BURKINA FASO: PERSECUTED REFUGEE PASTORS BECOME SELF-SUPPORTING CHURCH PLANTERS
Typically, churches and mission agencies regard ‘caring for refugees’ and ‘planting churches’ as two entirely different categories of mission work. But in an innovative program carried out by Voice of the Martyrs Korea and its sister mission Voice of the Martyrs Poland, eleven pastors who were forced to flee Islamic jihadist attacks in northern Burkina Faso received training and financial support to become bi-vocational, or “tent-maker”, pastors in designated “safe cities”.
“Usually, helping refugees and planting churches are expensive activities that create long-term or permanent dependence. Churches and mission agencies have to keep funding year after year because there’s no way for the recipients to become self-sufficient,” says Voice of the Martyrs Korea Representative Dr. Hyun Sook Foley. “Together with Voice of the Martyrs Poland, we found a way to actually combine refugee aid and church planting into one activity where economic self-sufficiency can be achieved by the recipients of the funds in just a few years.”
In the project, eleven pastors and their families who had to flee their homes and churches because of Islamic jihadist attacks were provided with emergency funds to support themselves in cities designated “safe” by the government. The pastors also received funds and training to start businesses to support themselves and their families so that they could also plant new churches in the “safe cities”.
According to Representative Foley, the project was a success.
“When we asked the displaced pastors what they needed, their answer was clear: they wanted to continue pastoring,” says Representative Foley. “However, they could not do this if the foundation of the church, their own families, was neglected. By giving them the means to make a stable income, these eleven pastors have been able to take care of their own families as well as those of other church members.”
66-year-old Ezekiel (name changed for security reasons) is one of the pastors who was helped by the project. Ezekiel served as a pastor in his village from 1989 until July 19, 2024, when jihadists suddenly attacked his village.
“During the attack they caught one of my sons and until now I do not know what happened to him,” Ezekiel told Voice of the Martyrs. “Most probably, he is already with the Lord.”
Ezekiel said the jihadists shot or captured the men but did not attack women or children.
Pastor Ezekiel with his family
“After they disappeared, we decided to leave. We didn’t stay long enough to collect our belongings. The most important thing for us was to move to a secure place,” said Ezekiel. Now, together with his wife, he takes care of seven adults and four children in his family.
“We are lucky, because I used to live in this ‘safe town’ [where his family resettled] before my ministry in the village. So we have a small house here. But we have lost everything, and we needed a job. I wanted to take care of our family and church. We gather in another house all together for the Sunday worship and prayer meetings, as the Bible says.”
Pastor Charles feeds animals he is raising to support his ministry.
A pastor in the Voice of the Martyrs program raises chickens to support his family and his church.
Ezekiel received three months of emergency aid, as well as additional funds to purchase and raise animals, through the Voice of the Martyrs program “I am so happy, and we really thank all who helped us,” Ezekiel told Voice of the Martyrs.”
According to United Nations estimates, as much as 10 percent of Burkina Faso’s population has been displaced by Islamic Jihadist attacks in the country’s northern region. According to Voice of the Martyrs Korea, Christians are a particular target of the Jihadists.
“Pastors are seen as ‘pillars’ in these communities, so the jihadists attack them in hopes that when the pastors flee, the community will be easier to control,” says Representative Foley. “But the pastors want to stay in these areas, even after they are attacked by the jihadists. When the pastors leave, it is always because they want to keep their families together, and they worry for their families’ safety if they stay.”
27-year-old Charles (name changed for security reasons), a pastor, faced this problem when his wife became pregnant in 2022. “We were afraid of her giving birth in the village we used to serve,” Charles told Voice of the Martyrs. “She went to a safe town to give birth. I decided to stay in the village and continue the ministry in the local church. However, the jihadists arrived and attacked us.”
Charles survived the attack and wanted to move to the safe town immediately to be together with his wife, but transportation was impossible after the attack.
“The military came to see how they may help and they transported most of us to the safe town,” Charles said. “Now, I take care of my wife and four other adults, who stay with us and our child.”
Pastor Gabriel with some of his 18 family members
Charles started to build a church building in the safe town but was unable to finish it until participating in the Voice of the Martyrs program. Now, he raises animals to support his family and his church work. “I dedicated my life to serve Jesus Christ and most of all I want to continue gaining souls for the Lord. Through your help I am not only supporting my family but also the church and my ministry,” Charles told Voice of the Martyrs.
According to Representative Foley, the pastors have had to flee from their villages, but none of them want to give up their ministries.
“These pastors aren’t just looking for ways to support their families,” she says. “They are looking for ways to continue their churches. That means they are looking for economic opportunities that can help support the members of their churches who have also had to flee. So, they are interested in starting businesses that can provide jobs for other believers.”
Representative Foley says most of the displaced pastors in the program have large families to provide for, so raising animals is both a source of food for their families, as well as income they can use to support their church work. “For example, Pastor Gabriel (name changed for security reasons) is 55 years old. He has been a pastor since 2012 but was displaced in 2023. Through our project he is now able to support his household of 18 family members while also supporting his church work.”
Representative Foley says that the goal of the project was to help re-establish the pastors economically for the long term. “It’s a completely different philosophy than refugee camp work,” she says. “At a refugee camp, the goal is to provide aid to keep people alive. Through this project we have been able to help these pastors get re-established quickly. This is the key to helping the church in Burkina Faso to remain strong for the future.”
Individuals interested in supporting Voice of the Martyrs Korea’s work with Christians in Burkina Faso can give at https://vomkorea.com/en/donation/ or by wire transfer to:
국민은행 (KB Bank) 463501-01-243303 예금주 (Account Holder): (사)순교자의소리
Please note “Burkina Faso” on the donation