Bible League Works Towards Ending the Spiritual Famine in Africa

The Bible League is a ministry not simply providing the Scriptures to people, but also making sure those Scriptures are used for evangelism, discipleship, and church growth.

Currently, the ministry is increasing efforts to end a spiritual famine in Africa. They started a campaign called “Africa 2004 – End the Bible
Famine: Emergency Relief for Spiritual Hunger.”

Mike Dworak, the Bible League’s Media Specialist and radio campaign coordinator, has talked on Mission Network News about his work with the
campaign. He said that many Christians in Africa are working with belief that the Word of God can greatly influence the spread of AIDS and the spread of Islam.

When Dworak spoke with African Christians about Islam and the Islamic agenda, they kept on saying how much more they could do if only they
could get the Word of God to more people. There are a number of believers in Africa who are well situated to spread the Word because they are, as said by Dworak, “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 said many African Christians see the significance of fighting the spread of AIDS with the Word. He said, “We heard from people saying in their culture, especially some of the tribal groups, there’s no moral code so anybody can sleep with anybody.”

Once they bring Bibles to the country, 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.”

Dworak has personally seen how God’s Word is changing whole communities in Africa. Not too long ago, he visited Masailand, an area that starts in central Tanzania and goes up into Kenya. He 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.” This was all in one day “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 second-largest continent and has around 55 countries. It cost four dollars to give a Bible to one African. The Bible League is
aiming to give out half a million Bibles during their campaign.