Background

In 1988, a number of born-again Christians of Abureni area who had concern for soul-winning, came together to form Abureni Evangelistic Team, under a voluntary non-denominational setting.

Initially, this team of Christian brethren, mainly of Abureni origin, went from one Abureni community to the other, organising crusades as a means of preaching and spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ to the people of the area.

Membership is voluntary, and open to born-again Christians who particularly hunger to win souls in the rural fields. AEO targets the evangelization of the rural areas of Abureni, its environs and beyond, through which the people can receive Christ’s salvation. It has attracted believers from the seven major communities constituting Abureni (Akani, Agrisaba, Amorokeni, Amoroto, Emago, Idema, and Okoroba), including visitors and ministers of the gospel who labour in the area.  Membership has extended to brethren, from nearby communities such as Kolo and Ogboloma, who have identified with its vision. 

This body is not a Christian denomination; rather, it draws participants from existing Christian denominations by way of voluntarily working together with Churches to foster the propagation of the true gospel of Jesus Christ in the Area. 

Crusades and seminars are annual events which are held rotationally from one Abureni Community to another. These programmes offer opportunity for brethren to gather together in brotherly love, reach out to people with the gospel, and evangelize a particular community during a chosen festive period, e.g. Easter holidays, August Break or Christmas.  The aims of these events include: (a) to lead unbelievers to Christ, (b) to revive and strengthen the brethren, (c) to redirect backsliders to Christ, (d) to share with believers’ scriptural knowledge of the Word of God, (e) reason together for the progress of the area under the body of Christ. 

 The new converts from crusades are encouraged to remain faithful by introducing them to existing living churches of their choice, so that they can be followed up and nurtured by stronger Christians. To fully achieve this in a structured manner, the body has engaged Christian Missionaries who primarily labour to win and follow up souls in the rural areas of the geographical area of Abureni.  Presently, two Missionaries cover the mission fields of Zone A (Akani, Amorokeni, Amoroto & Emago), while one Missionary covers Zone B (Agrisaba, Idema & Okoroba). The vision is to have an operating office in every community in order to enhance the implementation of the outreach programmes by taking them closer to the dwelling homes of the people. Other zones are as follows: Zone C – Port Harcourt; Zone D – Yenagoa; Zone E – Lagos; Zone F – Abuja; Zone G – Kolo in Bayelsa State.

In 2008, the team metamorphosed into Abureni Evangelical Outreach (AEO), which became the name approved for registration by the Corporate Affairs Commission.

Abureni consists of the following major Communities:

• Agrisaba (Mini/Ikensi LGA, Bayelsa  State)
• Akani – Kugbo (Abua/Odual LGA, Rivers State)
• Amorokeni (Ogbia LGA, Bayelsa State)
• Amoroto – Kugbo (Abua/Odual LGA, Rivers State)
• Emago – Kugbo (Abua/Odual LGA, Rivers State)
• Idema (Ogbia LGA, Bayelsa State)
• Okoroba (Mini/Ikensi LGA, Bayelsa  State)