Nomadic Peoples
Malcolm and his wife, Jean, have spent sixty years learning about and living among nomadic peoples in East and West Africa, learning from them as much as serving among them. After twenty-five years of immersive fieldwork, they returned to Oxford to work on a PhD titled “Appropriate Development for Nomadic Pastoralists.” The research was a shared endeavor: Jean conducted in-depth interviews with women while Malcolm gathered responses from men, producing what examiners called a unique and invaluable social study. Though the degree was awarded in Malcolm’s name, their work reflects a lifetime partnership marked by courage, perseverance, and deep respect for nomadic communities.
If you can't fit the church on the back of a camel, don't blame the camel!
Across the world’s deserts, mountains, and high plateaus live millions rarely seen or understood. Nomads are often dismissed as technologically backward, resistant to change, or impossible to reach. But the real obstacle may not be the desert. It may be us.
In overlooking nomads, the global church has neglected one of the last great strata of unreached peoples. Nomadic Peoples issues a clear and urgent call: The gospel is for nomads too, and the church must rethink its assumptions if it is to reach them.
Drawing on six decades of firsthand experience, biblical reflection, and careful missiological research, Malcolm Hunter challenges conventional mission models shaped by settled, urban priorities. He uncovers the rich social fabric of nomadic life—marked by resilience, hospitality, interdependence, and communal wisdom. He argues that culturally appropriate churches can flourish among people on the move. This is a practical guide for reaching those who have long been overlooked.
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Which crop is best sown after the sun has gone down? The church." Like his thought-provoking maxim, Malcolm Hunter shows how mission to the nomads turns all our thinking upside down. A classic adventurer and an intrepid member of God's own special forces himself, he has written a book that is not only richly informative but challenging for all of us who live in the easy country of the developed world.
— Os Guinness, Author of The Call
Foreword by Iain Pickett
Introduction: The Church and God’s Unfinished Task
Part 1: Getting to Know Nomads
1. Who Are Nomadic Pastoralists?
2. The Problems Facing Nomadic Pastoralists
3. The Challenges of Reaching Nomadic Pastoralists
4. The Spiritual World of Nomads
Part 2: Nomads in the Story of God
5. God and the Nomads of Genesis
6. Israel Goes Down into Egypt
7. Lessons from Israel’s Wilderness Journey
8. Nomads in the New Testament
Part 3: The Church for Nomads
9. Completing the Agenda for History
10. Identifying the Issues in Ministry to Nomadic Peoples
11. The Church for Nomads
12. Reaching the Last Frontier
Conclusion: Nomads to the Rescue!
Appendix: Equipment List for Missionaries to Nomads
Author
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Malcolm Hunter
Malcolm Hunter
Malcolm and his wife, Jean, have spent sixty years learning about and living among nomadic peoples in East and West Africa, learning from them as much as serving among them. After twenty-five years of immersive fieldwork, they returned to Oxford to work on a PhD titled “Appropriate Development for Nomadic Pastoralists.” The research was a shared endeavor: Jean conducted in-depth interviews with women while Malcolm gathered responses from men, producing what examiners called a unique and invaluable social study. Though the degree was awarded in Malcolm’s name, their work reflects a lifetime partnership marked by courage, perseverance, and deep respect for nomadic communities.
- Pages: 200
- Publisher:
William Carey Publishing
William Carey Publishing
- Binding: Paperback
- Publish Year: 2026
- Vendor: William Carey Publishing
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