Answers to Prayer

1 Regaining religious freedom in 1990 has given a decade of more rapid church growth and reaching of many peoples for the first time

2 The Assemblies of God set the goal of 300 churches and 36,000 members by 2000. They exceeded this with 110,000 members by the beginning of 2001

Challenges for Prayer

1 The government of Eyadema has been maintained by manipulation of elections, widespread human rights abuses and crushing of any dissension through fear and poverty

2 The Church in Togo stagnated between 1960 and 1990

3 Leaders for the young churches are few, and training facilities in Togo limited

4 The whole body of Christ in Togo is beginning to unite in common vision for reaching every part of their land – and beyond

5 The strongly entrenched powers of darkness have scarcely been challenged through intercessory prayer and confrontation with the power of the gospel

a) The idolatry and strong secret societies of the Ewe, Fon and other tribes with intense opposition to the gospel

b) The growing strength of Islam

6 The less-evangelized peoples of Togo

a) The eight majority-Muslim peoples

b) The northern traditional peoples

c) The south-central traditional peoples

d) The southern coastal area which is poorly researched

7 Ministries to young people and children developed rapidly in the greater freedoms of the 1990s

a) Schools and the university – CCCI and GBUST(IFES) have campus ministries with a growing number of students involved

b) Churches are generally ill-equipped to address the needs of children or young people

c) There is a significant evil trade in children who are 'exported' to other lands for the sex industry

8 Evangelical missions have been few, but have increased in number during the ‘90s

9 Bible translation remains a major ministry challenge

10 Christian media ministries

a) Christian literature is in great demand

b) GRN have produced materials in 32 languages

c) EHC has launched an ongoing nation-wide coverage

d) Christian radio – local stations broadcast Christian programmes

e) The JESUS film has been shown extensively in film and on TV in seven languages

Geography

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Area 56,785 sq.km. The Atlantic coastline is only 56 km long but the little land stretches 540 km northwards to the Sahel.

Population (2000) 4,629,218 +2.66%AGR

Capital Lomé 700,000.

Peoples

Kwa 53.4%.

Gur 42.4%.

Foreign 2.2%.

Other 2%.

Literacy 52%. Official language French. All languages 43. Only two indigenous languages used in education system: Ewe/Mina and Kabiye. Languages with Scriptures 6Bi 7NT 3por 12w.i.p.

Economy

Subsistence agriculture involves 80% of the population. HDI 0.469; 143^rd/174. Public debt 81% of GNP. Income/person $300 (1.1% of USA).

Politics

German colony 1884-1914.

Religion

A period of intense anti-Christian rhetoric in the 1970s cooled to an official indifference.

Churches in Togo

Missionaries from Togo

97 in 13 agencies to 8 countries

Missionaries to Togo

256 in 28 agencies from 27 countries

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