Tanzania is one of the world’s poorest nations; agricultural subsistence dominates its economy. Health and education sectors require massive investments.There is freedom of religion; all major faiths have the ability to share and propagate their faith. Christianity makes up 54% of the population with Islam totalling 31%.
AIM began work in German East Africa (later Tanganyika and now Tanzania) in 1909 following work started by the Church Missionary Society (CMS). Work began in Nassa with Emil & Marie Sywulkas starting the translation of the Bible, beginning with the Gospel of John in 1913, printed on a small hand press. Their work was focussed on building a strong church led by Godly African leaders, which became one of the building blocks leading to the founding of the indigenous denomination, Africa Inland Church Tanzania. The AIC Tanzania is still an independent and self-governing church, continuing to grow. Currently the AIC Tanzania is estimated to have over 2500 congregations.
Despite the growth of the church there are still a number of unreached people groups in Tanzania. AIM members are currently directly engaged with eight unreached groups there, and remain committed to taking the gospel to the ones who have not yet heard the good news. The goal is to work together with national church partners and together to finish the task. AIM are also involved in numerous other kinds of ministry (medical, teaching, theological education, children’s work) which contribute to Christ-centered churches who in turn will reach out to the lost.
AIM is starting a new team in Kondoa beginning in July 2020, partnering with the Africa Inland Church Tanzania. Led by Jared and Megan Hood, AIM missionaries from the US, the team will focus on lifestyle and proclamation evangelism and discipleship.
Thirteen years ago, Jasmine French’s life changed drastically when she and her family moved from the UK to Tanzania to work among the unreached Datooga.
Emmanueli is a new Zigua believer. He has been rejected by his community and extended family because of his commitment to Jesus.
We didn’t always want to be church planters and ten years ago we had never even heard of the Zigua people. Our journey to becoming missionaries was a slow process… The Krahn’s tell their story.
“September 2010 was the month that we moved to Tanzania. I was eleven years old, and my entire world was flipped upside down. But I wouldn’t have it any other way…”
There are many dialects of Zigula, and there is no standard way of writing it down, but it is spoken by about 380,000 people.
