Ghana

World Convention is currently building a global reference for the nearly 180 countries and territories where we know there are Christian – Churches of Christ – Disciples of Christ Congregations. Rather than wait for comprehensive, complete information we are putting up the details we have readily available. If you can correct or add to this information, please contact us with details at office@worldconvention.org References for further information will be in the form of web sites and mailing addresses.

Ghana was formerly known as the Gold Coast due to the fact that for a thousand years this land was a source of gold in west Africa. The present name comes from the Ghana Empire which ruled from about the eighth to the twelfth centuries. By the seventeenth century the Ashanti people established control and conducted a vigorous slave trade. Ghana came under British control in 1874 and remained a colony until becoming independent in 1956. Since that time the government has experienced varying degrees of stability as the country has begun to further develop economically. The religious profile of the country includes 38% indigenous beliefs, 30% Muslim, 24% Christian and 8% other faiths.

The first inroads of the movement into Ghana came about 1957 when missionaries for the American Churches of Christ (a cappella) in Nigeria began making exploratory trips shortly after Ghana gained independence. An early convert was John Gaidoo who responded to an ad for Bible correspondence courses and later received further training in Nigeria. Gaidoo was responsible for baptizing several before his death in 1961. That same year Jerry Reynolds and Dewayne Davenport of the American churches moved to Ghana and soon established 15 churches. Reynolds has since made over 40 trips to Ghana. Early work included digging wells, evangelism and prison ministry. Ghana Bible College in Kumasi, the Accra School of Preaching, and several other schools have been established. In 1990 the Churches of Christ received recognition from the government. The Accra church has established over a hundred congregations in the last twenty-five years and the Ghanaian Christians have sent missionaries to several nearby countries. Today there are over 300 congregations and mission points. Dan MacVay is a veteran missionary working closely with these congregations.

A second group related to the a cappella tradition are “One Cup” Churches of Christ, concentrated in the area around Tema. They are also related to the “Old Paths” Churches of Christ in the United Kingdom.

In 1966 Jerry Gibson went to Ghana to set up a preacher training school in Accra, the capitol city. He gathered a few students and rented a building to teach Bible classes. Very early it was seen that the work being carried out was very similar to other independent African churches that had separated themselves from the denominational mission churches to become more “African.” Many of the leaders of these churches were biblically illiterate but open to Bible teaching. The decision was made to use the school to teach Bible based leadership for these congregations. Out of these efforts, Ghana Christian College and Seminary was formed. The graduates of GCC&S then established the Ghana United Christian Churches Brotherhood as a national organization. It is a co-operative structure with national leadership, independent of the missionaries, now being led by Ghanaians Christian Adjei (Chairman) and Enoch Nyador (Vice Chairman). The Churches receive some support through missionaries connected with GCC&S.

In 1966 Ronald and Doris Rife arrived from America to take up the work of Ghana Christian College and Seminary, followed by Dorothy Eunson in 1968, who has served continuously since that time. Others of the American Christian Churches and Churches of Christ who have served in Ghana have been Cyril Simkins, Richard Hostetter, Kent Taylor, and many others. Today, known as Ghana Christian University, the school is thought to be the largest Bible college in Africa. A new, expanded campus is being built on the outskirts of Accra with inaugural events planned for August of 2003. The new campus will adequately serve the needs of students for many years to come.

Other work begun by the American Christian Churches and Churches of Christ includes FAME (Fellowship of Associates of Medical Evangelism) Ghana, established in May of 1987. Since that time FAME Ghana has built at least ten clinics which have treated 80,000 people and established more than 65 churches which have baptized more than 3,000 individuals. Enoch Nyador, a native Ghanaian, gives leadership to FAME Ghana which also employs several native evangelists, nurses and field-support workers. Christian Leadership Training Institute, with Bob Sheffler as the current director, is currently doing theological education by extension in Ghana and other countries of west Africa. There are an estimated 100 independent congregations with a membership of around 10,000. The number continues to grow as new congregations are being formed with particular growth seen in the north.

In 1992 the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States and Canada initiated involvement in Ghana through their Africa office in the Division of Overseas Ministries. Disciples efforts in Ghana include ecumenical partnership in the Christian Council of Ghana and the Evangelical Presbyterian Church, Ghana with both financial and personnel support.

The Fellowship of Churches of Christ in the United Kingdom also have a presence through its missionary, Brian Jennings. On the staff of Ghana Christian University, Brian is also active in training and education for the local congregations.

Clinton J. Holloway
National Profiles Editor
May 2003

Contact Information

Ghana United Christian Churches Brotherhood
Christian Adjei, Chairman
Ghana Christian University
P.O. Box AN5722
Accra, Ghana

North American Churches of Christ contacts:
Ghana Missions (sponsor: Church of Christ of Venice, FL)
Web site: http://www.ghanamissions.com

Kennedy Osei-Hwedie (sponsor: Woodmont Hills Family of God of Nashville, TN)
Web site: http://whmc.conmergence.com/2012/07/01/kennedy-osei-hwedie-visits-with-the-mission-committee/

Church of Christ Mission (sponsor: Central Church of Christ, Athens, AL)
Web site: http://www.central-churchofchrist.com/html/Ghana.html

North American Christian Churches and Churches of Christ contacts:
(See also Ghana Christian University)

African Mission Evangelism, Inc.
Web site: http://www.ameghana.org

Fellowship of Associates of Medical Evangelism (FAME)
P.O. Box 34800
Indianapolis, IN 46234
Telephone: 317-272-5937
Fax: 317-272-5940
Email: medicalmissions@FAMEworld.org
Web site: http://www.FAMEworld.org

African Christian Leadership Training Institute
C/O: Robert and Constance Sheffler
Box DD 168, Dodowa
Accra, Ghana
Email: rsheffler@ug.gn.apc.org
Web site: http://www.harvestercc.org/programs/helping/missions.htm

American Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) contact:
Division of Overseas Ministries
Africa Office
130 E. Washington St.
Indianapolis, IN 46204-1986
Email: dom@disciples.org
Web site: http://www.disciples.org/dom/

United Kingdom Fellowship of Churches of Christ contact:
Brian Jennings
Ghana Christian University
Accra, Ghana
Email: bkjennings@ameghana.org

British Churches of Christ (a cappella) contacts in Ghana via:
Christian Worker
Graham A. Fisher, editor
64 Grenville Rd., Southcourt
Aylesbury, Bucks., HP 21 8EZ, England
Email: Gafisher888@aol.com
Web site: http://www.christian-worker.org.uk

Ghana Bible College
Kumasi, Ghana

Ghana Christian University
P.O. Box AN5722
Accra, Ghana
Web site: http://www.ameghana.org

 

Heritage Christian University
P. O. Box AN 6017 Accra, Ghana, West Africa
Telephone: +233 302 910947/8
Fax: +233 302 910947
Web site: http://www.hcuc.edu.gh/
E-Mail: info@hcuc.edu.gh