March - 25

CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC Population 3,306,000 Peoples Over 100 ethnic groups. Sudanic 90%. Over 38 languages. Largest: Banda 607,000; Gbaya 542,000; Sango 361,000; Manja 270,000; Mbum 195,000; Kare 72,000; Azande 72,000; Sara 72,000; Tana 63,000; Nzakara 54,000; Maba 44,000; Pana 36,000; Ngbaka 31,000; Kaba Dunjo 31,000; Mbati 27,000; Runga 23,000. Bantu 3.2%. 11 languages. Largest: Kaka 67,000. Arab 2.3%. Chad and Baggara Arabs. West Atlantic 1.9%. Bororo Fulani 58,000. Chadic-Hausa 1%. Ten languages, mainly on northern borders. Pygmy 0.8%. Bayaka 18,000; three other small groups. Other 0.8%. Mainly French. Literacy 40%, but 73% of population have not had any formal schooling. Official languages: French, Sango, the latter a trade language used by most of the population. All languages 94. Languages with Scriptures 5Bi 4NT 5por. Cities Capital: Bangui 597,000. Urbanization 41%. Economy Underdeveloped subsistence economy due to poor communications with distant seaports. Diamonds and other gemstones are the main exports. Unemployment 30%. Foreign debt/person $264. Income/person $760 (3.6% of USA). Politics One-party or military governments 1981-87. A gradually developing multi-party democracy since then. Religion Freedom of religion. Non-religious/other 1.4%. Baha'i 0.3%. Tribal religions 12.3%. Many "Christians" are still following the old ways. Muslim 3.3%. In the far north, east along the Sudan border, some Fulani in the west and Arabs in towns and capital. Christian 83%. Nom 40.3%. Affil 42.77%. Growth 2.4%. Protestant 47.2%. Affil 24.2%. Growth 2%. Roman Catholic 34%. Affil 17.7%. Growth 2.6%. Foreign Marginal 0.3%. Affil 0.2%. Growth -4.8%. Indigenous Marginal 1.5%. Affil 0.6%. Growth 15.3%. 1. Few countries have been better evangelized! Praise God for the massive response to evangelism in the '60s and '70s that brought about rapid church growth. There are now evangelical churches in nearly every tribe and district. 2. Growth has outstripped the resources of churches to give adequate discipleship to new Christians. Many are nominal, others are immature in their faith. The lack of Scriptures in local languages, low literacy, and the underlying but often unchallenged powers of darkness have all worked against real depth of commitment or a mature grasp and application of the truths of Scripture. A large evangelical, but often nominal, church is the result. Pray for revival. 3. Leadership training. Trained servants of the Lord who are able to give life-changing Bible teaching are in short supply. There are more than a dozen Bible schools for which there is a constant need for adequate national and expatriate staff. Pray that the right students may be called and that those trained may go out as spiritual and effective Christian workers. The large, underpopulated land makes TEE a key tool for training local leaders, but much work must still be done to develop and maintain this programme all over the country. 4. Mission agencies have played an important role in education and health as well as in planting churches, translating the Scriptures, etc. The largest are Baptist Mid-Missions (55 missionaries), Örebro (40), Grace Brethren (29), Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (13), AIM (7). Major missionary sending nations: USA (117), Sweden (40), France (11), Germany (10). Pray for missionaries' health and spiritual fervour in an enervating climate. There are many opportunities for more missionary Bible teachers and those with special skills to help develop a strong indigenous church. 5. There have been tragic divisions between missions and missionaries and between missionaries and local church leaders that have not been a credit to the gospel. Pray for a deeper mutual understanding among the servants of the Lord. Pray for the healing of past wounds, and for cooperation in the building up of the Body of Christ. Pray also that the AEEC (Assoc. of Central African Evangelical Churches) may promote such. 6. The Bangui Evangelical School of Theology opened in 1977 as a result of the initiative of AEAM (Assoc. of Evangelicals of Africa and Madagascar). This was the first theological degree-level school for French-speaking Africa. After many birth pains, this school has now gained stability under African leadership. Pray for this institution and its spiritual impact throughout Africa. Pray for the provision of the right staff and resources. There are now 55 resident students, but it has the capacity to take in 120. The Grace Evangelical Brethren also have a seminary at Bata. 7. The development of secondary and university education means that more must be done to meet the spiritual needs of students. Pray for the GBU (IFES) groups in Bangui, and for the Christian Unions now in most of the secondary schools. The Theological Training Secretary of IFES for Francophone Africa is based in Bangui. Churches are permitted to organize Bible teaching in school buildings after school hours. Pray that present opportunities may be well used. 8. Bible translation -- only four indigenous languages (the trade language, Sango, also Gbaya, Mbai and Zande) have the whole Bible. Pray for effective use of the new revision in Sango. Over one million speak this language, and 200,000 use it as their home language. In seven other languages Bible translation is now being undertaken, but up to 74 may need translators. 9. Unreached peoples. There has been an influx of Muslims who present the greatest challenge at present -- a task for which local believers are not yet equipped. a) Arabs. Many are migrants fleeing from Sudan, and most live in the towns. Others are nomadic pastoralists in the north. b) Hausa (10,000) are strongly Muslim. Nothing at present is being attempted to reach them. c) Fulani. Less strongly Muslim -- there is now some work by the Baptist Church of the West and Swedish Örebro missionaries. 10. Other less evangelized indigenous groups. a) The Pygmy Binga being evangelized by French and local missionaries. b) The less evangelized Sara groups along the border with Chad. Some are partially Islamized. c) The partly Muslim Runga in the northern tip of the country. Little has been done to reach this tribe, which also lives in Chad and Sudan.