Project Amount: $5,000

Field Description: Muslim evangelistic ministry is one of the most difficult and slowly rewarding ministries on the globe today. Yet 20 percent of the world are followers of the Islamic faith, and it is growing. Unless Lutherans begin to understand this faith system and work to share Christ with those who follow this faith, it will continue to threaten the growth of the numbers of people praising God for eternity in front of His throne. Maninka are staunchly Muslim. There is very little intentional evangelistic work being done among the numerous Muslim population in Guinea and Mali. In fact, many mission groups have started and left, due to the lack of immediate results.

The purpose of this project is to support the national church’s efforts of church planting, leadership training, and the development of agricultural training programs among the unreached Maninka. Theological education materials will be translated into the local language. Funding provides for leadership training expenses and materials.

LCMS World Mission missionary Tim Norton has learned the Maninka language, has shared Christ with people who will serve as leaders, and the leaders have responded to that gracious message. And, they are willing to learn and be taught to be the evangelists for the Maninka people. This will result in a truly Maninka church—working on the inside to share Christ with those who are Muslim.

In addition, Andrea Herman is now working there with Muslim women—an almost untouchable group due to cultural and religious practices among Muslims. The strategy is exciting, new, hopeful, and moving towards populating heaven.

Evangelists are trained in chronological Bible story-telling. As soon as the villagers are able to provide them with housing, the evangelists arrange with the local leadership to start evangelism through literacy and chronological Bible storying sessions. In one village, not only were they able to share the Gospel with the 46 students who had signed up and come faithfully to the chronological Bible storying sessions, but they had invitations to come to six other villages. At first they were rejected by the villagers because of anti-Christian sentiment, but through perseverance and love they won them over and were able to begin sharing the Gospel with them.

LCMS World Mission missionaries Linda and Delano Meyer provide agricultural training to help the villagers increase crop production. The first step is to stop burning off crop lands as a way to clear or prepare the field for planting. Most agriculturalists feel that improved fallow using soil-improving legumes is an important second step to improving soil, and thus producing better crops. Training about increased production without the skills of Christian management and stewardship is counter productive, however. A common problem across West Africa is that at harvest, people spend too freely on cultural festivals, secret societies, funerals, excessive gift giving, and demands of extended family wanting to enjoy the bounties of a good harvest. Soon, however, the stock of rice and other foods run low and often are completely gone by the next year’s planting time. When people run out of food and money, they begin borrowing at 50 to 100 percent interest rate for a six-month loan (equivalent to 100 to 200 percent annual interest). From attending the training sessions, the people are beginning to realize that they are keeping themselves in poverty by this lifestyle. The Meyers try to involve the whole community, Christian and non-Christian, and ask those present to make a list of things they can do to change the situation. The people are gifted and able to improve their own lives from within their own culture when they have the truth of God’s Word connected to the Holy Spirit in their lives as the motivating power for change.

Contact person: Rev. Tim Norton

Maninka Ministry in Guinea

Saku and Delano standing behind Crotalaria, a soil enriching legume

In this picture, Charlie is interpreting for Linda Meyer as she leads a session on “Management of the Harvest”

Evangelist Sacko Koulibaly (standing center) with Mamadou Sylla, leader of Lero study group (seated at left), and Mamadou Sylla, student from Siguirini (15 kms north of Lero) who asked that the evangelists come to his place