The average life span is 40 years, and AIDS is taking a terrible toll. Christianity is growing swiftly in the nation of 60 million, a church leader who left the country last year because of persecution told Religion Today. That means there are a little less than 10 million evangelicals. Persecution by a Marxist government that reigned from 1974-1991 brought Christians together. His home church had only 2,500 members before the revolution, but 25,000 today.
Laymen are on the cutting edge of evangelism.
Ordinary people are bringing thousands of their peers to Christianity by their personal witness, the church leader said. They have a tremendous impact through the testimony of their lives. Lay leaders are training others. Each student is told to return to their church and train 20 others, who in turn will each train 10 more. Every church member is involved in evangelism.