perfectionist to the core. His catch-word was “Whatever you have to do, do it well.” He was a family man and a great father to his children. At their golden marriage anniversary in 2005, David and his wife recognized how blessed they were with their seven children, their foster daughter Kuwi, and their nine grand-children. [11]

The membership of the LCCN, which stood at about 1.7 million in 1987 when Windibiziri took over as bishop, increased to almost 2.7 million by the time he retired as the archbishop fifteen years later in 2002.

David Lonkibiri Windibiziri died on October 16, 2014 at the age of 80.

Olusegun Obasanjo

Notes:

1. From Transition to Glory Funeral Programme for David L. Windibiziri (LCCN:2014).The tribute of David’s wife Margaret says it all:

   Since the day we got married 59 years ago, we were joined together under the promise that what God has joined, no man should put asunder. But now death has separated us. It pains me a lot that I was unable to take care of you when you were hospitalized. This was not my making, but due to my ill-health. I am grateful to many people that took care of you in different ways. May God bless them all. I am grateful for many things that you have taught me. You taught me not to hold grudges against anybody, but rather love everyone and be hospitable to any person that comes my way. I am thankful for your words to me while I was in serious pain at the hospital, when you said: “God is aware of all your pain and suffering, and He will bring healing at his own time. And we are all in the hands of the Lord.” These words have really comforted me knowing that your hope and trust is in that Lord on your sick bed. Baba, you are now at peace with all the problems and suffering of this world. I love you, but God loves you most. Till I come to meet you at the feet of our Lord Jesus Christ, Rest in Peace.

2. Here is the original tribute by David Olson from a conflation of Transition to Glory Funeral Programme for David L. Windibiziri (LCCN: 2014) and Nicholas Pweddon, A History of the Lutheran Church of Christ in Nigeria, published by the LCCN, Numan, Nigeria:

   He arrived at the Minneapolis airport the summer of 1983, a weary traveler amidst a sea of humanity in Nigerian robes, to pursue his Doctor of Ministry degree at Luther Seminary. There I was “uncle” to the twelve international churchmen enrolled; he soon became their natural leader. Thus, these two Davids began a quarter-century kinship. In 1986, I visited him in Nigeria two days after his election as bishop, and one year before I was elected to the same office. God! He has a sense of humor. We shared more and more. Nancy and Margaret became dear friends on our next visit, and they returned the favor by staying in our Minneapolis home for a 3-month study visit. It was personal, not formal. We shared faith in Jesus, concerns for our people, our churches, our countries, God’s world. At his consecration, echoing Bishop Akila Todi, my friend, said, “The hunter’s son has become the second bishop.” But his model was the Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ. He was pastor to the pastor-shepherds among LCCN’s many shepherds. As I read over some of his many speeches over his fifteen years, published in “Reflections and Presentations,” I recalled how grateful he was for all those who had served before. We all stand on the shoulders of people before us. This was David’s combined humility and confidence as your second bishop. Every speech includes concern for your nation, for agriculture and commerce, for neighboring countries and other religions. Talk of agro-forestry: he had a vision to plant one million trees, to replenish and stop the desert’s erosion for long after we’re gone.

   I rejoice that LCCN continues to grow. In our much-divided and violent world, I give thanks for David’s leadership in Muslim-Christian dialogue through the Interfaith Dialogue Center. After meeting him at a Seminary, I was pleased to attend the dedication of Bronnum Seminary, a church institution that will outlive us all. He was also visionary in insisting that 40% of church leaders be women. As with the Lutherans in America, there were times of tension, division, and parties at odds. Your archbishop was always pastoral and respectful, not argumentative or confrontational. Divisions come and go; some area healed. David was a healer. A bishop who raised his own chickens might not know about money. Just the opposite: he led many launchings successfully, raising millions of naira to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ. I commend your church for accepting the archbishop’s decision to create five dioceses and grow God’s gifts of leadership. We are grateful for the smooth transition to the leading of Archbishop Nemuel, not always easy in Africa or America. It is now thirteen years since I completed my terms as bishop of the Minneapolis Area Synod. Bishops Craig Johnson and Ann Svennungsen share your grief and our faith that the archbishop is among the great cloud of heaven witnessing our tributes and continuing our ministries. In my own heart, I have loved David as a brother. We spoke by phone days before his death. Our families have been intertwined since Ar and Hanim studied in America, and I was able to serve as their “uncle” here. Serving on a hospital board here, we provided needed medical care for Margaret once and again. Today, we rejoice that she is recovered at home in Guyuk, the Mama to your dear departed Baba. Thanks be to God for Archbishop David Windibiziri.

