Our History

 What is today known as Calvary Ministries (CAPRO) came into being in 1975 (precisely April 25th). It started in Zaria , in northern Nigeria after some young Christians burdened to evangelize the Muslims attempted a crusade in that ancient Muslim city. They were attacked but instead of being discouraged this stirred them to prayers and more action. The vision was thus born to make such Muslim cities and tribes, as well as other unreached people groups of Northern Nigeria and West Africa an object of concerted missionary effort. Calvary Productions (CAPRO), as it was first call was thus born. The pioneer leadership team was lead by Bayo Famonure. This team led various youths from all across Nigeria into intensive evangelism of Muslims both in northern Nigeria and neighboring Niger Republic . By 1979 CAPRO name was changed Calvary Production to Calvary Ministries (CAPRO) to reflect a new emphasis on targeting ethno linguistic clusters of peoples. And by the early 1980s this lead to the recruiting full-time cross-cultural missionaries to live and plant churches among verified unreached peoples. Some of the first ethnic groups to be entered were the Maguzawa people of Adamawa State and the Gbagyi people of Kaduna State in Nigeria . Soon after this several other unreached peoples were engaged in Nigeria . Also by the early 1980s, foreign fields were also pioneered in Niger Republic , Senegal and Guinea (all in West Africa ) to engage ethnic groups with almost 100% Muslims. Today, CAPRO now works in 22 countries among over 60 unreached ethnic groups with many churches planted. Starting from northern Nigeria CAPRO now works all over Africa, in Europe and the Middle East . In recent years CAPRO has especially emphasized outreach to the Malgreb and Arab world and some underground churches of Muslim-background believers (MBB) have been planted.

What We DO
CAPRO is involved in the following ministries
Missions Awareness and Mobilization | Mission Training | Missions Research
Church Planting and Discipleship | Multi-media Ministries

Mission Awareness and Mobilization

 The task of evangelization belongs to the local church. Yet very few assemblies are sufficiently aware or involved in missions. Our mobilization and media offices seek to help churches raise missions awareness within them as well as enable them identify and release the needed manpower and resources to reach the unreached. We have mobilization offices in various cities across the continent. The International Mobilisation and Media office is located in Lagos.

Mission Training

 The key to reaching the unreached is quality men. The goal of our Training department is to help produce adequate manpower for missionary work. Our Training department runs various training programs in different parts of Africa including:
  • School of Missions (SOM) – for those called to full-time missionary service. Available in 4 countries and 3 languages.

  • Schools of Leadership (SOL) - available in 2 countries and 2 languages

  • Discipleship Training Schools (DTS) - available in eight countries in 3 languages

The School of Missions (SOM) has remained a trailblazer in mission training in Africa . Its international status remains unquestionable as participants come from different African countries. Since inception, over 700 persons have enrolled and have studied in the school. Many students are sent to SOM by various organizations after which they are required to go to mission fields of Africa and the world at large. SOM is highly subsidized by Calvary Ministries. Students are required to pay for their meals and outreach expenses. Tuition is free. The schools run for 14 months.

Mission Research

 Research is the arm of the ministry that deals with careful investigation and maintenance of up-to-date, accurate information on the Harvest Field and the Harvest Force Our Research unit trail-blazes new fields and is involved with Great Commission assessments around the globe. Our International Research Office is based in our International Headquarters in Lagos but almost every country we work in is involved in some form of research. Our researchers give us information on the status of the unreached peoples. And these information (which are often made available in form of booklets and books) enables churches and missions agencies to understand where t he greatest needs for evangelism lies as well as how to develop the most effective strategy for outreach. Research is what we do before we send missionary teams. Also research information is used as mobilization tools in churches.

