What is NOT My Biggest Need

Brent and Shelley Teague have served a missionaries in Africa since 1995. In this episode, Brent discusses the challenges and needs of the African continent, particularly in Niger, one of the neediest countries in the world. 

He also highlights the vastness of Africa, its diverse ethnic groups and languages, and the significant growth of Christianity, especially in English-speaking regions. However, he also notes the challenges faced by the church, including insecurity due to Islamic State activities, urbanization, and the need for trained pastors.

Teague emphasizes the importance of training programs and the mobilization of workers to meet these challenges and encourages those feeling a call to missions to visit the website "iwanttobeamissionary.com" for guidance and support.

Transcript

What is NOT My Biggest Need
Season 3 - Episode 16
Guest: Brent Teague

Announcer (00:00):

Welcome to the DoorWays® Ministry Network podcast.

Ric Shields (00:11):

Thank you for joining us on this episode. I am Ric Shields, and I serve as your host and as the director of the DoorWays® Ministry Network.

(00:19):

I'm speaking today with my friend Brent Teague, who with his wife Shelly, have served as missionaries in Africa since 1995. They began their appointment in the country of Niger…not Nigeria…Niger. It is one of the neediest countries on the African continent, and perhaps the entire world. The poverty and lack of infrastructure surprised me when I visited there in 2008. Now, Africa's a huge continent. It's over three times larger than the United States. In fact, you can fit the US, China, India, Japan, Mexico, and many European nations combined within its borders. It has fifty-four countries and a population of over 1.2 billion people.

(01:05):

I know you're a busy guy, Brent. So, hey, thanks for joining us on this episode.

Brent Teague (01:10):

Thank you, Ric, for inviting me on this episode. I appreciate it. And I do remember when you visited in 2008. I also remember the first time I flew through Niger. I was actually in college, headed to Togo on college break. And the plane touched down there, and I'm looking out the windows at this barren, desolate landscape. And they opened the doors and it was hot season and it was 140 degrees. And that hot air came into that plane and I told the person sitting on the plane next to me, because I wasn't getting off, I'm like, “I could never live in a place like this.” <Laugh>

Ric Shields (01:44):

Uh, oh.

Brent Teague (01:45):

Little did I know that I would be spending 15 years of my life in Niger.

Ric Shields (01:50):

You never should say things like, “I never could. I never will.” You, especially those of us in ministry, that's the first place you're going, <laugh>. Yes, and you know, I've told people before when I was in this year, it was 140 degrees, and they don't believe me that it's not possible. And I'm going, no, actually, the thermometer pegged out at like a hundred twenty, a hundred twenty-five degrees. It was pegged all the way out and it was still going.

Brent Teague (02:15):

Well. I had people visit that would put the thermometers out, like it'd be two in the morning and it's still 120 degrees <laugh>. So, you know, it's just the heat can't be, it's not something that can be compared to anything else.

Ric Shields (02:28):

Hey, Brent, we've spoken about how huge the continent of Africa is, and we've not even touched on how many people groups and languages exist there. I'm certain those numbers are overwhelming too. Do you have any statistics about that that you could share with us?

Brent Teague (02:42):

Well, as you've already talked about the size of Africa in general, but as far as West Africa is concerned, it would be comparable to the continental United States. So, it's a large region and it's very diverse with hundreds of ethnic groups and languages. So, just as an example, I mean, there's not a country in the area that you don't have multiple languages. Ivory Coast has seventy-seven distinct languages. Niger had twenty-two distinct languages. So, as you go across the region, every region has got somewhere between 20 and 50 different languages. And of course, Nigeria's got like 1,500. So, it's very diverse and a large area.

(03:20):

And I think some of the things that stand out for West Africa over 50% of the population is Muslim than the other. A very strong animistic underlying religion. And then our region is young. The life expectancy is not <laugh>, not like the US. Over half, about half our population is under the age of eighteen. So, guys like you and me, Ric, are considered elderly here, even though we're just in our prime, you know, in the US.

