Chad

Capital: N'Djamena

Major Languages: Arabic, French

Area: 1.3 million km2

Population: 17 million

HDI Rank: 187 of 189

Major Religion:

Islam: 9 million (52%)

Other Religions:

Catholic: 4 million (24%)

Protestant: 3 million (17%)

Other: 1.1 million (7%)

General Information:

French occupied Chad in 1900. They made only halfhearted attempts to develop it. Chad won its independence in 1960, which was followed by three decades of civil war. The nation is often referred to as the “Dead Heart of Africa’’ due to its distance from the sea and its desert climate. Chad is also known as "The Babel Tower of the World" because of its cultural and linguistic diversity. Though it is blessed with gold and uranium reserves, Chad remains poor and one of the world’s least developed countries. Soccer, basketball and camel racing are favorite sports in the country.

Religious Background:

The Constitution grants religious liberty to all. Chad has a number of religions that are widely and freely practiced in the country. Islam, the major religion, spread in Chad by traders from North Africa in the 11th century. About 1/3rd of the population follows the traditional African religious system. Ancestors play a critical role in their traditional religions as they are believed to be capable of mediating between the living and the supernatural world. Islam and Christianity have absorbed a number of beliefs from this system. A small minority do not subscribe to any religion.

Catholic background:

The Catholic missionaries started their work in 1929, almost a decade after it became a French colony. Catholic evangelization began in the region with the arrival of the Holy Ghost Fathers. The Jesuits and Oblates of Mary Immaculate began their mission activity in 1946. The Catholic Church was targeted during the civil war in 1982 and many Catholics were killed. The Catholic Church has remained influential in several aspects of the social development of the country. The Church is composed of one archdiocese, 7 dioceses and 109 parishes. Patron saint: None.

Prayer Points

1. Chadians to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior

Pray that everyone will get an opportunity to hear the gospel and come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

2. Catholics to know Christ

Pray for the salvation of 4 million Catholics in Chad.
Catholicism has absorbed the traditional African beliefs and practices. Pray for God to reveal the truth of the gospel to those perishing, and set them free from deception.
Pray for a mighty move of the Holy Spirit across the nation, and for God to bring a conviction of the true gospel of Jesus Christ among the Catholics.
Pray that God would free them from the struggle of meriting their own salvation, and that they would put their faith in the merit of Christ’s finished work on the cross.
Pray for all the Catholics attending the 109 parishes to come to know Christ as their Lord and Savior.
Pray for the cardinals, archbishops, bishops, 242 priests, 157 brothers and 375 sisters.
Pray that God would reveal Himself to the Catholics in supernatural ways, and for Him to work in their hearts and draw them into His Kingdom.

3. Evangelicals to grow and multiply

Chad is one of the few Islamic nations that are open to missionaries. This has opened doors for the preaching of the gospel among Muslims and the unreached. Pray for Evangelicals to continue to evangelize the lost, and to grow and multiply. Pray that their organized and concerted effort to reach the unsaved for Christ will bear much fruit.

4. Social evils and issues in the country

Chad is one of the poorest and most corrupt nations in the world. It has a high rate of crime and pollution. HIV/AIDS causes a huge number of deaths. Pray for a stable and just government, and for the Muslim and Christian tribal conflicts to end.

5. Other Religions

Islam, and traditional African religions have large followings in Chad. Islam, especially, is growing in numbers. Pray that Muslims as well as the followers of the traditional African religion, will get to hear the Good News.