Missionaries pursue ‘unique group of people’ through digital strategy

In one Southeast Asian country, missionaries are pursuing a unique group of people through digital engagement: Muslim women.

According to Sara Whalen, the missionary leading this online pursuit, the group mostly features young women without children and women whose children are past school age who are more publicly accessible.

Difficult task?

The rest of the local women who have families to raise are more often working in the home.

“And it is much harder to have access to them,” Whalen shared.

There are millions of Muslim women in this country in areas where there are no believers, no church and no access to the Bible.

Since many female missionaries are also managing their own households, they have far less time and energy to devote to the local women, Whalen explained. Furthermore, in an Islamic context, male missionaries cannot actively pursue relationships with women because it is culturally inappropriate.

“So, if women aren’t doing it, who’s going to do it?” Whalen asked.

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Names changed for security reasons.

EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by Mikah Young for the International Mission Board.