One Man, One Ticket, One Mission:

The Untold Story of Faith Under Fire in Northern Nigeria

Brad Brandon

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"Bind yourself to them as though it's happening to you," Brad says, quoting Hebrews 13:3. "This isn't something horrible happening to them over there. This is happening to our family."

There are places in the world where saying yes to Jesus means losing everything —your home, your family, your children, your life. Northern Nigeria is one of them. And for over a decade, one man has been living inside that reality, not as a spectator, but as a servant. Brad Brandon was a senior pastor in Connecticut when God stripped everything back. A month-long stay in the ICU became a turning point — a divine interruption that revealed, in Brad's own words, that ministry had become "a work of my own power." He came out transformed, unable to return to his former life, and eventually followed a prompting that led him to buy a one-way ticket to one of the most volatile regions on earth: Northern Nigeria, where 12 states operate under strict Sharia law, and where faith in Christ is legally punishable by death.

What Brad has built in that soil over the last 10 years is nothing short of remarkable. He and his 100+ person team from Across Nigeria now operate 23 ministries that include:

  • a refugee facility for families who have lost homes, bank accounts, and children;
  • underground congregations that move locations to avoid detection;
  • schools reaching over 5,000 Fulani Muslim children;
  • a Bible Institute training former Muslims as pastors;
  • and radio programs broadcasting the gospel in Hausa and Fufude to communities that have never heard it.

Over 7,000 Muslims have come to faith in Christ. Many are now pastors. Some work for Brad's own organization.

The persecutors, in God's Hands, have become the proclaimers.

In this episode of The UPside Conversations, Brad speaks with host Marion MacKenzie about the scale of what is happening — the staggering human cost, the extraordinary fruit, and the urgent call for the Western church to wake up.

"Bind yourself to them as though it's happening to you," Brad says, quoting Hebrews 13:3. "This isn't something horrible happening to them over there. This is happening to our family."

The Kingdom is advancing in Northern Nigeria. There is a growing coalition of believers refusing to be silenced. The question is whether the rest of the Body will rise to meet it.

This is the story the world isn't telling. And it's one the church cannot afford to ignore.

Watch the full conversation on YouTube and visit acrossnigeria.org to pray, give, and stay informed.

WATCH THE EPISODE

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