In ministry, there are moments when God lets you glimpse the quiet work He has been doing beneath the surface … slowly, patiently, faithfully. And then one day, you start to see it, and it’s better than you could have drawn it up. Our friendship with Bassam, a theologian and pastor in Nigeria, has been like that.
We met in 2015 in Stellenbosch, South Africa. He was a doctoral student in Old Testament studies; I (Jack) was studying languages. Our programs didn’t overlap much, but every time our paths crossed, the conversations lingered with weight and beauty. We were part of an evangelical postgraduate fellowship together—a small circle of students trying to think and live faithfully as academics and disciples.
Bassam, Jack and others from the evangelical postgraduate fellowship I coordinated
I still remember exactly where I was sitting when Bassam first told me about his research on the book of Job. He spoke quietly but clearly, with the intensity of someone who has lived the text he is studying. He told me that Proverbs often describes the world as we wish it would be—orderly, predictable, moral. But Nigeria is not always a Proverbs world.
“Sometimes,” he said, “the wicked prosper. Sometimes they invade your town. Sometimes they carry away your children and hold them for ransom.”
What if Job is normative? What if we assume suffering as part of the world, not the exception?
It wasn’t despair speaking. It was honesty shaped by hope. It was the voice of a theologian whose heart had been refined in the fires of lived experience. And it was the beginning of a friendship that has shaped our ministry ever since.
Bassam’s pastoral wisdom reflects both the realities he faces in Nigeria and the depth of his theological study—an integrity of life and learning that makes his leadership so needed.
Bassam sharing his Job research with the postgrad fellowship
The Reality Bassam Faces at Home
Nigeria carries a complex and painful burden of violence. Armed groups, insurgents, and criminal networks operate across the north and central regions. While some attacks target Christians, many are rooted in layers of poverty, failed governance, and opportunistic violence that affect both Christians and Muslims alike. The crisis touches entire communities, tearing the fabric of daily life.
This year, one such attack killed forty-two people in a region where Bassam’s former students now pastor. When he wrote to us afterward, his words were simple:
“Many people I know need comfort and peace from God.”
No outrage. No political angle. Just a shepherd grieved for his flock. Just a man crying out to the God who holds all things in His hand.
This is the world Bassam is called to serve in—a world where suffering is not theoretical, but deeply personal; a world where theological formation is not an academic luxury, but a lifeline for the church.
A Family Rooted in Service
Bassam’s wife, Jennifer, and their children, Alexa and Daniel, share in this ministry. Their home is full of hospitality, Scripture, and the mundane joys and burdens of life in northern Nigeria. They have weathered seasons of scarcity, political unrest, and institutional upheaval. Even simple tasks—like renewing passports—become long, prayerful endeavors.
Yet their hope remains steady. Their hearts remain open. Their devotion to the church remains unwavering.
“God is always good,” Bassam wrote recently, “and His faithfulness endures forever.”
It is the confession of someone who has learned to trust God’s care in all circumstances—and has staked his life on that hope.
A Scholar Formed by Suffering and Scripture
Bassam is not only a pastor; he is a scholar with remarkable theological depth. His writings and research reflect a unique blend of African contextual insight, rigorous biblical exegesis, and pastoral compassion.
In recent years, he has:
Completed a commentary on Habakkuk
Co-edited a major African theological volume
Lectured widely on Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Christian discipleship
Published works on African theology for the church
Introduced students to global Christian scholarship many had never encountered
His seminary, one of the largest in Nigeria with more than 700 students, recently appointed him Registrar—a role of significant influence at a time when the institution urgently needs new teachers. Many long-serving faculty are retiring, leaving whole departments under-resourced.
And yet, in the midst of administrative burdens and regional instability, Bassam continues to dream.
The House of Hope
For three years, Bassam has carried a vision quietly in his heart—a vision he recently wrote down and shared with us. He calls it the House of Hope.
It is a response to the spiritual hunger he sees in young adults—students searching for meaning, longing for belonging, wrestling with faith in the midst of uncertainty.
The House of Hope will be a place where young people—ages 20 to 32—gather for:
theological reflection
spiritual formation
honest conversations about suffering
interdisciplinary learning
retreats and mentoring
exposure to global and African theological voices
It is not a school alone. It is not a conference. It is not a program.
It is a community of formation, shaped by a conviction that God often builds His church not through celebrity leaders, but through faithful ones.
Bassam puts it plainly:
“I hope to see the rise of new and more committed Christian leaders, thinkers, and writers who honor the Lord, not worldly gain or pleasure.”
Next June, he hopes to host the first two-day spiritual formation retreat for about twenty young adults. He prays for the means to rent a retreat center and offer simple meals to the students who attend.
In a world of grand strategies, power structures, and institutional noise, the House of Hope feels refreshingly quiet, biblical, and Christ-centered—a small seed planted in a weary land.
How We Walk With Bassam
Our ministry is not to run programs for leaders like Bassam, but to walk with them—to strengthen, encourage, and empower them for the work God has entrusted to their hands.
With Bassam, this means:
Journeying with him personally—checking in regularly, praying with him, encouraging him through discouragement and danger.
Recruiting missional scholars to teach in Nigeria—helping identify gifted, theologically grounded teachers who can partner with him at the seminary.
Supporting his writing and publishing—raising funds and networks to ensure his books reach the pastors, churches, and students who need them.
Strengthening his seminary community—offering counsel, resources, and connection as they navigate staff shortages, spiritual challenges, and institutional strain.
Connecting Bassam with other leaders who can help
This is the quiet, behind-the-scenes work God has called us to—the work of building up those who build others, the work of equipping the saints for ministry, the work of coming alongside the global church in humility and gratitude.
Bassam is precisely the kind of leader we long to partner with—faithful, thoughtful, resilient, courageous, humble. A man who desires nothing more than to see God honored, Christ proclaimed, and believers strengthened in hope.
And by God’s gracious providence, we belong to one another—as brothers, as fellow workers, as members of Christ’s body.
Thanks be to God.
If you would like to some or all of your donation to go to Bassam’s ministry, please let Jack know. Donations can be made here.