In Somali outreach: “God has placed a burden on our hearts” July 23, 2025

If you were to walk into a Starbucks in certain neighborhoods of St. Paul, Minn., much would be the same as any Starbucks. The rich aroma of coffee would fill the air, and the people sipping their drinks would be engaged in lively conversation. But one thing that would be very different is that the language being spoken is Somali.

The Twin Cities of Minnesota are home to the world’s largest Somali population outside of the country of Somalia (about 85,000 people); another 45-50,000 Somali live in Ohio. As in their strictly Islamic home country, the vast majority of American Somalis are Muslim, in desperate need of the Savior.

Now, a group of Lutheran pastors and lay leaders are trying to figure out how best to share the Good News with their Somali neighbors.

Many of these Lutherans are immigrants themselves, Oromo and Amharic speakers from Somalia’s neighboring country of Ethiopia.

“We Ethiopian Christians in the Twin Cities feel that we could never do evangelism in the country of Muslim Somalia, even though it is only a few hundred kilometers away from our home country, because of the resistance that could escalate to killing,” reflected Rev. Dr. Dinku Bato, LHF’s project coordinator for Africa, who is an Oromo-speaking Ethiopian. “But here in the United States, we have more freedom. Many of us, especially the Oromo Lutherans, feel that it is for a purpose that God sent us here. It was not random.

“The Oromo people especially have a connected lineage with Somalians,” Dr. Dinku Bato, who is of Oromo lineage himself. “We say that we have one ancestry; we are from the same branch of people. The Somali people see us as a kind of brother, and so we have an opening, a way to connect to them. We Ethiopians have a burden on our hearts to share the Gospel with our Somali brothers, but no one knows how to go about it.”

Rev. Bato decided that the best way to start was to simply jump in, and so he organized a first-of-its-kind conference in the Twin Cities, where Lutheran leaders from the region met to exchange ideas and experiences. Rev. Berhanu Arsse, an LCMS pastor from Ohio who has worked with Somali immigrants for over a decade, was the keynote speaker.

“Rev. Arsse’s experience was very helpful,” exclaimed Rev. Bato. “The two biggest take-aways were, first, that Somalis are not completely against Christianity. Based on what they know from Islam and the teachings of the Koran, they have something in their heart for Christ. They know Him as one of the greatest prophets, so we can start from that.”

When NOT to share a book

While Rev. Arsse makes good use of LHF’s Somali translations of the Small Catechism and A Child’s Garden of Bible Stories, he warned that it’s not always best to start evangelism with a book.

“A book can be a problem for Somali people when they bring them into their homes,” Rev. Bato explained. “They may be cut off from their families and community, which would be a very scary thing for them. Instead, it would be better to first establish a friendship or relationship with the person. Then, after gaining trust and sharing your own faith, you can ask whether they would like to learn more.”

Good ideas come together

In brainstorming ideas for other ways to witness, the group is moving ahead with plans to ask public libraries to include the Somali Child’s Garden on their shelves, and books will also be provided at churches offering English as a Second Language (ESL) classes.

“Even for adults, A Child’s Garden of Bible Stories can serve as a Bible,” Rev. Bato said. “It’s simple; they can understand it, and it has pictures. The simplicity of the book appeals. If they are given a whole Bible, even just the New Testament can be overwhelming. Where to start? What serves a child in other communities can serve an adult Somali who is new to the faith.”

One of the most valuable lessons to come out of the seminar was the reminder to be alert and aware of the opportunities the Holy Spirit puts before believers, and to remember the free resources available from LHF to help teach when the time is right.

When to share a book

“My wife works at a nursing home, and she has a Somali co-worker who is a nursing assistant and with whom she often shares lunch,” Rev. Bato shared. “I was telling her about this conference LHF had sponsored, and my wife told me about her Somali friend and asked me, ‘Are there any materials that I can share with her?’ This is my own wife, who knows what I do for a living!” Rev. Bato laughed. “Yes, I have the Somali ‘Jesus Never Fails’ booklet, children’s Bible and other materials that have been on my desk for a long time. But we had to have someone to share them with.”

Rev. Bato again stressed that it’s important not to begin by simply handing a Somali unbeliever a book about Jesus. “Since my wife already had an established relationship with her co-worker, I felt confident that it was okay to share some of LHF’s books,” he said. “The main this is relationship. Don’t start from the message of the Gospel, unless it’s an emergency and a person is dying. Instead, relate to them. Pour coffee, invite them to dinner. That is a good thing.”

The Twin Cities Lutherans will continue to meet on a regular basis to encourage one another, share ideas, and most importantly, to pray for their Somali neighbors. Rev. Bato feels that God is already answering their prayers.

An inspiring incident

“My wife and I attend Immanuel Lutheran Church, where there is an Oromo-speaking service each Sunday,” Rev. Bato recalled. “The Sunday after the conference, the pastor greeted us and asked whether we had seen a woman in Somali dress pass us. Then he told us what had happened that morning:

“About a half-hour before worship began, the pastor saw a Somali lady sitting in the pews at the back of the church. Pastor had asked her, ‘How can I help you?’ and she said, ‘I don’t believe in Jesus, but I am troubled. I have troubles. I can’t even explain it, but I am troubled inside. How can you help me?’ And so he prayed for her. But then he had to step away for a moment, and when he returned, she was gone. Now he was out in the parking lot, searching for her.

“That was the first time Immanuel Lutheran Church has had a Somali lady come into our sanctuary – the day after the conference! For us, this is a sign,” Rev. Bato concluded. “God is confirming what we want to share with these people. He is going ahead of us, showing us and sending us this woman. For me, it was a small sign and a reminder that we never know what God is doing.”