Some of the Materials produced so far (To obtain materials in stock visit our online store)

    Nigerian materials:
  • The cross & the gods - Adamawa, Taraba
  • Conquered by the sword - Bauchi, Yobe
  • Kingdom at war - Niger , Kebbi States
  • Rescue the trophies – Benue
  • Priority Focus – the most needy peoples in Nigeria
    Others
  • Heritez Les Nations – The unreached peoples of Togo , West Africa
  • Les Menaces des dieux – The unreached peoples of Cote d'Ivoire
  • Country Profiles
  • Maps
  • Field Research Updates
  • Assessment Survey Reports
  • New Fields Survey Reports
  • 20 years of Africa (on Microfiche)
  • Framework research

Church Planting and Discipleship

 This is the arrow-head of all our work – the sending of missionary teams among the unreached peoples to raise indigenous believers who are later constituted into groups of believers (churches) and can continue the task of reach the remaining parts of their own people group. CAPRO is not a denomination so none of the churches planted are owned or named after CAPRO. They are autonomous New Testament churches that continue as soon as indigenous leaders are raised under their own elders. Just like in the case of the Apostle Paul, this method allows our missionaries to move on to reach other peoples while these churches continue to grow and reach out to areas around them. For more information on how to join a church-planting team or to support a team please contact mobilization@capromissions.org

Multi-media Ministries

 In a bid to facilitate the task of reaching the remaining unreached peoples CAPRO runs in several locations multi-media ministries which produces materials both for cross-cultural evangelism as well as for mobilisation.
One of the most popular products of our media department is the quarterly missions magazine – OCCUPY. There is also a sister journal in French. To arrange a missions awareness event for your church or group please contact mobilization@capromissions.org

Where We Work

 CAPRO targets unreached ethnic groups within a country for effective evangelism, discipleship and church planting. In countries where there is a strong Christian majority, we are involved in mission awareness, mobilization and training so to make them sending bases for men and resources for the missionary thrust.
    At the moment CAPRO has work in the following countries:-
  • NIGERIA
  • SENEGAL
  • NIGER
    		•
  • REPUBLIC
  • TOGO
  • COTE D'VOIRE (IVORY COAST)
    		•
  • GUINEA (CONAKRY)
  • SIERRA LEONE
  • BENIN REPUBLIC
    		•
  • MALAWI
  • BOTSWANA
  • SUDAN
    		•
  • BURKINA FASO
  • MIDDLE EAST
  • CENTRAL AFRICA REPUBLIC
    		•
  • MORROCCO
  • SOUTH AFRICA
  • LIBERIA
    		•
  • RWANDA
  • MALI
  • CAMEROUN
    		•
  • MOZAMBIQUE
  • KENYA
    		•  

How We Are Financed

 As a faith ministry, CAPRO and her missionaries depend on God to provide through the freewill offerings of His people. Gifts to CAPRO are used as designated and duly acknowledged. No staff draws wages from the fund of the ministries. Each trusts God to meet his or her needs.

Our Guiding Principles

 These six pillars are the motivating factor for all our enterprise

Holiness: Our ministry is the outflow of our life. We cannot give what we do not have. So our first priority is to be like Christ.

Love: Love for God, for our fellow labourers, and for the people we seek to reach

Sacrifice: A willingness to spend and be spent for the cause of enthroning Christ among those who are yet to hear

Faith: We do not go by what we have but by the sufficiency of our God to meet every need.

Evangelism: Our passion is souls

Militancy/Determination: We are rugged soldiers of the cross and must not entangle ourselves with civilian matters. Time is short. We will find a way where others see no way. We are proactive and pragmatic. We shall use all means possible to reach the unreached.

What We Believe

The doctrinal basis of this Ministry is the fundamental truth of the Christian faith as revealed in the whole of the Holy Scriptures, including:

  • The one eternal God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit
  • The Lordship of Jesus Christ in the life of the believer
  • The Divine inspiration of the Bible and its final authority in all matters of faith and conduct.
  • The universal sinfulness of man which brings God's condemnation on all men.
  • The redemption from the penalty and power of sin solely through the sacrificial death and bodily resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.
  • The justification of the sinner by the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ alone.
  • The present day ministry of the Holy Spirit by whose indwelling the Christian is enabled to live a godly life. The empowering of believers by the Holy Spirit for more effective service.
  • The fellowship of all believers in the Universal Church which is the body of Christ.
  • The expectation of the personal physical return of our Lord Jesus Christ, in power and glory.
  • The eternal dwelling of the saints with God and the eternal separation of the unbelievers from Him.