
David Hayfron in Ghana
In December, we had the most keenly contested presidential election in our history, but God has sustained Ghana and granted us peace.
read moreEach week, our prayer community of ~700 intercedes for a Christian Majority World leader. If you join, you will receive an email that contains an introduction to that leader’s work and home country, followed by a personal message from the leader with prayer requests.
Twenty-two countries in Africa list English as an official language, the remains of a shared colonial history. Geographically, culturally, and religiously diverse, these Anglophone African nations span the continent, from Kenya and Tanzania in the east to Sierra Leone and Liberia in the west to South Africa and Botswana in the south.
In some countries, such as Kenya and Zambia, the Church has grown at a remarkable rate over the last century, and Christians now represent a substantial majority of the total population. In countries like Nigeria, the population is more evenly divided between Christians and Muslims. In a small number of English-speaking nations, like Sierra Leone and Sudan, Islam is the dominant religion.
Over the last year, the continent has avoided the worst of COVID’s direct impact, although South Africa, along with several urban centers, has seen especially high cases. While factors across Africa’s 55 countries differ, researchers point to the continent’s younger population, large rural areas, and rapid responses by governments that have faced epidemics before as reasons for why COVID has not been as deadly as initially feared. However, the pandemic’s secondary effects on the economy and food supply remain a significant threat to most of the population and may require years of recovery.
Even as several countries in Anglophone Africa had experienced economic growth, perennial challenges related to poverty, government corruption, and political instability remain. Especially in areas where Christianity is strong, the Church has the potential for significant influence. As the Church has grown, so also have theological schools. Hundreds of schools provide pastoral training and more than a dozen Evangelical schools now offer high-quality PhD programs. In response to the pandemic, many are working hard to teach through online platforms despite weaker Internet infrastructure.
Pray for Christian leaders in Anglophone Africa as they help the Church address significant issues such as religious and ethnic violence, political corruption and instability, poverty and disease, rapid urbanization, and biblical discipleship.
Photo: “View of Kilimanjaro from Amboseli National Park, Kenya” by Sergey Pesterev on Unsplash.
In December, we had the most keenly contested presidential election in our history, but God has sustained Ghana and granted us peace.
read morePray for wisdom, understanding, and clarity in leading ACTEA and serving Africa’s theological institutions in this season of immense challenges.
read moreAt Oasis Africa, the journey has been difficult because our work involves interacting with individuals and groups for therapy and trainings. We have had to adjust to online services, and this has had a negative effect, bringing our numbers down.
read moreKenya is deeply engaged in political wrangles right now, as politicians get ready for the presidential elections next year (August 2022). Kenyan citizens are suffering from the effects of the coronavirus that has plagued the world. Many more people have fallen into unemployment, and income is a big struggle for many families. Please pray for Kenya to overcome these political and economic challenges.
read moreWith the present economic recession, raising funds for school fees will be an enormous challenge for students. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on the Lord.
read moreFor Christians in Ethiopia who are uncertain about the future of our country and our beloved ones, there is only one place to look for deliverance.
read moreFor all of us, Christmas brings hope and a message that unites us. “Do not be afraid” – not because things will magically turn out well, but because our God is with us. Jesus entered into our human situation, and experienced our uncertainty, fear, and despair. Jesus entered our human situation and conquered it beyond the grave, giving us a hope that unites us even as we stand united in suffering.
read moreI felt bad about my sufficiency and contentment, as I thought of those who were suffering from hunger and losses caused by the floods and landslides in Vietnam’s central regions. My heart was heavy as I pondered, “Is it all right to celebrate amid these discouraging circumstances?”
read moreIn this Christmas season, let’s seek Him first and believe that His grace is sufficient for us.
read moreJesus was no ordinary baby, but the long-promised King, who had come for the salvation of the world. The first visitors – the shepherds – were men from the margins of society. Angels called them to see what God was doing for Israel and the whole world. A Savior had arrived humbly, dwelling among the poor and lowly of the earth.
read moreAmid all that the country is going through, Christians find comfort and encouragement in the Word of God. We can relate to the situation of God’s people in the past.
read moreIn times of trouble and uncertainty, we continue to come before God with our requests, needs, and fears – and we do so with thanksgiving. As we pause amid a tumultuous year, we invite you to join us in prayers of thanksgiving for God’s provision.
read morePray for Square Ministries Africa, a non-profit organization I am spearheading. We are working in East Africa, so pray that we will be able to touch many people in this region.
read moreIt is in these uncertain and troubled times that churches need to rise above and beyond, and find means to care for believers, so that they can be sustained in their faith in Jesus Christ, instead of seeking other means of help from the wrong places, such as from witchdoctors or dead ancestors.
read morePray for peace and stability in my ministry context of West Africa, where terrorism is claiming many lives daily. The kidnapping of local men and women is becoming the order of the day.
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