Le défi des Églisesfrançaises à Mayotte: implantation d’Églises mahoraises en terre musulmane sous la loi de la République française.

Abstract

Why would one encourage people of different faiths to convert to Christianity? Why proclaim the Gospel to people who are more devout to their religion than many Christians are? What is the point of preaching the Gospel to those from other faiths who are materially more successful than Christians? These are intriguing questions when contemplating evangelism in Muslims territories; even more so in Mayotte–a small island with a Muslim majority. Mayotte is governed by France and citizens enjoy freedom of religion to the extent that native Macoris practice customary Muslim laws alongside French common law. The island enjoys economic and social benefits as a department of France, which makes it an attractive destination for migrants from neighbouring islands–despite Mayotte being proper than other French departments. Migrants from war-torn countries use Mayotte as a stepping-stone to get to France and other European territories. These high numbers of illegal immigrants and refugees is a burden to Mayotte on statutory, political, religious, socio-cultural and economic levels. Reaching Muslims in Mayotte with the Gospel, requires Christians to be spiritually agile and committed to fulfilling the Great Commission. This research wants to motivate existing churches in Mayotte to carry out their mission by utilising the rights guaranteed by French common law. Religious freedom, upheld by French law, can soften people’s hearts to the Gospel. We highlight the complexities of the Microsociety, and offer strategies to use these complexities in planting churches among the Māori. Existing French churches in Mayotte have an important role to play in protecting those inside and outside the church, as well as the newly implanted Māori churches. This research offers a new way of proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ, supported by French law–a system which transformed the France from Monarchy to republic utilising the rights offered by French law, the same can be accomplished in Mayotte, in planting churches among the Muslim Māori.