Meet Clement and Lydia from Nigeria

By Clement Ior

Chiviter, Clement, Lydia and Aondowase

Chiviter, Clement, Lydia and Aondowase

My name is Clement Akpenpuun Ior. I was born on 16 Oct 1975 in Tsambe, Nigeria, to the family of the late Ior & Vandelun Akpen of Vandeikya and I’m one of six siblings with several half-brothers and sisters. My father practiced polygamy and although he was not particularly religious, he let his wives and children participate in religious activities. We were brought up in the Roman Catholic tradition, faithfully attending worship services and compulsory catechism classes, which culminated in my baptism in 1984.

During my final year in secondary school in 1994, a university student in the same town shared the gospel with me and I accepted Jesus as my Savior. However, the decision lacked significance for me as I didn’t have a place of fellowship. It wasn't until November 1997 that I yielded myself fully to the Lord and experienced the assurance of salvation. Throughout my university years, I nurtured my faith through the ministries of the Great Commission Movement of Nigeria (Cru) and the Fellowship of Christian Students (FCS).

Vindicta Ambassadors Foundation ministry team with students disciplers in 2023.

On October 30, 2010, I married Lydia Ior. God has blessed us with a daughter named Chivirter, who is currently 11 years old and attending junior secondary school two (2). Additionally, my late brother's son, Aondowase, who is 10 years old, resides with us and is in grade 3.

Lydia and I were actively engaged in presenting the gospel to graduating students at a federal university in our town. Then in 2014 we were given the opportunity to minister to over two thousand students in a secondary school in Zonkwa, Kaduna State. From there our ministry grew by reaching out to neighboring schools and gradually involving teachers in specialized forums. Several later in January 2017 we formalized our organization, Vindicta (Rescue) Ambassadors Foundation, by registering as an incorporated entity.

In that year I became discontented with the way church is done. At the time, I was living about 20 km from the church where we worshipped and for over 20 years I was concerned about listening to “good messages” without reaching out to others as knew I should. Christian maturity there was measured by the number of years someone had been a Christian, how committed one was to activities, the position one held, etc. I felt that I wasn’t created to attend church just to hear good messages, but to be fruitful.

Choosing the university community as my affinity group stems from me realizing that college years for young people are crucial for their growth spiritually, mentally, and physically. I was certain that students who are properly nurtured and discipled during those formative years can become instrumental in global evangelism and discipleship. As they disperse to various locations after graduation, this “next generation” has the potential to become highly effective disciple-makers in their circles of influence.

Today, Lydia, our ministry team and I operate on the University of Jos Campus in Jos, Plateau State. We have about 140 students involved in the ministry. As students graduate, they are encouraged to continue practicing their faith wherever they find themselves.

My desire for discipleship training that engages, establishes, equips, and empowers believers led me to surf the internet in search of a Discipler. When I discovered Disciplers International, I registered for access to their free resources and immediately got an email response from the Director, Bart Physioc, who followed by a video call. He took me through the Step-by-Step Discipleship Process, and now I’m taking university students through The Process. It’s a life-changing experience!

The paradigm of Disciplers International centers on cultivating a profoundly deep relationship of spiritual intimacy (in-to-me-see) with both God and fellow believers. It entails selecting a few disciples, building a strong Christ-centered relationship with them, and dedicating time to empower and equip them to train others. The relational, intentional, and focused nature of the Step-by-Step model of discipleship has transformed my approach to making disciples. I only wish I had experienced this training sooner!

Thanks to Disciplers International for your labour of love!