Part Two of the series, “When Creation Groans”  

By ICC Fellow Lisa Navarrette 

Across Nigeria’s Middle Belt, the rhythm of daily life has long been shaped by the land. Before sunrise, farmers walk to fields cultivated by their families for generations. Seasons are measured by planting and harvest, churches gather to give thanks for God’s provision, and local markets depend on the success of each year’s crops. For many Christian communities, agriculture is more than an occupation; it is the foundation of family life, economic stability, and community identity. 

In recent years, however, that rhythm has become increasingly uncertain. Many Christian families face two very different challenges at the same time. One comes from people: violent attacks that have forced entire communities from their homes. The other comes from the environment: changing rainfall patterns, prolonged dry seasons, and rising pressure on agricultural resources. These challenges are distinct, but they often overlap in ways that make recovery far more difficult. 

The Land Is More Than a Livelihood 

In many parts of rural Africa, land is far more than a financial asset. It provides food for the family table, income to pay school fees, and a measure of independence in places where employment opportunities are limited. It is also deeply connected to family history. Farms are often passed from one generation to the next, carrying memories, traditions, and a sense of belonging that cannot easily be replaced. 

Consider a boy we’ll call “Daniel.” His family depends on a small farm for nearly everything. After each harvest, his parents sell part of their crops to purchase necessities, including school uniforms, books, and tuition fees. When the harvest is poor, education is often one of the first expenses that must be delayed. Instead of returning to the classroom, Daniel spends his days helping his parents in the fields while they hope the next season brings enough rain to produce a better harvest. Daniel’s experience represents the difficult choices many rural families face across parts of sub-Saharan Africa where farming remains the primary source of income.  

When Christian families are forced to abandon their land because of violence, they lose far more than a source of income. They lose the fields that sustained their parents and grandparents, the communities that worshiped alongside them, and the stability that comes from knowing where the next meal will come from. For those who are eventually able to return, rebuilding is rarely as simple as planting another crop. Homes may have been destroyed. Livestock may be gone. Local markets may no longer function. Months, or even years, without cultivating the land can leave families with few resources to begin again. 

Environmental pressures, however, can make the rebuilding process even more difficult. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, many regions of sub-Saharan Africa are experiencing increasing climate variability, including changing rainfall patterns and more frequent droughts that affect agricultural production. These conditions do not cause persecution, but they can make rebuilding after persecution significantly more challenging. 

For Christian families already living on the margins, recovery often becomes a long journey rather than a single moment. 

Nigeria: Rebuilding After Violence 

Nigeria demonstrates how persecution and environmental hardship can intersect in the daily lives of Christian farming communities. For years, Christians living inNigeria’ss Middle Belt have endured repeated attacks by armed groups that have targeted villages, churches, and agricultural communities. According to International Christian Concern (ICC), many believers have been forced to flee with little warning, leaving behind homes, farmland, livestock, and the livelihoods that supported their families. While the immediate consequences of these attacks are often measured in lives lost and communities displaced, the long-term effects can be just as significant. 

For farming families, displacement interrupts far more than a single growing season. Fields go uncultivated, livestock are lost or sold, local markets become disrupted, and household income disappears. Even after violence subsides, many families face difficult decisions about whether it is safe to return home or whether they must begin again somewhere else. 

Recovery is rarely immediate. Rebuilding a home is only one step. Families must also restore their ability to earn a living, send their children to school, and reestablish the community relationships that were fractured by violence. Churches frequently become central to that recovery, providing practical assistance, spiritual encouragement, and a place where displaced believers can find support. 

Since 2019, ICC has launched more than 20 communal farms in Nigeria, feeding thousands of Christians who lost everything to persecution. Each year, these farms help more displaced Christians rebuild their lives. 

It is important to distinguish between these challenges. The attacks against Christian communities are acts of persecution carried out by people. Climate change does not cause those attacks.  

However, when persecution forces farming families from their land, environmental pressures can make rebuilding slower, more costly, and more uncertain. Climate change can also exacerbate persecution when families encroach on others’ land to find a livelihood due to climate instabilities.  

Sudan: Multiple Crises, One Humanitarian Reality 

Sudan offers another example of how multiple crises can converge. Years of conflict have displaced millions of people, including Christian communities that were already living as religious minorities. Ongoing violence has disrupted agricultural production, damaged infrastructure, and limited access to humanitarian assistance in many parts of the country. As families flee conflict, they often leave behind farmland, businesses, and community networks that once provided stability. 

At the same time, recurring drought and food insecurity have placed additional pressure on vulnerable populations. According to the World Food Programme, millions of people across Sudan face severe food shortages as conflict, economic instability, and environmental challenges reinforce one another. For displaced Christian families, rebuilding their lives becomes increasingly difficult when humanitarian needs continue long after the initial violence. 

Churches frequently serve as places of refuge, providing food, shelter, and spiritual support to displaced believers. Their work reflects an important truth: responding to persecution often means addressing both immediate security needs and the longer process of helping families recover. 

Kenya: A Different Challenge 

Kenya demonstrates that environmental hardship does not affect every country in the same way. Although Kenya has generally experienced greater political stability than some of its neighbors, prolonged drought has had a profound impact on many rural communities, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions. Water shortages, livestock losses, and declining agricultural productivity have strained local economies and increased food insecurity for many families. In northern Kenya, where extremist groups such as al-Shabab have carried out attacks against Christians, environmental pressures add another layer of difficulty for communities already living with security concerns.  

The experiences of Kenya, Nigeria, and Sudan are not identical. Each country has its own political, economic, and security challenges. Yet together they demonstrate a common principle: environmental pressures often become most significant where communities are already facing other forms of instability. 

The Church Responds 

Despite the challenges facing Christian communities across Nigeria, Sudan, and Kenya, persecution and environmental hardship have not diminished the church’s witness. Instead, many local congregations have become essential sources of practical assistance and spiritual encouragement for families seeking to rebuild their lives. 

When violence forces Christians to flee, churches are often among the first places people turn for help. Congregations provide temporary shelter, distribute food and clothing, organize financial assistance, and pray with families navigating profound loss. In many communities, local churches continue serving long after international attention has shifted elsewhere. They help believers restore not only their homes but also their sense of community. 

Organizations such as ICC work alongside local Christian leaders by supporting emergency relief efforts, helping rebuild homes and churches, strengthening livelihoods, and advocating for persecuted believers on the international stage. These efforts recognize that recovery is rarely complete once the violence ends. Families often need sustained support as they work to restore their farms, educate their children, and reestablish stable lives. 

The resilience of these communities is evident not because they are spared hardship, but because they continue to live out their faith during it. Churches that have been destroyed are rebuilt. Congregations displaced by violence gather again for worship. Farmers return to fields despite uncertainty about the future. Pastors continue serving communities that have experienced repeated attacks. Their perseverance offers a reminder that persecution does not define the church. Faithfulness does.  

In Part Three, we will broaden our focus from individual communities to the larger forces shaping religious persecution. We’ll examine how weak governance, armed extremist groups, and chronic instability create environments where persecution can spread. Part One, “Climate Change Is Not Christian Persecution, So Why Does It Matter?” can be found here. 

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