Littleton Church With Ties To Kidnapped Nigerian Girls To Hold Fundraiser
LITTLETON, Colo. (CBS4) - Nigerian State News reports top military officials know the location of more than 200 kidnapped school girls but troops will not use force to rescue them. Now a congregation in Littleton is reaching out to the families of the girls.
Tucked back in a quiet Littleton neighborhood is a small church with a big heart. Prince of Peace Church of the Brethren is a congregation of just 50 people, but co-pastor Gail Erisman-Valeta is asking all Coloradans to help the missing Nigerian school girls.
"We know that there are girls being asked to denounce their faith and girls having to face all kinds of atrocity," Erisman-Valeta said.
There is a deep connection between the Littleton church and the Nigerians. The majority of the nearly 300 girls kidnapped by the terrorist group Boko Haram are also members of Brethren congregations. In fact, the school the girls were taken from was started by the church in the 1940s.
The church has been targeted by the terrorists who believe Western education is a sin.
"They've had pastors who've been killed as well as members who've been killed," former pastor Sarah Leatherman Young said. "When things happen across the world we can feel powerless. We feel bad about it but we don't know what we can do."
Young has organized a fundraiser. Donations will go to a compassion fund for victims of Boko Haram.
Church members know the names of the captured girls and keep them close to their hearts.
The Tuesday night event will provide information, collect donations and encourage prayer to bring back the girls. To learn more about the fundraiser, visit princeofpeacecob.org.
LINK: Brethren.org