Ric Shields (03:50):

Well, so you're living in Côte d'Ivoire, better known us in the west as the Ivory Coast. The Assemblies of God appointed you to be the area director for West Africa about three years ago, and you serve churches and missionaries in 16 countries with 380 million people. That is the equivalent to overseeing the ministry efforts among the population of the entire United States.

(04:18):

Now, you wrote three years ago that 91% of those people are spiritually lost with 390 unreached people groups. Now, that is a daunting task just in West Africa, not to mention the rest of the continent. I'm sure there's not a single answer, but how do you even begin to address the job before you?

Brent Teague (04:39):

Obviously, it's very daunting. When I was asked to assume this role and to serve in this way it was overwhelming. We are trying to use different strategies. I have divided the area into four zones. Each zone has four countries. And so, I have four zonal directors that are now working with me trying to spread the administration out. But the secret that we have is our Indigenous church principles that have been there from before us. Our founding missionaries that came to the continent, believed in the local church, and believed in developing a network of Indigenous African churches. And so, we partner with a large network of churches. And, in fifteen of the sixteen countries, we have national churches that we're partnering with. One of the countries is an Islamic Republic state, and that's Mauritania. The church is not legal there, but in the other countries we have vibrant national churches that we're partnering with.

(05:42):

And just as an example when I came to Ivory Coast from Niger in 2010, there were 660 churches here. And they prayed and embarked on this initiative to plant 5,000 new churches, most of them to be in unreached or least among the least reach people groups. And they, this year, have reached their goal of 5,068 new churches.

Ric Shields (06:07):

And how many years?

Brent Teague (06:09):

From 10 years. So, we've gone from six hundred…

Ric Shields (06:12):

That’s amazing.

Brent Teague (06:13):

From 660 churches 10 years ago to 5,728 churches today. And so, we've, we've partnered with them and we have a factory that we've put in place to make tabernacle kits. It's a prefabricated roof structure that's self-standing, kind of like a pole barn in Oklahoma. But anyway, it'll seat 350 people. And we have erected 550 tabernacle churches in the neediest areas where people would've had difficulty having a permanent place of worship <crosstalk>.

Ric Shields (06:44):

And such a great idea, because years ago, I remember when we used to manufacture all the stuff for the Tabernacle churches, put them in containers, ship them to Africa. And I like the idea now that we have factories that are in Africa, in various countries that are manufacturing. So, you have a chance to bless the local economy, put people to work. The cost of doing it is so much lower than it is just for us to buy this stuff here and ship it. I mean, it feels so good when we're able to do that here, but the truth is, it's not as productive for us as it is to use people, you know, national workers.

Brent Teague (07:21):

Yes. Our cost was going to go to around over $15,000 shipping from the US and by building them locally, it's around $8,000. So, it's almost half the price.

Ric Shields (07:31):

Half the price. It's amazing.

Brent Teague (07:33):

Yes. And also, we don't have to have a container load. We get offerings for one church we can build as they come. And then the other thing we've helped is like we've helped to build two new bible schools, increase the capacities of our other Bible schools by adding dorms and classrooms. So Ivory Coast now has about six hundred students in training. But across West Africa, we have several thousand pastors in training. And the great problem is that churches are being planted faster than the Bible schools can produce pastors. So, most pastors are having to pastor more than one place. So, it's a good problem. That's hard.

Ric Shields (08:11):

It's hard. Yes, it's a great problem. But that's hard to do.

Brent Teague (08:13):

That's a serious need that we have. And so, then that's also there's lay training and so we have lots of lay ministers bi-vocational ministers that are working with these pastors. But it's been amazing to see what God is doing.

Ric Shields (08:29):

Brent, what are some of the challenges for evangelical churches in West Africa?

Brent Teague (08:33):

We have several. Our greatest challenge right now in West Africa is insecurity because Africa, west Africa has become the focal point of Islamic state. And so, the failed attempts that they had at setting up a caliphate in the Middle East, they've now turned to West Africa, and they're working hard to try to take the entire, all of West Africa over.

(08:56):

And so, we have our, our countries in the desert like Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, where a large, large portions of those countries are not under full control of the government anymore. It's very dangerous places you can't travel to with lots of kidnappings. But they're also targeting churches and schools. They want to wipe out western education and replace it with Islamic education. And so, it's put a lot of pressure on the churches because when they go into an area and the people, it's creating a refugee problem.

