"The Church in Africa" by Peter Hammond

I have put together some excerpts from an excellent, and very heart-wrenching, yet encouraging, article from the November issue of TableTalk magazine.
May the Lord open our eyes to the plight, and great faith, of our brothers and sisters in Sudan. And so be in prayer for them, and be built up in our faith in seeing how our Savior is mightily glorified in their persecutions and love for the truth. Amen.

"An epic conflict is raging throughout Africa. ...Tens of thousands of Christians have been killed and hundreds of churches burned down by Muslim mobs in northern Nigeria. .... To those involved in the spiritual warfare of seeking to win souls to Christ in Africa, it is apparent that much of the violence is in retaliation for the success of Christian missions. Some of the worst atrocities and most intense violence has taken place in countries where the church has made great strides in winning people to Christ from animism, secular humanism, or Islam.


There has been a revival amidst persecution in Sudan. Tremendous sacrifices have been made. ...The cathedral in Lui, the birthplace of Christianity in Moruland, has been bombed ten times. Three times the cathedral was destroyed; yet each time it was rebuilt, restored, and filled with joyful Christians bringing a sacrifice of praise.

I have seen Sudanese evangelists, continue to take the gospel to their neighbors despite having an arm amputated or feet axed off at the ankles. One pastor I know had the joy of adding over fourteen thousand people to his congregations in less than five years. Numerous pastors have multiple congregations to care for.

The resilient Christians of Sudan have stood up steadfastly against the onslaught of Islamic jihad. Not only have they withstood the assaults of Islamic jihad, but they have also succeeded in winning many of their enemies to Christ. ... One Sudanese evangelist leader observed: "People have seen the real Islam, and they want Jesus instead!"

I have seen Muslims coming to Christ in Sudan and Nigeria. What used to be a rare event is now becoming a mass movement in Christ. Millions of Christians worldwide come from Muslim backgrounds. The Scriptures are being fulfilled: "The desert tribes will bow before him and his enemies will lick the dust...all kings will bow down to him and all nations will serve him (ps. 72:9-11,NIV). ....

....Africa is a continent in conflict. The opportunities for fulfilling the Great Commission in Africa are tremendous. The openness to the gospel and hunger for Bible teaching throughout Africa is intense. Bad times are good for spiritual work.

As missionary C.T. Studd declared, "Some like to live within sound of church or chapel bell; I would like to run a rescue shop within a yard of hell."---[Dr. Peter Hammond is missionary director of Frontline Fellowship. He has pioneered evangelistic missions and established Christian schools and Bible colleges throughout Africa, particularly in Sudan. Website: http://www.frontline.org.za]


Let us keep our Lord's words etched on our hearts, and renewed in our minds: "The harvest truly is great, but the laborers few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that He would send forth laborers into His harvest."