Biography
Joshua Selman Nimmak is a Nigerian preacher and Bible teacher who leads Koinonia Global, a Christian ministry based in Abuja. He is a living man, and the record of his life is still being written. What follows is an outline of what can be said with confidence, and the details of his early years and the history of his ministry should be checked against his own materials and those of his church before this entry is used. He is known across Nigeria and in many countries for his teaching on the nature of God, the Holy Spirit and the Christian life.
He was born in Nigeria in the early 1980s and grew up in the northern part of the country. He came to faith in Christ in his youth and felt a strong call to the ministry. As a young man, he gave himself to the study of the Bible and to prayer. He began to teach in small gatherings, and his gift for exposition soon became clear. He was known for his careful and detailed treatment of the Scriptures, and he did not rely on emotional appeals.
He began a small fellowship in the city of Abuja, which has grown into a large congregation. Koinonia, a Greek word that means fellowship or communion, was the name he gave to the work. It began with a handful of people meeting for Bible study and prayer. Over the years, it has grown to include thousands of members and several branches. The ministry has a major presence on the internet, where his messages are viewed by millions of people. His teaching has reached across Africa and to the African diaspora.
His messages are marked by a stress on the knowledge of God and on a life of prayer. He teaches on the seven spirits of God, on the operations of the Holy Spirit, on the call to holiness and on the believer's walk with the Lord. He speaks in a slow and measured way, with long pauses, and he often asks his listeners to meditate on a verse. He gives much attention to the meaning of words in the original languages. His style has drawn comparison with that of the old Bible teachers.
He has also taught on spiritual growth and on the importance of private devotion. He calls believers to cultivate a deep relationship with God and to resist the pursuit of mere success. He has spoken against the excesses of some preachers and has called for sound teaching. He is a man who speaks with great seriousness, and he is sometimes described as stern. His ministry includes a training program for leaders and a plan to plant churches.
Like any public figure, he has been the subject of praise and criticism. Some have thought that certain of his teachings on the Spirit and on spiritual experience need careful testing against Scripture, and believers are right to weigh every teacher by the Word. Others have found his teaching to be a source of help and renewal. A fair account must hold both of these truths.
His life is a part of the story of the growth of the church in Africa. A young man of the north who gave himself to the study of the Word has gathered a large audience. The measure of his ministry will be found in the lasting fruit of changed lives and faithful churches.