Bible League Bringing Spiritual Bread to Hungry Souls in Africa
by Allie Martin and Jenni Parker
September 30, 2004
(AgapePress) - A Chicago-based ministry is stepping up efforts to end a spiritual famine in Africa.The Bible League is concentrating its fundraising efforts this fall on responding to the deep spiritual need among people in various parts of Africa and addressing an equally profound shortage of Bibles all over the continent. The campaign is called "Africa 2004 -- End the Bible Famine: Emergency Relief for Spiritual Hunger."
The League's Mike Dworak recently talked on Mission Network News about his work with the "End the Bible Famine" project. He had just returned from Africa, where he says many Christians are working on the basis of their belief that God's Word can have a major impact on the spread of AIDS, as well as on the spread of Islam.
Dworak says in talking with African Christians about Islam and the Islamic agenda, they often note how much more they could accomplish if only they could get the Word of God to more people. He says many of the believers in Africa say they are well situated to spread the gospel, because they are "in place to talk to people, to Muslims, about Christ. If you can leave the Word with them and explain the Word to them, they'll take it they'll read it -- and we're seeing all kinds of Muslims come to Christ."
And the Bible League spokesman says many Christians in African countries also recognize the importance of using the scriptures to combat the spread of the virus that causes AIDS. "We heard from people saying in their culture, especially some of the tribal groups, there's no moral code," he says, "so anybody can sleep with anybody."
But once they get Bibles in there, Dworak says, local Christians "can start to educate and disciple people so they can see the difference in what God says about moral purity and the sanctity of marriage and monogamous relationships and how that honors God."
The Bible ministry representative says he has seen first-hand how God's Word is affecting entire communities in Africa. He recounts a recent and memorable visit to Masailand, a region that begins in central Tanzania and extends north into the Great Serengeti Plains, continuing on into Kenya.
While spending time with the Masai people, Dworak recalls, "we were in one manyata, which is a village. The way the tribal people make their decisions, it's not individual. It's by tribe. One Bible entered into this manyata, just one scripture, and because of that one Bible, the whole entire manyata or village of 105 people accepted Christ."
All of the villagers came to Christ in a day, the Bible League missionary says, "because they did it collectively as they studied the scriptures and they came under the hearing of the gospel. They decided as a community, 'Yes, we want to be Christians,' so that's how the decision was made."
Africa is the world's second-largest continent and contains about 55 individual countries. Dworak says it takes four dollars to place one Bible in the hands of an African individual. The Bible League has set a goal of sending half a million Bibles to the continent during the "Africa 2004 -- End the Bible Famine" campaign.
