Acknowledgements …
“No one person can embrace the baobab tree.”

– African Proverb
Grand vision cannot be accomplished alone. It requires people joining hands and hearts together. This is certainly true of the Great Commission. And in a small way, it is true of this handbook.

The resource you hold in your hands is the fruit of the combined effort of leaders from different countries. We are bound together by a common vision…that of seeing our nations discipled and a flood of Africans sent in mission around the world. We share a passion for God’s glory in and through the African Church.

I wish to thank each of the authors for their unique contribution. Writers include MANI Continental Team members, national delegation leaders, working group facilitators, researchers and ministry practitioners. We are grateful to Operation World for providing country profiles and for Joshua Project’s invaluable assistance with people group information and maps. Special thanks goes to Bryan Grove for his untiring editorial work and to OC Africa’s Madalena Gomes and Ria Wilson for their capable assistance with translation and formatting.

It is our prayer that this handbook will serve as a resource to mobilize the Body of Christ. Thanks to each one who has joined hands with us around “the baobab tree.”

Dr. Dean Carlson, Editor
February 2008