He went as a lone-ranger but leaves a number of pathfinders

What do a lone-ranger and pathfinders have to do with the gospel? In 1998, Abukari heard and heeded to the call of God and moved to the Yendi area to help nurture the existing first generation churches and their leadership. Abukari was a lone-ranger in the sense that he was involved in a wide range of activities from preaching to teaching, counselling to officiating marriages, leadership training to discipleship, ambulance driving (using a motorbike or car) to dispenser of medication, pastor to relief worker..... and any other activities that needed to be done as far as the functioning and growth of the body of Christ was concerned. In fact in those early years no programme or occasion would start without his presence. It was heavy, hectic and demanding work as all the churches and leaders looked to him for leadership and guidance.

As you may be aware, in August this year we as a family moved to Tamale to give our boys’ a better education. It also became necessary for Joke to be in Tamale to help in the administration and revamping of the literacy programme ‘Literacy and Development through Partnership’. Naturally there was a bit of fear as to how the work would continue and who would take over the responsibilities that Abukari was shouldering. Was there a future for the work and ministry that had started? The good news is that over the years the Lord has taught Abukari to pass on his knowledge and share the responsibilities in all aspects of the work with others. God gave him seven brothers who have qualified and demonstrated their willingness to pass on the good news to others, to be the torchbearers. Abukari calls these gallant brothers the “pathfinders of the faith”, praying that as the Lord helped him to pass on what he learnt, they too will be able to teach others (2 Tim 2:2).

At the National Annual Pastors and Leaders conference of the BCA church held last month, three of the church leaders of the Yendi District were officially recognised and licensed as pastors in addition to the four pastors who have already been licensed and commissioned into the ministry. What a joy it was to see that in God’s vineyard there is no place for lone-rangers, rather we are called to equip one another so as to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up (Eph 4:11-14).

The certified Pastor’s of the Yendi District

We hope and pray that these pathfinders in their turn will equip others so that the Kingdom of God will grow and bear much fruit. Even though, as a family, we have now relocated, we still continue to pass on the same vision, albeit in different areas, among different people and in different ways but always with the same passion. Please join us in praying for the Yendi team as they lead the multitudes of believers to know and to grow in the Lord.

One of the Pastor’s, Paul with his wife. Paul is leading a
church very much involved in children’s ministry

Pastor Azindow (left), the Church leader of DC Kura (centre) and Abukari (right)
Pastor Azindow is Abukari’s right hand man and he will take over
the position of District Pastor from Abukari.

Chasing after a Soul

“Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?… there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.” (Luke 15:1-7)

On a normal Sunday morning Abukari is usually preaching or engaged in church service activities. But this Sunday was different as Abukari found himself chasing after Amina in the local huts of the village of Sambu village while Joke and the boys attended the church service.

Amina is in her late thirties and is married to Sulemana and together they have seven children. Both Sulemana and Amina come from a very strong Muslim family in Sambu, but in 1997, through our ministry, the Lord led Sulemana to the knowledge and kingdom of Jesus Christ. Ever since then we have prayed and shared the gospel with Amina many times but she was always unyielding to the gift of salvation. Last week we had some friends from the USA who visited and shared the gospel with Amina in her village. Like a driver finding his missing car keys, the heart of Amina was immediately unlocked and became receptive to the gospel. She was led to pray the sinners prayer and accepted Jesus as her Lord and Saviour.

Sulemana and Amina

Sulemana and Amina's house

It was all joy and celebration for Sulemana (Amina’s husband) who had prayed and waited for this moment for 14 years! But little did Sulemana and the minority Christians in Sambu know what was awaiting them and Amina. Instead of the neighbours joining Amina to celebrate her new found faith they rather plotted against her. Like Job, all her friends upon hearing of her decision to follow Jesus came and one by one they took their turn to heap insults and intimidation on her. So great was the intimidation that before Amina had the opportunity to experience her first Sunday of public worship of Jesus with other believers, the friends and neighbours succeeded in discouraging and polluting her mind to recant her faith. On the first Sunday, as the church gathered everyone was eagerly waiting to welcome Amina into the family/body of Christ. But to the surprise of everyone, a friend of Amina who lives in the Imam’s (the Muslim leader of the village) house had smuggled her across several houses to the house of the Imam where they were hiding her. This was to prevent her from attending church that morning. Having waited in vain for while, Abukari took Sulemana in search of Amina in the neighbourhood. Finally they found out that she was in the Imam’s house. When the people heard Abukari and Sulemana were planning to visit the house, they locked the door of the room where Amina was but her husband recognised her sandals that were laying just outside the front entrance. To avoid any confrontation with the neighbours, Abukari decided that she should not be pursued further in the Imam’s house.

The next day Abukari was back in Sambu to meet with Amina and the local Pastor. Together the Pastor and Abukari spent time sharing God’s word with Amina and counselling her. Amina explained to them that “the fear of my unknown future and the heavy pressure from my friends and neighbours was too much to bear. But for your perseverance in pursuing me I want to stay with Jesus”. Since then Amina has started attending church. What a joy that the Lord’s grace of second chance can be extended to Amina through us! Please pray for Amina. Pray that she will continue to be faithful and strengthened with the power of God and that she will have great endurance, patience and above all joy in her new found faith.

