Prayer Points
- For biblical leadership development and good theological training in Tanzania and Zanzibar.
- For the release of resources to fund these training programmes.
- For the over-loaded pastors who sometimes need to shepherd up to 10 churches.
- For national, united church planting strategies in Tanzania and Zanzibar.
- For more effective Bible translation teams and initiatives to translate the Bible in the languages of the unreached peoples.
LOCATION
Eastern Africa, bordering the Indian Ocean, between Kenya and Mozambique
POPULATION
56 8877 529 (2017 est.)
RELIGION
Christian 61.4%
Muslim 35.2%
Folk religion 1.8%,
Other 0.2%
Unaffiliated 1.4%
note: Zanzibar is almost entirely Muslim (2010 est.)
INTERNET USERS
3 700 000 (2017)
UNEMPLOYMENT RATE
NA %
MISSIONARIES (2010)
Sent: 340
Received: 4500
LEAST REACHED PEOPLE GROUPS
31
KEY CITY
Dar Es Salaam
Population of the city:
2 698 652
Urbanization Rate:
5.36% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)
Major religion in the city:
Christian
We Pray...
Lord, we pray for Biblical leadership development and theological training for the people of Tanzania and Zanzibar that will, in turn, impact other spheres of society (i.e. poverty, witchcraft, radical Islam).
We also pray for the release of resources to fund these training programs and that you will enable more people to be trained for ministry. Father, we pray for the over-loaded pastors who sometimes need to shepherd up to 10 churches. Holy Spirit, we ask that You will raise up more pastors that are biblically trained and ready to evangelize the unreached in a predominantly rural nation.
Father, we pray for national church planting strategies in Tanzania and Zanzibar; that You will continue to unite churches to walk into their evangelical purpose. Lord Jesus, we pray that You will raise up more effective Bible translation teams and initiatives to translate the Bible in the languages of the unreached peoples.
State of the Church
Most persecution happens on the Eastern side of Tanzania and Zanzibar. Many services like safety and medical services are made slower on purpose for well known Christians. There have been accounts of Churches that were burned, as well as people being martyred for their faith.
Most of the persecution usually happen between family members.
Overview
After its independence, the state of Tanganyika and the island of Zanzibar became one state. The first ruler of the new found state of Tanzania was Julius Nyerere. He was better known as Mwalimu, meaning teacher in Swahili.
He was also one of the leading African academics especially in defining African Socialism, which is much different than Marxist Socialism. He believed that rather than living individualist, a greater focus must be placed on the whole. Giving life to the African statement “Because they are, I am”
Unlike many African countries, whose potential wealth contrasted with their actual poverty, Tanzania had few exportable minerals and a primitive agricultural system. To give a solution to this problem, Mwalimu put the Arusha Declaration into action. This called for self-reliance through the creation of cooperative farm villages and the nationalisation of factories, plantation, banks and private companies.
Later this failed because of many economical reasons and resistance from people on the ground. The breaking point of Mwalimu’s system was the costly military intervention to overthrow President Idi Amin of Uganda.
After this era, big economic reforms took place which turned Tanzania's economy into one of Africa’s growing economies. However, according to the World bank, Tanzania still remain one of the world’s poorest countries looking from a salary point. Never the less, Mwalimu’s system put the people in a place where they can grow their own food.
Although Zanzibar is part of the Tanzania union, it still has its own parliament with a president. Zanzibar was one of the biggest slave trade hotspots and later became a blood field where people wanted to overthrow the Arab elite.
Today Zanzibar is aiming to become totally independent from Tanzania in order to declare themselves an Islamic state.
More Resources:
- Regional Prayer Initiative: Pray4sea
- African Prayer Initiative: Pray Africa
Bibliography
- INcontext ministries – http://incontextministries.org/
- CIA World Factbook
- Atlas of Global Christianity – Todd M.Johnson & Kenneth R. Ross (Published by – Edinburgh University Press) (Missionaries and national workers: Africa 2010, page 267)
- Prayercast – http://prayercast.com/
- Unreached people groups – http://www.joshuaproject.net
- The voice of the Martyrs – http://www.persecution.com/
- Jul-Dec, 2010 International Religious Freedom Report – http://www.state.gov/j/drl/rls/irf/2010_5/index.htm
- Operation World – http://www.operationworld.org/african-countries