August 7 2000

ARTICLE TOOLS

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While attending an interracial nondenominational church in the early 1960s, Ruby P. Clarke sensed a call to serve in missions. She applied to United World Mission, which accepted her as its first African-American missionary and sent her to white churches to raise her support. She was ready to go after only three months. After she served for eight years in Mali with Muslim women, the mission asked her to join a church-planting team in Senegal. "The Mali and Senegal teams were all-white," she says, "but there was no distinction whatsoever. The Muslims and Senegalese accepted me for what I was—a missionary for Jesus Christ."It is my burden to see the African-American community [and] church get fired up for career missionary service. I believe the pastors must have a burden for career missions, and train and encourage their people toward that end."