Challenges for Prayer

1 The Tswana were the first Bantu people in Africa to respond to the gospel; several tribes turned to God in the 19th Century. Nominalism soon became a major problem

2 AIDS has become a terrible scourge

3 Protestant Churches are not maintaining their numbers

4 Vision among Christians was stimulated by the GCOWE 1997 Conference

5 African indigenous churches have multiplied

6 Less reached peoples:

a) The 50,000 Bakgalagadi are mixed Tswana and San, but they speak Tswana

b) The Kalanga resent the cultural dominance of the Tswana

c) The Yeyi of the Okavango Swamp have only been exposed to nominal Christianity in the medium of the Tswana language

d) The Mbukushu and Subia in the north are isolated from the main flow of national life and have little opportunity to hear the gospel

e) The Herero are mostly nominal Lutheran or belong to the fire-worshipping 'Oruuano' Church

f) The San have suffered the complete destruction of their desert-adapted way of life due to the development of ranching, mining and tourism

7 The last 20 years have been a time of new evangelical penetration for outreach, church planting and the founding of new Bible training institutions

8 Young people need spiritual help

9 Christian Media and support ministries

a) The Bible Society oversees the translation programme

b) Radio broadcasts and Christian TV on the national network are supervised by the International Church Radio Council

c) Literature for the rapidly increasing literate population is scarce and often expensive

d) The JESUS film is being used in 5 languages

e) The Flying Mission serves the cause of Christ with 6 planes

f) GRN has available recordings in 26 languages

g) Botswana Christian Prison Fellowship (PFI) has a ministry in all the country's prisons

Geography

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Area 581,730 sq.km. The Kalahari Desert covers 80% of the country.

Population (2000) 1,622,220 +1.93%AGR

Capital Gaberone 180,000.

Peoples

Bantu 94.8%; San (Bushmen) 3.4%; Other 1.8%.

Literacy 86%. Official language English. National language Tswana. All languages 26. Languages with Scriptures 3Bi 1NT 2por 3w.i.p.

Economy

Benign neglect in colonial times. HDI 0.609; 122^nd/174. Public debt 10% of GNP. Income/person $3,310 (11% of USA).

Politics

Independence from Britain in 1966.

Religion

Complete freedom of religion.

Churches in Botswana

Missionaries from Botswana

2

Missionaries to Botswana

237 in 59 agencies from 18 countries

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