(09:30):

And so, you have all these people coming to the city and they're not farming anymore. And then that increases the cost of everything in the city and the cost of living. And so, we still have pastors that are pastoring in these areas, pastors that are pastoring areas that are under tremendous pressure from Islamic State. They, they risk their lives by being there, and they'll, they share testimonies of how God has sovereignly protected them. But it's a real challenge right now both spiritually and physically.

(10:02):

I think some of the other challenges that they're looking at besides the insecurity, because insecurity gives us access problems. So, you've got areas that you don't have, you know, free access in. The other issue is the urbanization of Africa. You know, we have this stereotypical view of Africa, of, you know, nice little round mud huts and bad roads and all of that.

(10:21):

Well, those still exist. Yes. But Africa's moving into the city. The young people want to be in the city. And so, it's estimated by 2030 that 60% of all Africans will be in 10 main cities across the continent. So, they're just, these big, large cities are really growing.

(10:39):

But all of our ministry in the past really has been rural. And so, our pastors that we're trained, or evangelists that we're trained we're trained more for rural ministries. And now everything's shifting urban. And so, changing your way of doing things and finding strategies that work in a, you know, densely populated urban setting. It's very different from the way we've worked in the past.

(11:02):

And so those are challenges. And of course, when you're in an urban setting, then the cost of everything is a lot more so.

Ric Shields (11:08):

<Crosstalk> now we have to provide jobs for all these people. And, and so unemployment becomes a real issue as well. And housing.

Brent Teague (11:14):

Yes, and housing. You have lots of people. We have 20, 30 people living in this little apartment. Sometimes even have, they have certain hours. Like some of them, you, you get the apartment from this, this time to this time and then the next group, and it's some crazy stuff. But it's just and so even the infrastructure is overloaded in these cities because they were designed for like a million people and now they’ve got 10 million. So, it's very difficult.

(11:37):

Those challenges then you have the normal challenges here, which are difficult with tribalism and the different languages and economic disparity. All these things are great challenges for the church.

Ric Shields (11:51):

You're listening to the DoorWays® Ministry Network podcast. My name is Ric Shields and I'm joined on this episode with Brent Teague. Thanks to incredible technology. I'm in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Brent is in Côte d'Ivoire, or the Ivory Coast in West Africa.

(12:04):

Brent, while Africa is considered the world's most Christianized continent with 26% of the world's Christian population, west Africa stalls upwards of 90% of its people who do not know Christ. Why this disparity?

Brent Teague (12:17):

I think there's several things. One, west Africa is not as developed and its infrastructure as east and southern Africa. And what I mean is the road system between countries. So, the connection between countries is not as developed. So there, there's less people movement in that way.

(12:33):

 Also, west and Central Africa were primarily colonized, with the exception of a few countries, were colonized by the French and France being very Catholic and anti at the time when they were under control, really it was difficult for evangelical or Pentecostal missions to operate in French controlled territory. So, there was some opposition there.

(12:58):

And then we, the big factor is religious in that west Africa has very large percentage Muslim population. And so, and that Muslim population comes from the old Mali Kingdom and the Moroccan brand of Islam that came down to West Africa through those kingdoms.

(13:20):

And so, that's been, I think a big difference between the west and east. We still have the same animism and things like that as East Africa, but then the much heavier percentage of Islamic population has, I think the cause for the growth to be less.

(13:37):

And then also when, when we're talking about spiritual loss, and some of the countries have nominal Christians that come from, you know, Catholic families, but they're not practicing anymore. So, you have that element as well. But the English-speaking countries, it's a different situation there versus the French speaking country. So, you can see the difference. You go to an English speaking country, like you go next door to Ghana, and over 70% of the population will profess to be Christian <laugh>, you know, versus where, you know, you're in the neighboring country and you're looking at 10 to 15%. There's a big difference between the two.

Ric Shields (14:14):

So Pentecostal and charismatic Christianity has really seen significant growth in West Africa, and especially in places like you mentioned, Ghana, Nigeria, Liberia. So, I, what you're saying then also is that the common denominator, one of them is the English language that's facilitating this growth. So why is that?

