Muslims Buying Africans Into Islam

By Janey DeMeo
Orphans First

CBN.com – A recent trip to Western Africa made my stomach turn. (And I’m not just talking about “African tummy bug.”) The economic crisis and absence of evangelical input have caused an insalubrious socio-spiritual shift in several African countries. Muslims are buying Africans into Islam. Literally.

Oddly, we landed in Accra the same day Obama left. The president’s visit left a cloud of euphoria as countless Africans were enchanted by the magic word: “change.” Change, especially the economic kind, is every African’s hope. And that’s precisely where the Muslims found their entrance—luring people by offering financial freedom.

We saw it clearly in Togo, the French-speaking country next to Ghana. Muslims were on every corner. (Even right outside our French friend’s restaurant, the Philipat.)

One friend who pastors a church in Lomé, Jean-Marie, explained that the Muslims are entering Western Africa by droves and setting themselves up in the market to sell produce and everyday merchandise. When people approach to buy the products, they are immediately put off by the high price. But before they have a chance to walk away, a Muslim taps them on the shoulder with this message:

“Our prices are much cheaper for Muslims. If you want to convert to Islam, we’ll not only sell you our produce more cheaply, but we’ll also set you up with your own market stall so you can earn a good living.”

Few resist the temptation to succumb to Islam in exchange for promised financial security. And who can blame them? It’s a question of simple math. The people are poor. They need to eat. They shop in the open markets. And if they don’t know Jesus, why not accept the offer and convert to Islam? Thus, both markets and mosques are full of Muslims—including Islamic immigrants and the new converts lured by the socio-economic promise that will “change” their circumstances.

But real change is rooted in the Gospel. And that’s precisely why we were in Africa at that time—to continue the work of the Gospel. We had with two main purposes:

to do groundwork for a new Orphans First children’s home so as to bring real change to children’s lives;
to build up the African pastors we’ve worked with for decades in Ghana, Togo and Benin—and encourage them to plant more churches.

As a church-planter who has worked in Africa over the years, my husband, Louis, linked up with a friend, David Nelms, a pastor from Florida, in a synergistic thrust to help struggling pastors plant churches. Nelms’ plan includes providing materials to help young pastors know how to plant a church. They held several gatherings with African pastors from several countries. All were encouraged by the timely support.

Although church-planting is crucial to combat the onslaught of Islam, a church with no plan to reach underprivileged children will have a limited impact. Children still remain the largest, most vulnerable people group to be exploited. The influx of Islamic influence serves only to increase our burden to found a children’s center or home in Western Africa. If we don’t train the African children in the ways of the Lord, and provide for their education and general needs, they will likely get sucked into Islam.

To combat this tide of Muslim influence, various ministries and humanitarian organizations have established programs with national churches to minister to impoverished children, providing food, education and wholesome church activities. But we must do more to fight this growing problem throughout Africa.

It will take an army of serious prayer warriors to combat this problem. And a miracle from God!

Janey DeMeo is founding director of Orphans First (orphanfirst.org).

This story was first published by Assist News Service.

Janey DeMeo is a freelance writer, author of Heaven Help Me Raise These Children!—Biblical Direction for Practical Parenting Issues, and the founder-director or Orphans First (www.orphansfirst.org). She and her husband ministered in France for 22 years and have planted churches in several countries.

www.JaneyDeMeo.com

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