Africa

SPIRITUALLY LOST 82.5%

UNREACHED PEOPLE GROUPS 867

AG CONSTITUENTS 22,605,565

AG CHURCHES  81,678

AG MINISTERS  86,887

MISSIONARIES 357

Africa is home to both rich resources and devastating need. In the midst of overwhelming crisis, the church in Africa is seeing incredible growth.

God’s heart for Africa has been evident since the beginning of the Church Age. In the Book of Acts, an angel told Philip where to find the Ethiopian eunuch—a North African—who was seeking God (Acts 8:26-40). The man believed and was baptized in water, marking the beginning of Christianity on the continent.

Early AG missionaries spoke of Africa as “the dark continent.” Their dedication to Christ and perception of danger motivated many of them to ship their belongings in caskets. Some paid the ultimate sacrifice, and their gravesites serve as memorials to national church fellowships today.

As the work flourished, missionaries accepted indigenous church principles. To prepare trained leaders, they implemented literacy and Bible training programs and established Bible schools in the local languages. The work of the Holy Spirit gave authenticity to the message being preached.

At the end of the 20th century, African church leaders initiated widespread efforts to evangelize the lost and plant churches. At that time, 2.1 million people from 28 countries worshipped each week in 11,800 churches. African church leaders called for nationwide prayer vigils and greater evangelism, both within their own nations and in neighboring countries. Unprecedented growth followed. Today the church in Africa has grown to more than 17 million believers who worship in more than 69,000 churches.