ECWA Emic

THE PRAYER DNA OF SIM-ECWA: ROOTS OF A MISSIONARY MOVEMENT

Every member of SIM–ECWA, and indeed every lover of missions, ought to grapple with this text. The prayer excerpt it the attached banner was drawn from the diary of Walter Gowans and dated 5th–6th January 1894. Gowans, one of the pioneering missionaries of the Sudan Interior Mission (SIM) and a key figure in its early work in Nigeria, does not merely leave us with history, but with a searching spiritual challenge that continues to speak across generations.

In engaging this record, consider the following probing questions:

• What does this passage truly reveal about the depth, intensity, and priorities of Gowans’s prayer life?

• What do his choice of words, tone, and expressions suggest about his inner convictions and spiritual burden?

• How should we interpret a form of prayer that stretches to the point of self-offering—even asking that his life be taken in exchange for that of S. J. Hill? What does this tell us about his theology of sacrifice and surrender?

• How would you evaluate his faith—particularly his confidence in God’s sovereignty, power, and will, even in extreme petitions?

• What does this account disclose about his love for Christ and the extent of his devotion to the mission of God on earth?

• What can be discerned about the nature and depth of his personal relationship with Christ? Was this merely duty, or something far more consuming?

• What does this narrative suggest about the foundational DNA and spiritual ethos of SIM–ECWA? To what extent have these roots been preserved—or neglected—today?

• In what specific ways does this account confront and challenge contemporary believers, especially in the often-neglected discipline of prayer and intercession?

This is not merely a story to be read—it is a legacy to be weighed, and a calling to be reawakened.

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Credit for Gowans’ Prayer Reflection: Walter Gowans, "The Diary of Walter Gowans: The 1894 Chronicle of Sudan Interior Mission's Pioneer Missionary to the Central Sudan", Tim Geysbeek et al (Eds.), Jos: Acts Christian Textbooks, 2022, 56-7.

ECWA Emic

WHAT DO YOU SEE WHEN YOU FACE THE FLOCK?

By Babatomiwa M. Owojaiye

Are you a pastor, a Bible teacher, a preacher, a music minister, a drama minister of the Gospel—or a church leader in any capacity whatsoever?

Wherever God has placed you—at the pulpit, on the platform, behind the scenes, or in the quiet places of service—this question is for you.

When you stand before a congregation, what do you truly see?

Do you see a holy people—pilgrims on a sacred journey, souls entrusted to your care, hearts hungry for truth and transformation?

Or do you see a crowd to impress, a platform to exploit, a marketplace where gifts are traded and influence is bought?

Examine your vision—because what you see will shape what you build.

The pulpit is not a stage. The congregation is not an audience. And the Gospel is not a product.

If your eyes are wrong, your ministry will be wrong.
So look again—through the eyes of Christ.

THE GREAT EXCHANGE - 2 COR. 5:21
By Babatomiwa M. Owojaiye

God made Him—
He who had no acquaintance with fracture,
no fellowship with stain,
no shadow stitched into His soul—
to become sin.
Not merely to carry it,
nor to brush against its edges,
but to become—
the very contradiction of His nature,
the weight of all that resists God.
How does purity consent
to such a transposition?
How does light agree
to wear the architecture of darkness
without ceasing to be light?

This is no metaphor to soften the mind.
It is a scandal to reason—
that the Sinless One
would step into the grammar of guilt,
and speak fluently
the language He never learned.
He became what we are,
not by corruption,
but by covenant;
not by failure,
but by love’s severe arithmetic.
For every hidden rebellion,
every polished hypocrisy,
every silent betrayal
we buried beneath liturgies of excuse—
He stood as its embodiment.
The Innocent
named as the Offense.

And we—
who have rehearsed distance from God,
who have perfected the art of disguise—
are summoned into an impossible reversal:
That in Him,
we might become
the righteousness of God.
Not improved,
not merely pardoned,
but re-authored—
our ontology rewritten
in the ink of divine acceptance.
What exchange is this,
that trades ruin for radiance,
guilt for glory,
ashes for the very breath of God?
Here, justice does not collapse—
it deepens.
Mercy does not ignore truth—
it fulfills it
at unbearable cost.

So stand here, if you dare—
at the crossing of identities:
where sin is not excused
but exhausted,
where righteousness is not earned
but given.
And ask yourself—
If He became what I was,
that I might become what He is,
what then remains of me
that can still cling
to the old name?

ECWA Emic

BEYOND EMPTY SUPERLATIVES
By Babatomiwa M. Owojaiye

Permit me to share a concern that has weighed heavily on my mind. In our public conversations, I often hear reckless comparisons—phrases like “the biggest in Africa” or “the largest in Africa.” These expressions are thrown around casually, as if size alone validates our achievements. But I ask: are these claims always true? And even if they were, do they truly add value to our discourse?

When we constantly measure ourselves against ourselves, we risk falling into a cycle of empty superlatives. Instead of celebrating genuine impact, we inflate our words with labels that may not stand up to scrutiny. This habit not only weakens the credibility of our conversations but also distracts us from what really matters.

Now, let me be clear: size in itself is not a bad thing. In fact, when used appropriately, it can be a powerful indicator of reach, influence, and capacity. A large initiative may mean more lives touched, more communities served, and more opportunities created. But the advantage of size must be anchored in truth, substance, and measurable impact. Otherwise, it becomes nothing more than noise.

What matters most is not whether something is the largest or the biggest, but whether it makes a difference. Does it improve lives? Does it bring hope? Does it set a standard of quality worth emulating? These are the questions that should guide our discussions, not hollow comparisons that serve more as slogans than substance.

I believe our conversations can be richer, more meaningful, and more inspiring if we focus on substance rather than size. Let us highlight the uniqueness of our initiatives, the quality of our work, and the tangible impact on our communities. In doing so, we will elevate our discourse and give it the dignity it deserves.