Perhaps you are living or working in a setting where God is not acknowledged, where faith is mocked, where results do not come in massive numbers but in small trickles and where godless living is applauded. You may be overwhelmed with darkness. Do not be discouraged, for our witness for Christ is a light in a dark world.

As we are writing this blog, we just received a message that the 9 year old daughter of the local Pastor of Sambu died very suddenly. Please pray for comfort and strength for this Pastor and his family at this difficult time.

God's Plan in God's Time

On September 10th we visited our church in Worivi. Worivi is a remote village and has a small church. The leadership has led the church with some difficulty over the past years, but thank God they have persevered. A few members of the Videre team also joined us on our visit. As we arrived at the village our car was surrounded by many children. A car full of white people is not a common scene in Worivi. After a while the members of the church gathered and benches and chairs were brought from the surrounding houses to give everybody something to sit on. Two teenage boys were standing at the window at the outside of the church and Abukari called them to come inside.

Worivi village

The service then began. After we had sung, we prayed for the needs of the church and its members. A number of people were sick and we prayed specifically for these individuals. Still people continued to enter the church. The church leader told us that some people from the village had heard we were there and they wanted the Christians to pray for them. They are Muslims who do not normally visit the church – a man with a swollen hand, a woman who has been married for years but still barren, a father with a sick child – but they all came forward to be prayed for. We committed them into God’s hands for healing as well as for open hearts to the Gospel.

Worivi church

Brian, one of the Videre team members, preached from John 4 about the meeting between Jesus and the Samaritan woman; about living water. This is a story that has so much in common with the lives of the people in many villages in Dagbon; to never be thirsty again, but to be full and filled with Jesus Himself, eternal life.

After the church service the two teenage boys came to speak to Abukari. One of them, Adam, indicated that he wanted to give his life to Christ. Wonderful. Whilst Abukari talked with him, many of the church congregation also listened in and heard what Abukari was saying, including some Muslims. An old woman tried to discourage the boys – it is so hard to be a Christian in an environment where people offer resistance. But the boy was determined. Abukari prayed with him and told him that he would meet with him later in the week.

Last Thursday, Abukari had another talk with Adam and his friend, Mareek. Adam told him that he had visited the house of the church leader in Worivi several times to inform him that he is ready to become a Christian. However, each time he went to the house the leader was not at home. On the Sunday we visited the church at Worivi, Adam was riding his bicycle towards Yendi. When he saw that our car turned towards Worivi, he decided to return to the village. Although he was reluctant to enter the church, because of what other people would say, when Abukari called them inside it was as if God Himself had invited them.  Mareek also indicated that he wanted to give his life to Christ. It is so great how God in His time, executes His plan and how many people can be a link in His chain.

Abukari meeting with Mareek (l) and Adam (r)

Last Sunday we visited this church again. However, the boys could not come to church as Adam’s father told them to help with the yam harvest. At the same time Muslim evangelists had come to the village to warn and discourage people about becoming Christians.

Please pray for these two boys, as they will have to face a lot of oppression from family and friends.

The church service last Sunday

Growth that needs our help

The village of D.C. Kura is an old farming community in the Yendi district of the Northern region. The village obtained its name “D.C. Kura” from an old District Chief (D.C.) Executive (a central government representative) from Yendi who had his farm in the village and being a prominent person, the inhabitants decided to name the village after him.

Predominantly, those who live in D.C. Kura believe in the African traditional religious system; their religious worldview lies in the belief that the spiritual is imminent and impinges directly on the living. There is a strong belief that people are surrounded by hosts of spirit-beings which are able to influence the lives of the living for good or for evil. These fearful beliefs in the spirit world enslave the people of D.C. Kura as they often sacrifice animals out of fear to appease the gods and their ancestors (their dead relatives) who are believed to have the power to bless or curse the living depending on the way they live.

In 1992, Pastor Azindow saw the need to establish a literacy class in D.C. Kura, as no one in the entire village was able to read in either their mother tongue language or in English. Through the literacy class the good news of Jesus Christ was heard in the village and this brought a dramatic change to the lives of many inhabitants. They came to know the truth, and the truth indeed has set them free (John 8:31, 32). The gospel really brought liberation to the people as many families gave their lives to Jesus. Also many young men and women enthusiastically started to learn how to read and caught the vision of sending their children to school. In fact the current leader of the D.C. Kura Church, Naakiwu Lamba, was one of the first students who learned to read in their first literacy class. In 1994, two years after the literacy classes started, Mark Hagerup (a missionary with SIM) helped D.C. Kura believers establish a church congregation and since then they have continued to experience spiritual and numerical growth.

