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Pastor dubbed “Doubadjan” while visiting Mali

By Harold Campbell

Francois Verschelden, pastor of the Eglise du Rocher Vivant (Church of the Living Rock) in St. Felix de Valois, Quebec, had just begun his two-week trip to the western African nation of Mali when he found himself to be the answer to a prayer.

Verschelden traveled to Mali in January as part of his town’s partnership with the secular organization, Solidarity of Heart, to help the people of Mali start small businesses to support themselves and their families.

During the trip, partially funded by the Canadian National Baptist Convention, he explored whether God is leading churches in Quebec to support ministry in Mali and worked with International Mission Board missionaries Marvin Thompson and Steve Roach.

“The beauty of my trip was to find where God is at work and join Him in His work,” Verschelden said. “Oh, what a privilege it is when we see this happening before our very eyes!”

He traveled to the town of Douban, a predominantly Muslim village of 2,000 people where some speak the national language, French, but most speak the dialect Bambara. Few can read or write and most eke out a meager existence with primitive farming practices. That’s where the answer to prayer begins.

Verschelden said that as soon as he arrived, people asked him what he does for a living. He told them he is a pastor and explained what a pastor does. In addition, he said, it is their tradition to bestow on a visitor the name of someone in the village. They gave him the name of “Doubadjan.” Doubadjan—who is a Christian—is the son of the village chief.

The next day, Doubadjan, who speaks French, visited Verschelden.

“He told me that he had been a Christian since age 10 but had never been discipled because there were few Christians,” Verschelden said. “Doubadjan has prayed for 10 years for someone to disciple him. He told me that I was an answer to his prayer!”

Verschelden responded that Doubadjan was an answer to his prayer because, even though he came with a humanitarian organization, he was there to do God’s work.

The following day, Doubadjan asked Verschelden if he would disciple the three other Christians in the village. Naturally, he agreed. They met together in a bamboo shelter with a cross.

At one point, a young man came running up to Doubadjan, speaking rapidly in Bambara. Verschelden said he thought he was a Muslim, but he was a young man who had met a Christian pastor named Socobo who prophesied that in three months, Doubadjan would have a pastor visit his village.

“At the end of three months, which was now, he came to Douban, went to Doubadjan’s house and learned that Doubadjan was meeting with a pastor,” Verschelden said. “The young man found us meeting at the cross. I was the pastor he had been expecting and looking for!”

The young man told Verschelden he wanted to become a Christian and asked what he could do to be saved. He was born again that very night.

Later, Verschelden was part of a meeting with Doubadjan, Socoba, three other Christians, 10 seekers and Thompson and Roach to discuss how to help them serve God and organize a church. Roach agreed to take Doubadjan under his wing to train him and Socoba agreed to come to Douban to hold services. Verschelden agreed to pay for Socoba’s traveling expenses, which amount to two dollars a week.

Even though he returned with an African stomach virus, Verschelden said he came back with much more.
“I was joyful, feeling so blessed and thankful, with eyes shining and spirits high,” he said.