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GlobalPrayerGuide

Mali
Hostile
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Overview:

Mali is a poor country with a growing population that remains predominantly Muslim. Although missionaries arrived in the early 1920s and have worked in most areas of the country, there are few Christians. Small congregations of believers continue to worship in towns known to be centers of Islamist activity. Several missionaries have been kidnapped in Mali or have been kidnapped and brought to Mali from neighboring countries in recent years. Some are still in captivity today. Threats by Islamist groups have led some mission agencies to withdraw workers from the country. Recent military coups have led to sanctions by the international community, further degrading Mali’s economy.

Major Religion:

88 percent of Malians are Sunni Muslims, with most also practicing animism. 3 percent are Christians.

Persecutor:

Islamic extremist groups persecute Christians in Mali.

What It Means To Follow Christ In Mali:

In 2012, believers fled to the south as extremist groups in the north destroyed church buildings and pastors’ homes in their efforts to create an Islamic state. Christian converts from Islam face harassment from family members and their communities. Open and active churches exist in the north, though outreach and evangelism in the community can be dangerous. Several pastors were forced to leave after receiving death threats for actively sharing their faith.

Access To Bibles:

Bibles are scarce and difficult to obtain outside the capital, especially in minority languages. Give Bibles

VOM Work:

VOM provides Bibles, pastor training and assistance for persecuted Christians. Give to VOM’s Global Ministry

Prayer Requests:

  • Pray that new believers will be discipled and rooted in their Christian faith.
  • Pray that churches in the north will shine the light of Christ while being marginalized and mistreated.
  • Pray for unity in the body of Christ as Malian believers endure persecution together.
  • Pray for those proclaiming the gospel in the north, a stronghold for Islamist activity.
  • Pray for Hadijatou, who was persecuted by her family because of her faith in Christ.