BEGE MINISTRIES INTERNATIONAL
Prof. James B. Kantiok, founder and president of BEGE Ministries International demonstrates a keen awareness of the need to reach people, especially Muslims and Muslim-related people with the gospel in a holistic manner. He believes in contextualizing the gospel to believers of other faiths in such a way that does not compromise the truth and light of the gospel and the need for providing practical biblical truths for everyday life. Modeling his ministry after the Apostle Paul’s message in the Epistles, Prof. Kantiok believes the gospel of Christ is placed in particular contexts and each people must receive the gospel in their cultural context as St. Paul said to the Corinthians, "When I came to you, I did not come with the eloquence of human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing about you while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified" (1 Cor. 2:2-3, TNIV). Prof. Kantiok also believes with St. Paul that, "Life is worth nothing unless I use it for doing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus–the work of telling others the Good News about God’s mighty kindness and love" (Acts 20:24, TLB).
In 1987, Prof. Kantiok founded and became the first Chaplain of the College of Education, Kafanchan, Nigeria after a string of Muslim-Christian crises which led to the banning of religious activities in public schools unless they were conducted in designated places, in this case, a chapel or mosque. Since the college was a public college, there was a mosque, but obviously no chapel. Prof. Kantiok pioneered the efforts with a few Christian members of the faculty to start a chapel outside campus with just fifteen students and two faculty members, a chapel that was later moved back to the campus just after two months, and which grew to nearly 700 members by the time left the services of the college, seven years later. Prof. Kantiok, after his life and those of members of his family had been threatened by Muslims extremists, left for further studies at Fuller Theological Seminary in the United States where he obtained a Ph.D. in Intercultural Studies, specializing in Muslim Evangelism and Anthropology. Prof. Kantiok, concerned about the incessant Christian-Muslims crises in Northern Nigeria, other crises across the country as well as the African continent, he then went on to complete Post-Doctoral Studies in International Peace and Conflict Management at the Norwich University, the first private military university in America.
Prof. Kantiok is a renowned speaker and teacher of the Word both in Nigeria and other parts of the world. An ordained minister of the Nigerian Baptist Convention, Prof. Kantiok has a passion for education, ministry and leadership development. Prof. Kantiok was nominated as the Assistant General Secretary (Administration) of the Nigerian Baptist Convention in 1992, a position he declined in other to pursue his goals of reaching out to Muslims with the gospel. Prof. Kantiok has served in other ministry capacities such as Zonal Secretary of the Fellowship of Christian Students and Vice Chairman of the Kaduna State Fellowship of Christian Students. He served as an Associate Pastor at Lincoln Avenue Church, Pasadena, California and also serves as Associate Pastor, Upper Room International Christian Fellowship, Inglewood, California. He is the Mission Pastor at Grace Baptist Church, Kaduna, Nigeria. Prof. Kantiok is also a celebrated scholar who has received awards such as the prestigious Fulbright US Scholars’ Award, Dean’s Accomplished Scholar and Excellence in Research Award. Prof. Kantiok conducted a PEW Research on Muslim-Christian understanding as well taught in Countries like Nigeria, Ghana, Ethiopia and the United States of America.
Prof. Kantiok’s early beginnings with the Christian faith started with his father leading him to faith at the age of six. He was brought up by godly parents who had abandoned the African Traditional Religion at his birth. At age 14, Prof. Kantiok joined the Gospel Team to reach out to Muslims with the gospel in the Muslim-dominated areas of Northwestern Nigeria. He later became the Vice President and subsequently president of the Fellowship of Christian Students during his high school years. He went on to become the Service Secretary of the fellowship at College. On graduation, he remained active as a Senior Adviser and later a member of the National Committee of the Fellowship. Prof. Kantiok has cross-training in education and theology and holds a B.Ed, M.Ed, MA, M.Phil, Ph.D and MDY. For Prof. Kantiok, all these degrees are worth nothing and the only thing that matters to him is bringing as many Muslims and Muslim-related people to the light of the gospel. The goal of Prof. James B. Kantiok is best represented by BEGE Ministries’ mission statement: Breaking new grounds in providing a contextualized approach to discipleship and church planting by using methods that do not radically separate converts from their lifestyle, customs and rituals that are consistent with the Bible and make them effective witnesses when back to their communities. Prof. Kantiok’s heart’s desire is to get the gospel to as many Muslims and Muslim-related people as possible, as quickly as possible, as clearly as possible, and, as irresistibly as possible, through the power of the Holy Spirit to the glory of God. If you believe this, join him in saying Amen and become part of this great work!
