Answers to Prayer

1 The continuing growth of evangelical churches during the 1990's, when membership nearly doubled

2 Significant people movements with thousands of conversions among the Mossi (AoG), Lyele (IMB-SBC), Gurma (SIM), Bwamu, Bobo and Samo (CMA), Nuna and Sisaala (Canadian Pentecostals)

3 The vibrant AoG family of churches, with nearly 700,000 adherents and a strong missionary vision

Challenges for Prayer

1 The Unreached

a) Muslims, who are stronger in the north but continue to grow in nearly every ethnic group

b) The partly nomadic Fulbe who are beginning to respond through the witness of three SIM teams, and AoG workers

c) Unreached non-Muslim peoples: the Dogon of the northeast, the Bulsa and Gurenne on Ghana's border, many Senufo sub-groups in the southwest (CMA and Mennonites), and the numerous small groups of the south (WEC)

2 The power of the occult has yet to be decisively challenged and broken

3 The Catholics have grown steadily, but the rate of growth has slowed in the 1980s and 1990s with increasing losses to Islam

4 There is a serious spirit of denominationalism in Burkina Faso

5 The resources of the evangelical churches have been over-stretched by the influx of new converts

a) There are too few trained leaders

b) Economic hardship is widespread and literacy levels are very low

c) Pray for church leaders at this vital time

d) The growing AIDS crisis is not being widely faced

e) The Church in general does not yet have a strong missions vision

6 Young people. Local prospects for employment and advancement are poor, so they are frustrated and disillusioned

7 The massive emigration of Burkinabé to the cities and to Côte d'Ivoire is both a challenge and an opportunity for the gospel

8 Missionaries working in Burkina Faso have a vital role in a land of so much physical and spiritual need

9 VIMAB (the Burkinabé AoG) could become a success story of indigenous missions

10 Christian aid and relief

11 Bible translation is a ministry of major significance with 3 key bodies involved — UBS, ANTBA (a national translation and literacy agency) and SIL

12 Media ministries

a) Radio is being used to broadcast the gospel in 10 languages

b) Audio materials for evangelism and teaching have not been adequately used

c) The JESUS film is proving a key pioneer evangelistic tool in Bambara/Jula and is available in Bissa, Bomu, Dogon, French, Gurma, Gurenne, Kassena, Moore and Soninke

Geography

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Area 274,200 sq.km. A landlocked country of the Sahel.

Population (2000) 11,936,823 +2.77%AGR

Capital Ouagadougou 1.13 mill.

Peoples

Gur-Voltaic (48 groups) 69.9%; Mande peoples 14.8%; West Atlantic 11%; Other African 4.1%; Non-Africans 0.2%.

Literacy 14%. Official language French, spoken by 10% of the population. Trade languages Moore, Jula in south. All languages 71. Languages with Scriptures 6Bi 11NT 10por 26w.i.p.

Economy

One of the world's poorest countries, over 80% of the population relies on subsistence agriculture. HDI 0.304; 171^st/174. Public debt 44% of GNP. Income/person $320 (0.7% of USA).

Politics

Independent of France in 1960.

Religion

Religions	Population %	Adherents	Ann.Gr.
Muslim	50.00	5,968,412	+3.2%
Traditional ethnic	30.96	3,695,640	+2.4%
Christian	18.36	2,191,601	+2.0%
non-Religious/other	0.66	78,783	+8.6%
Baha'i	0.02	2,387	+18.1%

Christians	Denom.	Affil.%	,000	Ann.Gr.
Protestant	15	7.66	914	+2.2%
Independent	11	0.46	55	+7.5%
Catholic	1	10.21	1,219	+1.9%
Marginal	1	0.03	3	+3.0%

Churches in Burkina Faso

Missionaries from Burkina Faso

46 in 7 agencies to 6 countries

Missionaries to Burkina Faso

410 in 35 agencies from 23 countries

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