Brent Teague (14:34):

Well, for one thing, when we're trying to mobilize missionaries and global workers to the continent, it's a lot easier to send someone to an English-speaking country. Most of east and southern Africa is English speaking, and then you have these pockets in West Africa, and there someone can go and I mean, you do have cultural, contextual things to learn, but language is a huge barrier. And when you can come in and minister directly in the language in your mother tongue, it makes a big difference.

(15:00):

And so, I think these countries have been afforded a lot more opportunity. There's been a lot more workers that have been able to go there. And then they've have benefited for many years stuff that's developed in the United States or in Europe. Most of it's developed in English because the church has been historically stronger in English, the evangelical, especially charismatic and Pentecostal. And so, the materials and things are developed first in English, and then it's quite a few years before a lot of stuff's interpreted are translated into other languages. And so, these countries benefit almost immediately. And so, there's all kinds of tools that are available to them that are really late in coming when you have to translate it into multiple languages and,

Ric Shields (15:44):

And good and bad. The richest pastor in Africa is in Nigeria. And English speaking, in addition to all the good stuff that we may have an opportunity to export, we export a bunch of crazy stuff besides that, in other contexts make a big difference.

(16:03):

I assume with a growth of Christianity in some of these regions that there are probably African churches who now send missionaries to other countries. Is that practice common? And if so, what regions of the world are being targeted by them?

Brent Teague (16:16):

It has become more common. And I know when I first got here at Ivory Coast, they had like six missionaries you know, outside their borders. And now they have over a hundred. Ghana, Nigeria, all across the continent, they're sending missionaries. Nigeria's open several countries. They have missionaries across the continent. Many of the common denominator would be like you have Nigerians living in Gambia, or you have Nigerians living in Cameroon or even in different parts of the world, like in the United States or Europe or whatever. And so, there'll be a tendency for them to send missionaries towards where they have communities from their own country, but you know, immigrant communities. But now we're seeing an effort because of the situation of our world. There are countries that, as a westerner, you and I would have a very difficult time getting into.

(17:07):

They, because of agreements between their states and countries, many of them don't even need a visa to go to many of these places. So, they can send workers, they can send missionaries into countries that we can't. And the Lord's raising up an army of African mission missionaries that are going out.

(17:22):

So, we have some of the countries we can't say on a broadcast like this, but they're targeting that would be closed to us and that we would consider as sensitive countries, but they have no problem going in and out of. So, it's a great thing to see God raising up.

(17:39):

And then even here many pastors you talk to, you didn't hear this before, but you'll be talking to a pastor in a church in different countries and they'll tell you how they have a heart for missions or they themselves are praying about leaving their country and going to reach in a country that's closed or a country has limited access.

(18:01):

But what I particularly enjoy hearing is when they're not talking about going to their own people in another place, but actually have this heart to reach an unreached people group in another nation. And so, we're seeing this missionary vision that's really spreading and, and being birthed.

(18:18):

And a lot of it too is we've put a lot more emphasis in the bible schools and bible training programs and schools across the continent teaching missiology to the students and cross-cultural ministry. And I tell the Bible School students here, I'm like, it doesn't matter where you go, you're in cross-cultural ministry because there's so many tribal groups. You move into a community and there's four or five ethnic groups these cross-cultural missiological principles you can use there. And then if you end up going beyond your borders then it works as well. So, but we're seeing a real surge in the number of missionaries.

(18:55):

When I worked in Niger, we had we worked on an international team with missionaries from eleven different countries. So, it's neat and it is exciting to have this opportunity. We even here partnering with us, we have Latin American missionaries here in Africa, and then there's Africans going the other way. So, the Lord just raising up workers from basically all nations to go to all nations. And I think.

Ric Shields (19:21):

Maybe send some more missionaries to the United States that would really be helpful to us because we need all the help we can get, I think.

Brent Teague (19:28):

I was going to say, Africa is becoming the world center for Christianity, and I think part of this drive that's there to send forth missionaries is that the Africans themselves are realizing it's our time. The, Christianity, you know, Europe's post-Christian but the church growth and the center of the majority of Christianity now is going to be the African continent. And we're in the last days, and it's our time to rise up and to help finish the great commission.

