One quarter of the 7 billion people on this planet are Muslim. Few Muslims have even met a follower of Jesus and 85% of Muslims are part of an ethnolinguistic group that is unreached with the gospel. Despite increases in recent decades the number of gospel workers amongst Muslims is pitifully small. Many Muslim cultures – some millions strong - have no workers – they are effectively unengaged by the worldwide church.
Algeria is a Muslim country with few Christians. Those from a Muslim background are fewer still. Most of the country is effectively unreached by the gospel. How can the people have an opportunity to hear of the Saviour?
Just by chance a Muslim in the country called Hussein heard a Christian programme on the radio. He was interested to find out more and so he wrote to the station asking for some more information. After a while he enquired if it was possible to meet a Christian. The radio station put Hussein in contact with an English teacher from the West and they started meeting and studying the Bible together. Hussein understood, but still didn’t feel able to commit himself to Christ.
One day, an Algerian follower of Jesus came to join their Bible study and then invited Hussein back to meet some other national believers. Hussein saw that these people were just like him. When they met they prayed and worshipped Jesus together, read the Bible and thanked God; there was no evangelistic sermon. Hussein was so touched he committed his life to Christ that day. Afterwards, he said he would have done so sooner had he met Algerian believers before!
Strong indigenous churches are the best witness to the gospel in an unreached community. So, to see the gospel spread our focus should be on learning language and culture to share the message in a relevant way, in order to establish self-led and self-supported multiplying indigenous fellowships.
By Jon (Frontiers)
