Hostile
Mali
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 abducted in neighboring countries and brought to Mali in recent years. 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
Pray for Mali
- Pray for safety and provision for Pastor Geremi, who passionately distributes thousands of Bibles.
- Pray that each recipient of a Bible will be encouraged and strengthened by God's Word.
- Pray for training and assistance to support pastors who are threatened and driven from their homes.
- Pray that churches near the border with Burkina Faso will fix their eyes on Jesus as they are under Islamist threat.
- Praise the Lord for churches that continue to risk reaching out with the gospel in dangerous areas.