Ric Shields (19:56):

I know you can't speak for every church in West Africa, and you've already alluded to some of the big needs of churches, of facilities, structures, and pastors. What are some of the other biggest needs in these churches?

Brent Teague (20:11):

Most of the churches here will tell you that their biggest need is trained pastors. There are not enough pastors for the number of churches that are being planted. So that's a huge need. Basically, more people, more trained people, whether it be bi-vocational, whether it be lay, full-time, they need more people.

(20:30):

I think, you know, a lot of times we're surprised. We think more projects <laugh>, but, and even on the mission side, our biggest need, I'll have pastors ask me like, what's your biggest need as a missionary? They think, I'm going to say a million dollars. So, I'm like, I need people. I mean, if you don't have, if you don't have the people, you can have the other stuff but you can't implement.

(20:49):

And so right now with the way the church is growing and then these very insecurities and the, the different problems with famine and disease, all the different natural disasters, everything that happens you would, you know, you look at it in a natural as negative, all this stuff that's happened has actually opened up more doors of opportunity for ministry than we've ever had before.

(21:10):

And yet at the same time, we don't have as many workers to respond. And so, we are desperate for train trained workers. And so, our training programs are very important and then, and that's a huge need. So, there's a lack of lack of trained ministers is a common problem across the continent.

Ric Shields (21:32):

There may be people listening to this podcast who are open to a call to ministry or to missions. I know we've spoken mostly about West Africa, but we both know there's a huge need for workers all over the world. Jesus said in Matthew 9:36-38, “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were harassed and helpless like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few, pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” So, Brent, would you conclude our time together by praying for those whom God may be speaking to about their role in this harvest?

Brent Teague (22:14):

So, Ric, if there are people that listen to this podcast that have felt a call to missions or a call to serve overseas or to go as a worker, and I know sometimes can be really challenging thinking about leaving your country and all the logistics and all of that. But we really want to walk with people on the journey, and we're looking to mobilize people to God's harvest. And so, we have a website, it's fits very simple; "iwanttobeamissionary.com," and if someone logs into there, then we'll help them know how to get started on the journey. 

Ric Shields (22:46):

And you have a base camp there, right?

Brent Teague (22:49):

Yes. So, it's not like it was before when you just got dropped into the country. You know, you raise your support and then go overseas. Now we have what we call them on-ramping system, but we have across the continent and these centers that we've set up their training center so that a person comes for their first year to the training center and they learn language and culture and ministry in the context. And we prepare them for success in the country that they're called to.

(23:14):

So, we really want to see success. We want to see people mobilized for the harvest, but also, we want them to be prepared to discern their call discover Africa and to develop their skills as a minister in this context.

Heavenly Father, we just thank you today, Lord, that we can think about your harvest and about your mandate and your mission in this world.

(23:38):

And Lord, you are the master of the harvest and you're the one who, by your spirit, calls people into your harvest. And Lord, today, I just pray that you would continue to raise up a new generation, new generation of workers, a new generation of missionaries, people from nations all over, but also a brand-new generation of workers from the United States.

(23:59):

Lord, I believe that you're coming back soon and Lord, we want to accomplish your mission and we want to reach as many as possible while we still have time. Lord, you tell us in your word to work while it is day because the night is coming when no one can work.

(24:12):

Lord, we thank you for the opportunities we have today, and we ask you, Lord, to help us to respond to them and to respond to your call. Lord, I just pray that you would touch hearts and those that have felt a tugging Lord, that you would help them Lord to make the next step in Jesus' name. Amen.

Ric Shields (24:33):

I hope you found this podcast to be helpful. If there's someone you think may also enjoy or benefit from this episode, please consider passing the link along to share with them.

(24:44):

If you'd like someone to pray for you, drop me a note at info@DoorWays dot cc. I'll pray for you. And if you'd like, I will share your note with others who will pray and believe for God to work on your behalf.

(24:55):

Until next time, may the Lord bless you as you'll follow after Him. Thanks for listening.