EYN President Advocates Peaceful Coexistence, Stronger Collaboration Against Insecurity

Hanny Henry

Daniel Mbaya, President of Ekklesiyar ‘Yan’uwa A Nigeria (EYN), Church of the Brethren in Nigeria, has called for peaceful coexistence as a vital tool for nation building.

Mbaya made the call at the 79th General Church Council (GCC) conference, tagged Majalisa 2026, on Thursday in Hong Local Government Area of Adamawa.

The three-day conference, scheduled for March 25 to March 27, has the theme “Peace Church in Prevailing Storm”, drawn from Matthew 5:9.

Mbaya said the annual gathering was aimed at promoting fellowship, prayer for the nation and humanity, and reinforcing the sanctity of human life.

He stressed that human life was sacred and should be valued by all, adding that peace building must be embraced at all levels.

The EYN President described the church as one of the most affected by insurgency, particularly the activities of Boko Haram.

 “The year 2025 was among the most challenging years for the church, with persistent attacks on communities and killings of members and clergy.

“Cases of unreported and underreported attacks, displacement of congregations and abduction of members had remained worrisome.

“The church had over 20,000 widows and more than 130,000 orphans due to insurgency.

“Also, 87 girls abducted from Chibok in 2014 are still missing, while about 70 local church councils remained displaced as at the end of 2025,” he said.

Mbaya called on the federal government to strengthen collaboration with international partners to tackle terrorism, banditry, and kidnapping.

He urged Nigerians to imbibe a culture of peace, noting that global insecurity required collective responsibility and cooperation among nations.

“We call on all Nigerians and all human beings to imbibe this character of being peaceful and building peace, and the world will be a better place,” he added.

Also speaking, Don Fitzkee, a representative of the Church of the Brethren in the United States, commended EYN for sustaining its peace stance despite challenges.

Fitzkee said the U.S. church had remained supportive, noting that its largest disaster relief efforts in the past decade were directed to EYN.

The EYN General Secretary, Rev. James Musa said the Majalisa provided a platform to deliberate on issues affecting the church, the nation, and the global community.

Musa said the church would continue to preach peace and promote love among neighbours while calling on the government to ensure the protection of lives and property.

A participant, Mrs Martha Mbaya, expressed optimism over the church’s growth despite security challenges.

She said the conference had strengthened her commitment to peace building and pledged to promote harmony in her community.

The conference attracted ministers and members from within and outside Nigeria