3. Details of the dispute: Under Todi’s episcopate, a Constitution Committee was established to review and update the constitution of the LCCN. The committee recommended, among other things, re-organizing the single diocese into six dioceses. However, some individuals felt that the leadership of the church was going to end up in the “wrong Longuda hands” and saw the division into multiple dioceses as another means of weakening the Bachama hold on the church. They orchestrated a dispute and division within the church. David pulled through the reorganization with the majority of the church members with him. A small splinter group which the LCCN called an “anti-diocese” moved out of the main body and called itself a “non-diocese.” At that point, five bishops were appointed for the five new dioceses and Windibiziri’s title was changed to archbishop in 1995. Efforts to reconcile the two groups did not succeed. While this writer was in prison in Yola in 1996-1997, with the permission of prison authorities, he made an attempt to reconcile the two when the issue was brought to him by one of the leaders but to no avail. When he became president, Bola Ige and Jerry Gana also attempted to resolve the issue without success. The two groups have since existed separately. It should be seen as the way of expanding the Christian mission and work in the areas concerned.

4. Dr. Gaiya’s full biography of Bishop Akila Todi can be accessed here:

www.dacb.org/stories/nigeria/todi_akila.html.

1. Conflation of Interview with Rev. (Mrs.) Naomi Martin, First Female LCCN Ordained Pastor by David Windibiziri and Asriel S. T. Myatafadi and Others: A Century of God’s Faithfulness, 1913-2013 Reflections on the LCCN, 2014.

2. Conflation of Interview with Rev. (Mrs.) Naomi Martin, First Female LCCN Ordained Pastor by David Windibiziri (Feb 2015 ) and Asriel S. T. Myatafadi et al.: A Century of God’s Faithfulness, 1913-2013 Reflections on the LCCN, 2014.

3. David L. Windibiziri: “The Story of the Association of Christian-Muslim Mutual Relations in Nigeria,” an unpublished lecture presented at the first conference on dialogue between Christians and Muslims in Nigeria: “How Feasible?” Miango, Plateau State, November 3, 1993

4. Peter Bartimawus: “Biography: David Windibiziri-Servant of Christ: A Leader of the Church” in *Word and World: A Publication of Luther Seminary, Saint Paul, Minnesota. *Vol. 28, No. 4, 2008.

9.**Http://www.mpls-synod.org/companion_synods/nigeria.html (accessed 5.1.2008 )

1. Http://www.mpls-synod.org/companion_synods/nigeria.html (accessed 5.1.2008 )

2. Dr. David and Mrs. Margaret Windibiziri: Booklet on the Golden Wedding Anniversary 1955-2005. **

**

Sources:

Bartimawus, Peter. “David Windibiziri - Servant of Christ: A Leader of the Church.” in *Word and World; A Publication of Luther Seminary, Saint Paul, Minnesota. *Volume 28, Number 4, 2008.

Gaiya, Musa. “Akila Todi” in *Dictionary of African Christian Biography. *

Http://www.dacb.org/stories/nigeria/todi_akila.html. Accessed February 2015.

Pweddon, Nicholas. A History of the Lutheran Church of Christ in Nigeria. LCCN: Numan, Nigeria, 2005.

Myatafadi, Asriel S. T. et al. *A Century of God’s Faithfulness, 1913-2013 Reflections on the LCCN. *The Lutheran Church of Christ in Nigeria: Numan, Nigeria, 2013

LCCN Collection of the Reflections and Presentation of Archbishop David Windibiziri. LCCN: Numan, 383 pp., n.d.

Windibiziri, David L. “The Story of the Association of Christian-Muslim Mutual Relations in Nigeria,” an unpublished lecture presented at the first conference on dialogue between Christians and Muslims in Nigeria: “How Feasible?” Miango, Plateau State, November 3, 1993

——– and Mrs. Margaret. Golden Wedding Anniversary 1955-2005. Jos: Jimmy Press, 2005.

LCCN. “Transition to Glory Funeral Programme for David L. Windibiziri.” 2014.

Interviews(All the interviews were pre-arranged and conducted February 3-4, 2015):

Archbishop Nemuel Babbar, current head of the LCCN.

Eri Windibiziri, eldest surviving child of David Windibiziri.

Elizabeth Holtegaard, Associate and Volunteer Secretary of David Windibiziri from 1970 on.

Rt. Rev. William Lautai, First Bishop of Yola Diocese.

Rt. Rev. Benjamin Futuda, Bishop of Abuja Diocese.

Mrs. Michal Bongi, Secretary of LCCN Board of Trustees.

Andrew Kalang, former Administrative Secretary under David Windibiziri.

Rev. (Mrs.) Naomi Martin, First Female LCCN Ordained Pastor by David Windibiziri.

This article, received in 2015, was written by Olusegun Obasanjo, former military head of state (1976-1979) and president, Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999-2007) and currently a student at National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) under the supervision of Dr. Deji Ayegboyin. This article also appeared in the August-September 2016 issue of the Journal of African Christian Biography. Click here to read the Journal.