How We Got Started: Nigeria
The Birth of the Movement in Nigeria
The Charis Alliance began in Nigeria as an extension of what God was doing in Chad. It all started in 2004 when Dadjé Samuel left Chad to visit Nigeria and learn English. Dadjé was a bi-vocational church planter who also ran a construction business. He was a leader and teacher at the School for Evangelism in Chad and a key person in church planting.
During his visit to Nigeria, Dadjé met a couple where the wife was unable to have children. Dadjé prayed for her, and a year later, when he returned, the lady had a baby. This event held significant meaning in African culture and was attributed to Dadjé's prayer, which gave him credibility and allowed him to build relationships.
Following this, Dadjé Samuel asked if two men from Nigeria could be trained at the School for Evangelism in Chad. These two men received foundational training and returned to Nigeria to start churches. This initial planting of churches occurred around 2005-2006.
The Growth of the Movement in Nigeria
In 2007, the Nigerians established their own department for church planting. By April 25, 2010, they received official government recognition as the Grace Brethren Church of Nigeria. Throughout these years, many Nigerians were sent to Chad for training at the School for Evangelism and Church Planting. Additionally, Charis Alliance partners in Chad sent trainers to Nigeria to conduct various training sessions, which provided biblical foundation and enabled the churches to function.
Sadly, Dadjé Samuel died in 2011 from dehydration during a trip to the Saharan desert, where he was attempting to bring a church planter to Libya. He was estimated to be around 47 years old at the time of his death.
Prominent leaders who rose after Dadjé Samuel include Enoch Koularambaye and Clison Djendode. Enoch was a disciple, trained in Chad, and served as the first Nigerian church president for many years. He currently heads the church planting department and pastors the church in Abuja. Clison is the current church president, having switched roles with Enoch. He was formerly the head of the church planting department. Both Enoch and Clison have Chadian backgrounds and immigrated to Nigeria, living in or near Abuja.
Today in 2025, the Charis Alliance in Nigeria has 9 churches and 25 church plants across 5 states.
A Call to Prayer and Support
The fellowship is still relatively small, and the distances between churches are significant, making travel and conferences challenging.
The north of Nigeria is predominantly Islamic and some states are under Sharia law, making evangelism and church planting very difficult for Christians due to violence, killings, and kidnappings.
Boko Haram is an Islamic group composed of people from various Islamized ethnic groups who reacted with violence due to government neglect. They are strongly against education and use violence to pressure the government.
Nomadic groups, specifically the Fulani, who are also Muslims, commit atrocities against the Christian population, adding to the challenges for church planting.
While our movement’s growth in Nigeria is slow, the fact that it has survived in light of so many difficulties is a testament to God’s sustaining power.