In 1987, Prof. Kantiok founded and became the first Chaplain of the College of Education, Kafanchan, Nigeria after a string of Muslim-Christian crises which led to the banning of religious activities in public schools unless they were conducted in designated places, in this case, a chapel or mosque. Since the college was a public college, there was a mosque, but obviously no chapel. Prof. Kantiok pioneered the efforts with a few Christian members of the faculty to start a chapel outside campus with just fifteen students and two faculty members, a chapel that was later moved back to the campus just after two months, and which grew to nearly 700 members by the time left the services of the college, seven years later. Prof. Kantiok, after his life and those of members of his family had been threatened by Muslims extremists, left for further studies at Fuller Theological Seminary in the United States where he obtained a Ph.D. in Intercultural Studies, specializing in Muslim Evangelism and Anthropology. Prof. Kantiok, concerned about the incessant Christian-Muslims crises in Northern Nigeria, other crises across the country as well as the African continent, he then went on to complete Post-Doctoral Studies in International Peace and Conflict Management at the Norwich University, the first private military university in America.
Prof. Kantiok is a renowned speaker and teacher of the Word both in Nigeria and other parts of the world. An ordained minister of the Nigerian Baptist Convention, Prof. Kantiok has a passion for education, ministry and leadership development. Prof. Kantiok was nominated as the Assistant General Secretary (Administration) of the Nigerian Baptist Convention in 1992, a position he declined in other to pursue his goals of reaching out to Muslims with the gospel. Prof. Kantiok has served in other ministry capacities such as Zonal Secretary of the Fellowship of Christian Students and Vice Chairman of the Kaduna State Fellowship of Christian Students. He served as an Associate Pastor at Lincoln Avenue Church, Pasadena, California and also serves as Associate Pastor, Upper Room International Christian Fellowship, Inglewood, California. He is the Mission Pastor at Grace Baptist Church, Kaduna, Nigeria. Prof. Kantiok is also a celebrated scholar who has received awards such as the prestigious Fulbright US Scholars’ Award, Dean’s Accomplished Scholar and Excellence in Research Award. Prof. Kantiok conducted a PEW Research on Muslim-Christian understanding as well taught in Countries like Nigeria, Ghana, Ethiopia and the United States of America.
Prof. Kantiok’s early beginnings with the Christian faith started with his father leading him to faith at the age of six. He was brought up by godly parents who had abandoned the African Traditional Religion at his birth. At age 14, Prof. Kantiok joined the Gospel Team to reach out to Muslims with the gospel in the Muslim-dominated areas of Northwestern Nigeria. He later became the Vice President and subsequently president of the Fellowship of Christian Students during his high school years. He went on to become the Service Secretary of the fellowship at College. On graduation, he remained active as a Senior Adviser and later a member of the National Committee of the Fellowship. Prof. Kantiok has cross-training in education and theology and holds a B.Ed, M.Ed, MA, M.Phil, Ph.D and MDY. For Prof. Kantiok, all these degrees are worth nothing and the only thing that matters to him is bringing as many Muslims and Muslim-related people to the light of the gospel. The goal of Prof. James B. Kantiok is best represented by BEGE Ministries’ mission statement: Breaking new grounds in providing a contextualized approach to discipleship and church planting by using methods that do not radically separate converts from their lifestyle, customs and rituals that are consistent with the Bible and make them effective witnesses when back to their communities. Prof. Kantiok’s heart’s desire is to get the gospel to as many Muslims and Muslim-related people as possible, as quickly as possible, as clearly as possible, and, as irresistibly as possible, through the power of the Holy Spirit to the glory of God. If you believe this, join him in saying Amen and become part of this great work!