“When you can build a church on the back of a camel…

Then you have made a church for the nomad.” That was a remark that a nomad made to Malcolm Hunter many years ago. Hunter is one of the most experienced missionaries to nomads around. He knew this man was right.

Nomads are a gift to the church. Just when we think we have come upon the best approach, just when we are reaching new numbers of church plants, just when we think we can see spiritual breakthroughs, we come up to nomads waiting for a church on the back of a camel.

With the 25 million Fulani in West Africa, the same number of Hausa, add in the Shuwa, Kanuri, and Baggara. Then swell the number with the Qashqa’i and other nomads of Iran, the Pushtuns and Marwari of South Asia, you’ve probably got over 100 million nomads waiting for the church to work with them.

So much for a triumphalist attitude in mission. So much for spiritual pride. 100 million unevangelized nomads took care of that.

OK, besides deflating our pride, what is to be done? Several things.

First of all, don’t look the other way. God is calling us to them just as much as He is calling us to yet another monochrome church just like us.

Secondly, nomads respond to their needs being met as much as any group. They do have significant needs, beginning with health care. In lieu of doctors or nurses traveling with them, clinics that can serve their permanent settlements can be set up. Clinics with vets would be more appreciated than clinics for people. Local churches that can send out teachers for the weeks the women and children are in their settlements will draw large numbers of children.

Third, and inevitably, some people will be called to live among them, get to know them, earn their trust. Time, this takes time. But witnessing to a Fulani must be done in secret. In fact leading a Fulani to follow Jesus must be done very quietly. Persecution always follows.

And so the fourth piece is protection for the new converts. If a Fulani man is known to have left Islam to follow Jesus, the others of his clan will remove his cattle, maybe take away his wife and children, and see that he has no way to regain his herd. For this man and the others like him, the church that has brought him to faith in Christ also must bring him out of his clan to a safe place to continue his life.

This requires considerable planning and commitment of resources by Christian leaders, and that is what I found one afternoon for one great hour.