ABWE INTERNATIONAL
The Gambia
Teresa Stenoien is a North Shore Bible Church-supported missionary from Manson, WA. serving in the Gambia, West Africa with the Association of Baptists for World Evangelism (ABWE). ABWE is an unaffiliated, independent Baptist missions agency providing like-minded churches with vital services to expedite their Great Commission Ministry.
“Everyday we strive to share His story of hope, build communities of faith, and serve the world with love. But we don’t just want to send missionaries. We want to spark global missions movements that extend beyond ourselves — where local leaders are trained, mission-minded churches are planted, and believers are compelled to carry the message of Jesus to every nation.” (ABWE Vision Statement)
The Spiritual Need in The Gambia
In The Gambia, 90 percent of the population is Muslim, 10 percent is Catholic, and 2 percent claim indigenous beliefs. Less than 1 percent are evangelical Christians. According to the Joshua Project, there are still 17 unreached people groups in The Gambia, including the Wolof people.
The Wolof language is wide-spread in The Gambia, with the majority of people groups in the country understanding it. Although the official language is English, in the interior, local languages are predominant. As a result, evangelism must be done in the local language in order to be effective. Rural and urban ministries are done in the Wolof language, ministering to Muslims and indigenous speakers who have been unreached by the gospel.
Some Muslims have come to faith in Jesus Christ, and many others are hearing God’s Word on a regular basis. The fields in The Gambia are ripe to harvest, but the laborers are few.
ABWE in The Gambia
Muslim ministry is at the heart of ABWE's focus in The Gambia. The vision is to have church planters strategically located in every region of The Gambia so that we can evangelize, disciple, and prepare Muslims to lead the local churches of the future. Our missionary team is reaching out to areas surrounding each of the ministry bases, but in order to have repeat contact with many people, we need a larger team.
To date, we are having great success reaching the Gambian people through medical work, agriculture, literacy development, radio ministry, and education. Wolof-speaking people are calling each week to receive more information about the Bible’s teachings. We desperately need additional missionaries who can help us respond to The Gambia’s growing hunger for the truth.
Additionally, it is important for missionaries here to learn the local Wolof culture and language and initiate redemptive relationships with the Wolof people and other Muslim- background people groups. Working alongside Gambian leaders, missionaries will help them develop strong, healthy churches throughout the unreached communities.
Teresa Stenoien is supported by your generous gifts and offerings as she serves Gambia, West Africa as a missionary nurse. She is also a gifted teacher and shares her experiences regularly in her newsletter called “Teresa’s Tales”
Click Here for an informative video of the history of ABWE.
Contact Information:
Box 154, Banjul, The Gambia #011-220-267-2263
Email: [email protected]
Teresa Stenoien is a North Shore Bible Church-supported missionary from Manson, WA. serving in the Gambia, West Africa with the Association of Baptists for World Evangelism (ABWE). ABWE is an unaffiliated, independent Baptist missions agency providing like-minded churches with vital services to expedite their Great Commission Ministry.
“Everyday we strive to share His story of hope, build communities of faith, and serve the world with love. But we don’t just want to send missionaries. We want to spark global missions movements that extend beyond ourselves — where local leaders are trained, mission-minded churches are planted, and believers are compelled to carry the message of Jesus to every nation.” (ABWE Vision Statement)
The Spiritual Need in The Gambia
In The Gambia, 90 percent of the population is Muslim, 10 percent is Catholic, and 2 percent claim indigenous beliefs. Less than 1 percent are evangelical Christians. According to the Joshua Project, there are still 17 unreached people groups in The Gambia, including the Wolof people.
The Wolof language is wide-spread in The Gambia, with the majority of people groups in the country understanding it. Although the official language is English, in the interior, local languages are predominant. As a result, evangelism must be done in the local language in order to be effective. Rural and urban ministries are done in the Wolof language, ministering to Muslims and indigenous speakers who have been unreached by the gospel.
Some Muslims have come to faith in Jesus Christ, and many others are hearing God’s Word on a regular basis. The fields in The Gambia are ripe to harvest, but the laborers are few.
ABWE in The Gambia
Muslim ministry is at the heart of ABWE's focus in The Gambia. The vision is to have church planters strategically located in every region of The Gambia so that we can evangelize, disciple, and prepare Muslims to lead the local churches of the future. Our missionary team is reaching out to areas surrounding each of the ministry bases, but in order to have repeat contact with many people, we need a larger team.
To date, we are having great success reaching the Gambian people through medical work, agriculture, literacy development, radio ministry, and education. Wolof-speaking people are calling each week to receive more information about the Bible’s teachings. We desperately need additional missionaries who can help us respond to The Gambia’s growing hunger for the truth.
Additionally, it is important for missionaries here to learn the local Wolof culture and language and initiate redemptive relationships with the Wolof people and other Muslim- background people groups. Working alongside Gambian leaders, missionaries will help them develop strong, healthy churches throughout the unreached communities.
Teresa Stenoien is supported by your generous gifts and offerings as she serves Gambia, West Africa as a missionary nurse. She is also a gifted teacher and shares her experiences regularly in her newsletter called “Teresa’s Tales”
Click Here for an informative video of the history of ABWE.
Contact Information:
Box 154, Banjul, The Gambia #011-220-267-2263
Email: [email protected]