Abutu Peter Joshua is a native Nigerian who studied theology in the U.K.  He then completed a pastoral internship under Pastor Conrad Mbewe and the elders of Kabwata Baptist Church in Lusaka, Zambia.  He stood out as a leader among the interns, and the elders were excited to lay hands on him and send him home as their church-planter to Abuja, Nigeria. Although HeartCry does not provide his personal monthly support, we assist his church with rental of a meeting place and other ministry expenses.

Testimony of Conversion

I grew up in a Christian home and participated in almost all church activities appropriate for my age. At the age of twelve, through a message preached by my Sunday-school teacher, I felt a deep sense of sin and guilt and came to realize that being a pastor’s kid was never a ticket for being acceptable by God. I repented of my sin, put my trust in Christ at the age of thirteen, and was baptized the same year.

Call to Ministry

My father was a missionary pastor to a people group in a remote area of Kogi state of Nigeria. I have always been exposed to church life and ministry opportunities. In the year 2008, while meditating in my room, I felt a call to pastoral ministry. I took that sense of call prayerfully to the pastor of my church and to my dad, and to almost everyone that knew me in our youth fellowship. After much prayer and consideration, I entered the pastorate in the fall of 2009. 

I continued in that role until 2012, when I came to the conviction of Reformed doctrine, and then moved to the United Kingdom and Zambia, respectively, to be properly trained for ministry. During my time in both countries, both the principals of the theological school and the pastors of the various churches confirmed the evidence of a call to ministry and then gave me the right hand of fellowship. I was thus ordained in March 2018 by the elders of Kabwata Baptist Church, Lusaka, Zambia.