It’s normal for children to outgrow their parents, the leader of the world’s largest Anabaptist communion said July 1, encouraging his North American counterparts.

Daniel Mbaya, president of the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria, addressed the Global Mission Dinner at the Church of the Brethren annual conference in Fort Wayne Ind.

With an estimated million and a half members, the Nigerian Brethren (Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria, or EYN) have persevered despite violent attacks by radical militant groups over the past decade.

“Some in our nation seem to have hostility to the gospel,” Mbaya said. The response, he said, was not violence but to baptize more people.

He recalled the Acts 2 account of the Holy Spirit’s arrival with a mighty rushing wind and tongues of fire, followed by the conversion and baptism of thousands.

He harked back to the day when the Brethren, more than a century ago, “sent missionaries to another country, bringing the good news of Christ.”

He said the EYN would continue to send missionaries to save more people.

“Imagine a world where the gospel is shared with all people,” he said. “I have good news: God is international, and he is more interested in those who serve him than in all the tweets you make.”

Mbaya expressed gratitude for Bethany Theological Seminary’s training of new ministers and affirmed the relationship between Brethren in North America and Nigeria.

“When you, as our parents, are growing old, and your children are getting better, it is a sign that all is normal,” he said. “Don’t be afraid to share Christ in America. Remember what God said: ‘I will send you the comforter.’ ”