Islamic extremism has become a major problem in many countries in Africa, including Mali and Mozambique where Harvesters has active church planting Streams. Terrorist groups are wreaking havoc on civilians, buildings, and infrastructure and we must pray for our fellow believers.
As governments struggle to contain the insurgencies – and as cycles of poverty, unemployment, and disillusionment breed hopelessness – Harvesters sees a unique solution: church planting.
The Fight for the Faith in Mali
In Mali, which is 90% Muslim and around 2% Christian, Islamic extremists want the country to abide by stricter Muslim laws and are pressing their agenda through violence. The conflict has been terrorising locals for ten years.
“These enemies (jihadists) attack people, taking their property by force. They go village to village forcing people to follow their ways,” says Malian Pastor Andy*. “They don’t want people to follow other paths and other teachings different from theirs.”
Of course, this presents a significant evangelism problem for pastors in Mali, but they press on. Pastor Andy expressed how useful Harvesters’ Heart of Man tool has been for sharing the faith. “The teaching that Harvesters has given us helps us bring people to Christ,” he said.
Recently, they revisited a village called Mena. Although they had evangelised in Mena before, they went back after learning from Harvesters because they realised “we had believers but not disciples.”
And it’s disciples of Christ that are needed to counter the extremism narrative in Mali, bring Christ’s peace to the community, and serve the affected.
The ISIS Crisis in Northern Mozambique
Similarly, in Mozambique’s northernmost province an Islamic State-affiliated terrorist group has been disrupting the peace since 2017. Sadly though, their attacks are particularly violent and shocking. The innocent people of Cabo Delgado have suffered a five-year rampage of beheadings, mass murders, bombings, and symbolic crucifixions. It’s estimated that a million people are displaced.
Harvesters has been active in this region since 2018 and, in the midst of the chaos, we’ve seen God moving powerfully. Amazingly, 312 new churches have been planted – many of which are absorbing and supporting the exiled.
Furthermore, we are seeing leaders rising up with passionate hearts to go into the danger zones. One man is David, who fled from the area when militants came to his village. He is currently being trained by Harvesters in Nampula to be a pastor so he can go back and plant churches in Cabo Delgado.
Then there’s Pastor Maque who lives down in central Mozambique but originates from the north. He’s planted 15 churches in Beria and now feels God’s calling to move to Cabo Delgado. His heart aches for the disenfranchised youths whose lives are on a path to total destruction. “They don’t need more police and prisons,” he tells us. “They need pastors.”
Prayer Points
We want to thank you for being a prayer partner of Harvesters and praying with us against these evil attacks. Here are some prayer points for you and your church.
- Pray for the safety and protection of civilians in Mali and Mozambique who are affected by Islamic extremism. Ask God to guide governments and leaders as they work to contain the insurgencies and restore peace.
- Thank the Lord for building His church and for raising determined leaders like David and Ps Maque who are willing to serve and evangelise in dangerous places.
- Local churches in Mali and Mozambique are supporting those displaced because of the conflict. Pray for their physical and spiritual needs to be met. Pray that the militants will lose control over territories they have claimed so people can soon return home.
- Pray for Christians in Mali and elsewhere as they face violent oppression to sharing the Good News. Pray that God will provide opportunities and wisdom.
- Pray for the success of Harvesters’ church planting efforts in Mali and Mozambique, and for the growth and development of new believers and disciples.
*Names changed for protection
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