30 years since the passing of Jonathan Udo Ekong

May 19, 1928 Jonathan Udo Ekong (1881–1982) was sent to the U.S. by the Ibesikbos in Nigeria to seek missionaries for his country.

“In the history of the Lutheran Church of Nigeria, Rev. Jonathan Udo Ekong is regarded as the patriarch. Ekong stands as living springboard between the Lutherans in the U.S.A. and the Lutherans in Nigeria. Ekong worked hard to bring a church and a school to Ibesikpo, his village in the present Akwa Ibom State of Nigeria. So great were his efforts that by the time he died in 1982, not only were there churches and schools in every Ibesikpo village, there were also Nigerian Lutherans serving with distinction all over Nigeria, in virtually every occupation and profession. Ekong was the very first person in Ibesikpo clan to beat a log-bell for people to assemble for worship. In a very real sense, therefore, Ekong was a pioneer and a trailblazer.”
(Dr. Kemdirim O. Protus, 2005)

January 6, 1982 Jonathan Udo Ekong, founding father of the Lutheran Church of Nigeria, died in Ibesikpo, Nigeria.

I was just short of my sixth birthday when word reached us in the U.S. that grandfather had died. At that point in my life I had only seen pictures of grandfather and heard the numerous stories from various people. For the men in my family and the Lutheran Church of Nigeria, grandfather really left large set of shoes to fill. His life story is simply inspiring to any man or woman entering the ministry. Try this on for size…

* He arrived in the U.S. looking for “the one true religion” (not my words, taken from the Log-Bell Ringer book) at the tender age of 47. At which point he had to begin his educational studies. Not like most missionaries that come from to our seminaries today. He had to start at the grade school level and work his way up at age 47.

* He would later return to Nigeria aided by the leadership of the late Dr. Henry Nau (President of Immanuel Lutheran Seminary, Greensboro, North Carolina)

* Longevity – He was 101 when he passed. His ministry even though it started late in life lasted 46 years. A ministry that included planting churches and schools among his people while using the a bicycle for transportation. A ministry that influenced his three children to excel; his oldest son Hosea serves as a pastor in the LCMS in Youngstown, OH and sits on the Board of Directors for the Ohio District, his other son Victor holds a Ph.D. in mathematics while teaching in Nigeria and in the U.S., and his daughter Dorcas who serves the Lutheran Church of Nigeria as a Deaconess.

* How many men have carried the weight of their people to go and bring back not only religion, but wherewithal to institute a educational system in each village to improve his people.

I am not big on recognizing the death of individuals, regardless of their impact on the world. We honor them back building off of the work during their time here. Yet, this one hits a little close to home, so I thought I would share. 🙂

To read more of Dr. Kemdirim O. Protus’ essay see the link below….
http://www.dacb.org/stories/nigeria/ekong_.html

The book he makes reference to, I reviewed back in August of 2010. It can be found here:

Jonathan Udo Ekong – The Log-Bell Ringer

http://www.lutheranhistory.org/history/tih0106.htm

Lutheran Church of Nigeria turns 75!

From Missionary David Erber and Family:
In September, the Lutheran Church of Nigeria will celebrate its 75th Anniversary. In the 1920s European missionaries (not Lutheran) were working hard in the Akwa Ibom area of Nigeria. A young man by the name of Jonathan Ekong and a couple of his friends heard about a white man who was living in a neighboring area. Out of curiosity, they went to see what the white
man was like. They heard him preach and were moved by the gospel! They went home and told their family and friends about what they had seen and heard.

To make a long story short, the Ibesikpo people invited the European missionary to come to their area. When he wasn’t able to come, they asked him to find another missionary who could come. When this wasn’t possible, the Ibesikpo people asked if one of the own people could be trained to be a pastor for them. When this didn’t work out, the Ibesikpo people decide to pool their resources and send someone to America to look for a church who could come to their area. Jonathan Ekong was chosen and sent to America. There he connected with the Missouri Synod Lutherans. In 1936, Henry Nau (who had previous missionary experience in India) was sent as our first missionary to Nigeria.
The Lutheran Church of Nigeria will celebrate its 75th Jubilee on September 5-11.
—————–

Has it really been 75 years already? Given I have only been around for 40 of it, but I grew up on the stories (now legends) of my grandfather Rev. Dr. Jonathan Udo Ekong. My dear grandfather casts a very long shadow and large shoes for all the work he did during his time on earth thanks to the Holy Spirit. Paul was the imitator of Christ in his life’s work, Luther followed in Paul’s footsteps, and it is an honor to acknowledge my grandfather following in those footsteps in being Log-Bell Ringer to Nigeria. Raised up by his own people to be led by God on a mission to (as he would put it) find the one true religion (Lutheranism). Never deterred by age or multiple obstacles, Jonathan fulfilled God’s great plan for him and his people. The Lutheran Church of Nigeria turns 75! It is amazing to see how many people that this mission to the Nigerians has touch over the years. It spans multiple continents and numerous generations. Even now, Jonathan’s son is a LCMS pastor and his grandson a pastor in training at Concordia Seminary in Saint Louis, Missouri. We raise up praise and thanksgiving for the work of Rev. Dr. Jonathan Udo Ekong, but more importantly the continued growing and reaping of souls by the Lutheran Church of Nigeria under God’s direction. Blessings on this years Jubilee, and blessings on the next 75 years of the never ending urgency to seek the lost and equipped the found in God’s name.

Your Brother in Christ,
Vicar Eric Ini-obong Ekong
Son of Rev. Hosea J. Ekong
Grandson of Rev. Dr. Jonathan Udo Ekong

Note:
To read more about Rev. Dr. Jonathan Udo Ekong -> https://christfollowertoday.wordpress.com/2011/07/23/jonathan-udo-ekong-%E2%80%93-the-log-bell-ringer/

Lutheran Church of Nigeria -> http://www.lutheranchurchnigeria.org/