Michel’s* journey into mission work began in the small village of Margou, Burkina Faso, where he grew up in a Christian family. “I accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as my personal Saviour and Lord in December 1992 and was baptised in water on 15 October 1995” he tells us. As a young believer, he served in his local church, leading youth and teaching Sunday school.
Together with his wife, Clarisse*, Michel trained in theology before stepping into full-time ministry. From 2006 to 2009, he pastored a church in Gnagna Province and advised the regional youth office of his denomination. Then from 2009 to 2019, the couple focused on church planting and evangelism training across Burkina Faso and Mali. “The local churches in Kabala, Kourouma, Sana, Sougouma and Dièma were born out of this mission work”.
Today, the family lives in eastern Chad, one of the most spiritually resistant places in the world. Known as the “seat of Islam” in Chad, the city has more than 100,000 inhabitants but only a handful of Christian converts. Michel explains “although Chad is politically secular, supposedly guaranteeing religious freedom, people born into Muslim families do not enjoy this freedom” He tells us that “if a Muslim who chooses to follow Christ is found out, he or she will face social ostracism such as such as loss of work, rejection by family and community. They will likely end up in a Halwa (Islamic correctional center) where they will be punished in various ways such as isolation, servitude, forced Qur’an recitation or violence until they renounce the Lord.”
If a Muslim who chooses to follow Christ is found out, they’ll face social ostracism … such as loss of work, rejection by family and community. They will likely end up in an Islamic correctional center and will be punished in various ways.
Michel serves with SIM West African Mission Office (WAMO), in partnership with AIM Chad continuing the calling that first took root in Burkina Faso. The risks are real: rejection, stigmatisation, and persecution are constant threats. Yet Michel insists that God’s presence sustains him. “God’s protection despite recurring dangers, health sustained through different climates, His daily provision for our needs… all these remind us that God remains faithful to His promises.”
At the heart of his ministry are two commitments: church planting and training for cross-cultural mission. “Our ministry centers on church planting, with evangelism and discipleship as the primary activities” he explains. Alongside this, he mentors disciple-makers, trains teams, and equips churches in evangelism strategies.
Over the years, he has seen the power of the gospel firsthand. “Many people committing to follow Jesus Christ… the transformation of lives and the strengthening of Christians in their faith… miraculous healings… reconciliation among clan groups… charitable works” he lists, evidence that God is at work in ways both spiritual and social.
His passion for mission is rooted in scripture. “I was deeply marked by Paul’s questions in Romans 10:14–15… I understood that world mission is a command of the Lord, binding on anyone who truly wants to be His disciple” he says. That conviction first fuelled local evangelism, then drew him into full-time church planting.
In Chad, where open evangelism is often impossible, Michel focuses on relationships. “Though we often face rejection, we are not discouraged… Through repeated visits, we build trust, which grows through gratitude. Once trust is established, we suggest lessons built from the Word of God, choosing gospel passages to memorise together.”
Please pray
- For Michel and his family, that God would continue to protect and sustain them as they serve in a spiritually resistant city.
- For courage and perseverance for new believers in Chad, especially those from Muslim backgrounds who face rejection, persecution, and pressure to renounce their Christian faith.
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