Lausanne World Pulse – Urban Articles – A Focus on East and South Africa: 349 Least-Reached People Groups Remain

December 2006

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Overview
The twenty-seven countries in eastern and southern Africa are already fairly well evangelized thanks to the work of Africa Inland Mission (AIM) and Sudan Interior Mission (SIM); however, there are more than 340 remaining least-reached peoples, especially in the Horn of Africa and among the Hindu and Muslim immigrant groups in East Africa. Ethiopia has over nineteen million people among its thirty-nine least-reached peoples, representing 34.8% of its population. Sudan has over eighteen million people in 137 least-reached groups, representing 56.1% of its population. However, nations like Comoros, Somalia, Djibouti and Mayotte have over ninety percent of their population in least-reached groups. Much work remains!

The peaceful ending of apartheid in South Africa and the transition to multi-racial democratic government was considered impossible; however, the miracle occurred in answer to fervent prayer by millions of Christians in South Africa and beyond. In the past few years a new movement aiming to globalize prayer has sprung up from this area. It began with Transformation Africa and today is demonstrated in the annual Global Day of Prayer, which begins with a ten-day time of prayer and fasting on Ascension Day and culminates with the Global Day of Prayer on Pentecost. In 2005, over 150 nations participated. Pray with believers around the world that the gospel would penetrate to every tongue, tribe and nation in this region.

Prayer Points

  • Transformation. Ask God to transform every least-reached people into life-givers rather than life-takers by his power and love.
  • Living Sacrifices. Ask the Lord of the harvest to bring forth many laborers who offer their lives daily as living sacrifices, so that whether by life or by death the name of the Lord Jesus Christ is glorified.
  • Bridges for the Gospel. Request that God impart divine revelation of redemptive bridges for the gospel in order to effectively present his truth and good news.
  • Forgiveness. Seek God to impart the ability to forgive enemies, to overcome evil with good and to bless those who persecute believers who share the gospel.
  • Endurance. Plead with God for workers with such endurance that they never give up, moved by the great compelling of God to reach even the most remote and difficult least-reached people groups.

Links

  • Resources to pray and mobilize prayer and outreach.
  • Discover East and South Africa’s 349 least-reached peoples.
  • Pray for the peoples of East and South Africa.
  • Obtain prayer guides for the peoples of this region.