Part of: AfricaSub-Saharan AfricaCentral Africa10/40 WindowIslamic Belt
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The identity of the nation
Chad sits right in the middle of the map of Africa, a landlocked country where the Sahara Desert meets the green savannas of the south. It is a nation of deep contrasts: to the north, sand and desert nomads; to the south, farmers and Lake Chad, once one of the largest lakes in Africa and now shrunk to a fraction of its former size. This split geography has also shaped the faith of the people: the north and center are mostly Muslim, while the south holds the largest concentration of Christians in the country.
Faith here is rarely just book doctrine. Both among Muslims and among Christians, it is common to find ancient beliefs mixed with the official religion: fear of nature spirits, the use of protective amulets, and visits to traditional healers. This shows a people deeply aware of the spiritual world, but who have often not yet experienced the full freedom the gospel offers.
Decades of civil war, coups and political instability have left visible marks: Chad is among the poorest countries in the world, with poor roads, scarce hospitals and a fragile education system. Even so, the Chadian people are known for resilience and genuine hospitality, values that cross the ethnic and religious divides of the country.
The Chadian church, concentrated mainly in the south, grew over the past century and today sustains active faith communities, but faces two major challenges: the need to deepen discipleship where the gospel has already arrived, and the still enormous task of reaching the peoples of the north and center, many of whom have never heard of Jesus in their own language.
With more than a hundred ethnic groups and around 120 languages spoken, Chad is an immense human mosaic. Most of the world’s unreached peoples today are found precisely in that stretch of Africa known as the Sahara and the Sahel, and Chad is one of the countries that concentrates the largest number of these groups still without an established church in their midst.
- Before the arrival of Europeans, the territory was crossed by caravan routes linking North Africa to the sub-Saharan region, and saw the rise of kingdoms such as Kanem-Bornu, around Lake Chad.
- 19th century The Sultanate of Ouaddai, in the east, becomes an important center of trade and of Islamization for the region.
- 1900 Start of French colonial rule over the territory, which becomes part of French Equatorial Africa.
- 1960 Independence from France, on August 11, with N'Djamena (then Fort-Lamy) as capital.
- 1965-1990 Decades of civil war between the mostly Muslim north and the mostly Christian and animist south, worsened by outside interventions.
- 1990 Start of a long-running government that sought to stabilize the country after years of armed conflict.
- 2021 Abrupt change in the country's leadership after the president's death in combat, followed by a period of military transition.
- 2024 Presidential and legislative elections mark the formal end of the transition period.
- Today A country still among the poorest in the world, but with a resilient people and a church that grows slowly, especially in the south.
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Frenchofficial, used in government, education and business
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Arabicofficial, a lingua franca of trade spoken by a large share of the population
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Sara (Ngambay and others)main language family of the south, spoken by millions
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Local languagesmore than 120 languages and dialects, many still without portions of the Bible translated
Chad is landlocked and stretches from the Sahara Desert in the north to greener savannas in the south. In the center of the country lies the Sahel, a dry transition region. Lake Chad, which gives the country its name and was once one of the largest lakes in Africa, has shrunk drastically in recent decades due to drought and overuse of water, and is now a source of concern for the neighboring countries that depend on it.
Major cities
- N'DjamenaCapital and largest city, on the banks of the Chari River, political and economic center
- MoundouSecond largest city, in the south, an industrial and agricultural hub for cotton
- SarhCity on the banks of the Chari River, important for the cotton and sugarcane trade
- AbéchéFormer capital of the Sultanate of Ouaddai, in the east, a historic trading center
Climate and temperature
Daraba
A stew of okra, tomato and ground peanuts, served with boule, common at markets and everyday meals.
Boule
A kind of firm porridge made from cassava, corn or sorghum, shaped into balls and eaten with sauces, the country's most basic dish.
Jarret de boeuf
A beef shank stew with vegetables such as carrot, sweet potato and eggplant, a dish inherited from the French colonial period.
Lake Chad fish
Smoked or grilled fish, an important source of protein for the communities along the lake's shores.
Understand
Culture and spirituality
2a · The culture
Family and clan come first
A person's identity is tied to their extended family and ethnic group, decisions are rarely made individually.
Hospitality as a sacred value
Welcoming a visitor well, even with little, is a matter of honor in nearly every culture in the country.
Faith mixed with daily life
In both local Islam and local Christianity, it is common to turn to amulets and traditional healers alongside the official religion.
