Ghanaian Churches Do Outreach, Get Results

The Ghanaian congregations in Cincinnati and Cleveland reached out to their respective communities with tangible results this summer. First, the youth in the Cincinnati Ghanaian church challenged their youth to conduct a public evangelism campaign in one month.

“Just as the youth in my generation were trained and allowed active participation in the church and outreach programs, it is my fervent desire to do the same with the youth in my church,” says Emmanuel Kusi Yeboah, associate pastor of the Cincinnati congregation “I strongly believe in what the youth can do when given the right training and opportunity.”

The Cincinnati youth coordinated with the pastor, Samuel Boateng and church board, organizing everything from marketing materials to sub-committees for the event. Samuel Boateng, church treasurer, and Paul Ofori Yentumi, church youth leader, presented the messages each weekend at the church. As a result of the meetings, two people decided to get baptized.

A few weeks later, the Greater Cleveland Ghanaian church held a Women’s Ministries day with the theme “You are the Light of the World.” Sue Bell, an elder at the First church in Chesterland and Women’s Ministries associate for the northern part of Ohio, spoke at the event. She focused on Matthew 5 “to draw attention to the fact that Christians, especially Adventists, are the light of the world. …As representatives of Christ we are to allow the light of Christ’s character to shine in us for the world tottering in darkness to behold Christ as its only hope,” reports Yeboah.

Bell says, “They are a small congregation, but have lots of enthusiasm for what they do, and are willing to reach out to their community as evidenced by the health fair they held the week after I was there.”

Kim Russell, a pastor from a nearby Baptist church, and a few of her members attended the event. Church leaders say Russell has “fallen in love with the church” and is studying with Yeboah. This congregation “works tirelessly to get the gospel message into the community at large,” says Yeboah.