Pray for Oklahoma Baptists who are serving with the International Mission Board (IMB) in Sub-Saharan Africa. This large area includes the island of Madagascar and all but 10 countries on the African continent. The primary religions are Islam, Christianity and Animism.
Though Sub-Saharan Africa has a growing Christian population, it is still home to more than 1,600 unreached people groups. Among the 939,967,015 people living there, 17,886 people are dying daily without Christ.
The goal of Southern Baptist missionaries serving in this part of Africa is to reach 55 of the unengaged, unreached people groups within five years. The strategy is to train the nationals to reach their own people with the Gospel, often teaching them to use the orality method of telling Bible stories verbally. They are catching the vision and working as partners to accomplish the Great Commission even in a highly Muslim context.
IMB missionaries know that partnership with the local people is especially important as, for security reasons, there are many places they cannot go. These national believers are already in the country, they speak the same language, they wear the same clothes and they eat the same foods as the people they are trying to reach. Who better to reach them?
In 2021, the Gospel was shared with 73,863 people, 19,288 of whom became believers. Thirty-four churches were planted, and 3,199 people were baptized. Also, 3,093 people received leadership training. Leadership training is critical to achieving the aforementioned goal of reaching 55 unengaged, unreached people groups within five years.
Pray for Oklahoma Baptists and other Christian workers as they serve in this huge area and among so many millions of people. Pray the people of Sub-Saharan Africa will hear and accept the words of Jesus so His kingdom will grow. Pray the local people will be able to share the gospel freely with those they encounter.
Because of the generous giving of Oklahoma Baptists through the Cooperative Program, an amazing array of ministries are supported. This unified giving encourages fellowship with other believers all over the world. Collectively, Oklahoma Baptists are advancing the Gospel together.
Sub-Saharan Africa is featured in the 2023 Missionary Prayer Guide for Oklahoma Baptists. For more information about the Cooperative Program, visit oklahomabaptists.org/cp.