North and south, two worlds
The divide between the Arab, Muslim north and the south of Sara peoples and Christians shapes almost all social and political life.
Living oral tradition
Many local languages have no strong written tradition, knowledge and faith pass from generation to generation through the spoken word.
- Speaking ill of Islam or Christianity in public Religion is a sensitive topic in a society divided between the two faiths, it calls for respect and listening.
- Ignoring age and family hierarchy Disrespecting elders or bypassing family authorities is seen as a serious breach of manners.
- Photographing people without asking permission Many communities, especially nomads in the north, see this as invasive.
- Treating poverty with pity The Chadian people value dignity and reciprocity, not one-sided charity.
2b · The field
Areas of spiritual battle and cultural captivity to cover in prayer. Tap each point to understand:
Amulets and traditional healers blend with the faith, both among Muslims and among Christians.
The religious and ethnic difference between north and south fuels distrust and political tension.
Belief in nature spirits keeps many people bound to fear instead of trust in God.
Decades of coups and armed conflict erode trust in institutions and in the future.
The lack of schools, roads and hospitals limits human development and access to the gospel.
Groups from the northern desert live far from any Christian witness.
Armed groups linked to Boko Haram attack communities near Lake Chad.
Girls are still given in marriage at a very young age in several regions of the country.
Dozens of local languages still do not have even a portion of the Bible in their language.
Years of war and drought fuel a sense that nothing can change.
In Chad, each person’s faith closely follows the country’s geography: the north is mostly Muslim and the south, mostly Christian. This divide also shapes the experience of Christians, who face different pressures depending on where they live.
In regions near Lake Chad, armed groups linked to Boko Haram operate across the border and have attacked Christian villages, burned churches and kidnapped people, especially in rural areas where the state has little presence. In the center of the country, Christian communities also face resistance from followers of traditional African religions, who see the gospel as a threat to ancestral customs.
Christians who decide to leave Islam to follow Jesus face the greatest risk: they are often closely watched by their own family, suffer harassment and, in some cases, arbitrary repression from local authorities. Intercommunal conflicts in the southwest of the country have also displaced entire families and fueled cycles of violence between Christian and non-Christian communities.
Despite this difficult scenario, the church in the south of the country remains alive and active, with real room to gather and worship. The biggest challenge is not the banning of faith itself, but the overall instability of the country, which affects Christians and Muslims alike, and the specific social pressure on those who decide to change religion.
The persecution score runs from 0 to 100: the higher it is, the greater the pressure on Christians.
Chad is one of the countries with the highest concentration of unreached peoples in the world: of the country's 141 ethnic groups, more than half still have no established church in their midst. Most live in the north and center, among Arabic-speaking or Muslim-tradition peoples, while the south holds the peoples with the greatest Christian presence, such as the various Sara groups.
- 56.4% Unreached (12.1M)
- 57.4% Unreached (81)
Source of people group data: Joshua Project (joshuaproject.net). Estimates, may vary.
Kuka Frontier
Daju Dar Daju Frontier
Fur Forok
Kendeje Frontier
Turku Arab Frontier
Bilala Frontier
Kotoko Maslam Frontier
Source: Joshua Project. Estimates, may vary.
- 16.4% With complete Bible (21)
- 68.8% Only portions of the Bible (88)
- 14.8% With no translation at all (19)
Source: Joshua Project and Progress.Bible. Estimates, may vary.
French Official
Mser
Kendeje
Laal
Maslam
Sarua
Gadang (Chad)
Pray
Intercede for this nation
Send and sustain
Not everyone goes, everyone takes part
Not everyone goes. Everyone takes part.
Behind every worker among these peoples stands a network of people who pray without ceasing, care for the family left behind, and faithfully sustain the work. Sending is mission too.
Start with your church: introduce this nation, adopt it in ongoing prayer, and walk alongside those God is raising up to go.
Go
Practical details for those who want to go
Local time
Cost of living
but high relative to the local average income
Cost by city
Reference values (source: Numbeo). Confirm before traveling.
Practical points for those who go
- Learn a few words in Arabic or French: few people outside the capital speak English.
- Bring protection against the heat: the climate is dry and hot most of the year, especially in the north.
- Have patience with the infrastructure: roads, power and internet are limited outside the major centers.
- Respect Muslim customs in the north and center, such as modest dress and fasting during Ramadan.
- Prioritize relationships over tasks: building personal trust matters more than keeping to a schedule.