my story burkina faso my work stories photos issues latest links

The Church in the Sahel

Although a predominantly Muslim environment, there is a small number of local Christians, and a growing Christian presence in the Burkina Faso sahel region.

There has been a church in Gorom-Gorom for some years, and now also in several of the other towns. The few pastors there are committed and able, and other Christians working in the region are increasingly getting involved in God's purposes. A new local inter-denominational association of Christians - "Barke Alla" Association - has started, with the vision of serving the churches and bringing God's blessing to the region.

The Missionary Context for the Church in the Sahel

The Burkina Faso sahel region, and the peoples who live there - the Fulani, Tamacheq, and Songhai - are predominantly Muslim. In Oudalan Province, for example, there are few Christians, and most of these are outsiders - people from other tribes and areas of the country who have moved to the north for work, often just for a few years. The church in the Burkina Faso Sahel is therfore essentially in a missionary context with great spiritual and social need. Over 95% are unreached Muslim peoples and there is vast poverty and under-development.

Yet Burkina Faso is a secular country, and there is freedom of religion, with the right to preach and practise the Christian faith, even in the Muslim areas. There is also a good and peaceful relationship generally between Muslims and Christians, although local converts can face strong disapproval and isolation from their families that can become very severe at times.

At the same time, there is high respect for Jesus Christ, and a willingness - even at times an eagerness - to hear about him. The Quran of course holds "Isa ibn Maryama" - Jesus the of Mary - in very high esteem, and most people here know that he was unique in his virgin birth, did miracles including healing the sick and raising the dead, that he rose into heaven, and that he will return at the end of the world. This means that there is a good basis for talking with people about Jesus.

I have been working in this region, mostly around Gorom-Gorom, since 1992, in evangelism, church planting, and social ministry.

Churches in the Sahel province of Oudalan

In Oudalan province, there are churches now in the following towns:

  • Gorom-Gorom, with Pastors Daniel and Pascal
  • Markoye, with Pastor Adama
  • Deou, with Pastor Samuel
  • Essakane, with Pastor Ousseini
  • Tasmakat, with Pastor Jean
  • Oursi, with Pastor Mathias
In most of these towns, the church consists of the pastor and his family, and a handful of teachers or other Christians from the Mossi or other southern tribes who have been sent to work in the region for a few years. There are few local Christians, and the pastors are reaching out to the local people. Pastors coming into this area face many challenges - no good fields to work, no Christians to support them, different language and culture.

Pastors. The pastors are therefore effectively local missionaries, although trained and sent as pastors. These men are men of vision and faith, many of whom have learned local language, and are committed to seeing God's kingdom come in this area. The ministry here will be built on them, rather than on white missionaires, and I want to see them empowered as agents of transformation in the places where they are living. Please pray for these men and their families. (Read more about empowering local workers)

Christians However, there are now a few local Christians from the Fulani and Songhai, and in Gorom-Gorom, they have started a Fulani cell group where the Fulani Christians meet before market each week to worship, pray, and study the Bible in Fulfulde, the Fulani language. The New Testament is now available in Fulfulde and Tamacheq, as well as worship song books and cassettes, and also discipleship material in Fulfulde.

There are also an increasing number of Christians from outside the region who have felt called to move to and stay in the region to work for the advance of the kingdom of God there, and this is a great support to the pastors. Some of these Christians, with the encouragement of the pastors, have formed the "Barke Alla" association to support the ministry in the province.

"Barke Alla" Association

The "Barke Alla" Association has been started by some of the Christians in the Province of Oudalan with the objective of uniting Christians and supporting the work of the churches in the province. They have three main goals:
  • Evangelism
  • Supporting the pastors and churches
  • Social ministry

We are seeking God's way forward for this transformation, through prayer, evangelism, church planting, social ministry, community development, and "partnerships for mission"

Read more about the Burkina Faso Sahel