The church building at D.C. Kura

Abukari with Naakiwu Lamba, the church leader at D.C. Kura

An occasion last Sunday clearly affirmed this when we were especially invited to witness the graduation of students of the Children’s Sunday school class. When we arrived at the church the 14 young men and women who will be leaving the Sunday school were sitting under a tree, rehearsing the memory verses and songs they were to perform during the church service. Under another tree over 70 children gathered who also attend the weekly Sunday school. The church was full up of adults who are part of the membership of the church of D.C. Kura. When the 14 students entered the 24 x 18 ft church, followed by the 70 children to be part of the service it was obvious that the people of D.C. Kura have outgrown their church building. What a wonderful concern to have - the church is too small!!! Praise the Lord.

We are now taking up the challenge to see how we can make space for all these groups in one church building. Can you pray and stand with us as we try to raise $16,000 to build a church that can accommodate both the adults and children and their activities at the same time.

The Sunday school children are gathered under trees outside

Joke talking to the Sunday school children

The church is too small - people are standing in the aisle and many are still outside

Thank God for: 

• The growth of the Church in D.C. Kura
• The leaders and their commitment towards the adults as well as children in the church 

Pray for:

• This church that it will continue to grow, not only in numbers but also in their faith
• Funds to build a new, bigger church 
• Our trip to Kara, Togo; we hope to be there from 4th-11th September
• For the children who will go back to school (after a long absence) on 12th September
• For the safe arrival of another team from Videre who hope to be in Yendi from 11th-16th September to train a new group of entrepreneurs in ‘Business as Mission’

Discipleship

The SIM-related (SIM is a mission organisation - ‘Serving in Missions’) churches worldwide (of which BCA is one) meet together in an association called Evangel Fellowship (EF). In February this year, during one of the EF’s meetings, the Lord put the burden of discipleship on the hearts of leaders. At this meeting the churches saw the need to put ‘intentional’ disciple making as a top priority. Thus the call of EF is to return to ‘‘Radical Discipleship’. This vision and concern was taken further by a committee (of which Abukari is a member) who met in Ethiopia during the first week of August to proactively plan and strategise how to implement intentional discipleship in member countries.

During one of the meetings

In affirming the call ‘Back to Radical Discipleship’ the committee agreed with EF that in many of our churches (including BCA) discipleship has ceased to be a priority. It has been neither intentional enough nor radical enough to produce fully mature Christians…..thus the Church in Africa and beyond is growing wide but not deep; people are repeatedly invited to be ‘born again’, but they are seldom discipled as true followers of Jesus Christ; they are saved but not transformed; they have knowledge about Christ but are not conformed to His image. Many who make profession fall away, while some are lured away from the truth seeking the spectacular or by a shallow gospel that promises wealth and prosperity but denies suffering, persecution and the way of the cross. All around us is evidence that revival is currently taking place on African soil as we daily witness hundreds of conversions in our churches. But the questions we ask ourselves are: Is Africa prepared for that revival? Can we sustain it? Where is our workforce? Do we have men and women who are really rooted in the Word of God who can spiritually reproduce after their own kind? Where are our writers? And if there is revival in our land, why are evil, corruption and HIV/Aids still in the ascendency on our continent?

Meeting with a group who are being equipped to become disciple makers

Our meeting in Ethiopia offered us the opportunity to let member nations begin to see intentional discipleship as the driving ethos of everything its churches and SIM do. In our meetings and visitations of ‘Discipleship-making Centres’ it once again became clear that God gave two important commands to humanity, "Be fruitful and increase in number..." (Gen 1:28) and "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations..." (Matt 28:19). Looking at these commands, humankind has been faithful in fulfilling the first command of multiplication (physical). Throughout Scriptures you hear that this person lived so many years, gave birth to children and died. The world is now about seven billion people despite wars, diseases and natural calamities. Man will go to any length to fulfil this command, thus the issue of fasting and prayers for children, exorbitant fertility funding, etc. If these experiences are not found in other parts of the world they are certainly here with us in Africa on a daily basis. The second command which is spiritual multiplication has not seen much fulfilment in the life of humanity despite God giving us all that is needed (all authority in heaven and on earth and His presence) to accomplish the task. This is a great challenge for our generation of Christians who live in an age of fast and instant growth, a generation where materialism is starting to suck the life out of the church, and at the same time being surrounded by powerful forces of Islam.

Our week in Ethiopia produced a document with strategies and plans on how to train and equip the Church (specifically SIM related churches) and mission leaders in at least 20 countries on prioritising discipleship. We hope and pray God will use this document to stir the hearts of His people towards intentionally making disciples and that plans will be implemented.

Abukari enjoying the traditional Ethiopian dish "enjera" - a sour tasting pancake with soup or sauce

Ethiopian clothes for Samuel and Micah

Thank God for:

• A safe journey to and from Ethiopia

• The opportunity to set out strategies to make the shared vision of discipleship possible

Pray for:

• Implementation of the plan; that it will not just be another document but that the church leadership will go all out to make this plan possible

• For funds needed to train and equip people within the churches

• For Abukari as he is to lead the coordination of discipleship throughout Ghana

• For churches and individuals (missionaries long and short term) who want to partner with BCA in serving the Lord in the area of discipleship