GHANA
In 1471, the Portuguese reached the coastal region of modern-day Ghana, naming it the Gold Coast due to the abundance of gold in the rivers. They brought Christianity with them but achieved few local converts. By the mid-18th century, the coastal area was dominated by about forty forts controlled by Dutch, British, or Danish merchants profiting from the slave trade and gold.
In 1828, Denmark sent protestant missionaries to the Gold Coast, but they all died of malaria, except for Andreas Riss. In 1839, he was recalled to Denmark for failing to make converts. In 1842, the Basel Mission of Switzerland organised for Riis to sail to Jamaica to recruit former enslaved Africans as missionaries for Africa.
This was when the ‘Back to Africa Movement’ was prevalent amongst freed enslaved people in the US and the Caribbean. By 1843, Riis had successfully recruited 24 former enslaved African Christians who helped him establish the Presbyterian Church in Ghana and the Osu Salem Presbyterian Boys’ Boarding School.
Today, around 71 per cent of Ghanaians identify as Christian, although some are nominal. Ghana has a very young population with around 56 per cent of the population under the age of 25 years in 2020.
The Bible Society of Ghana seeks to provide 150,000 Bibles to children aged between 6 – 12 years in primary schools in semi-urban and rural communities. The aim is to provide these children with a biblical foundation for a better future.
Your gift to Bible a Month Regular Giving will help to support this project this month.
To view the PDF version of this month’s Members’ Report, click here.
Prayer Points for Ghana
Pray for the Ghanaian Church to develop a missions’ vision for the unreached villages of the north and beyond.
Pray for those who claim to be Christian but who do not have an authentic faith to be transformed by the power of the true gospel.
Pray that the children who receive the Bibles will experience lasting transformation in their lives as they interact with the Scriptures.
Pray for strength for the Bible Society staff and volunteers as they visit the school children around the country.
Pray more with us here.
FURTHER BIBLE MISSION PROJECTS
ROMANIA
By the 3rd century AD, Christianity had reached what is now Romania. In the 16th century, the area came under the Ottoman Empire. In 1862, the principalities of Wallachia and Moldavia joined together under the new name of Romania. In World War I, Romania joined the Allied Powers, but in World War II it allied with the Axis Powers. Three years later, overrun by the Soviets, it signed an armistice. In 1947, it became a communist state. In 1965, dictator Nicolae Ceausescu came to power. He was overthrown and executed in 1989. In 2007, Romania became a member of the EU. Today, it is Europe’s poorest country.
BRAZIL
In the 16th century, Jesuit missionaries brought Christianity to Brazil. The arrival of Europeans in the 16th century saw many indigenous communities wiped out through disease and slavery. The remaining indigenous people and settlers were forced to adhere to Catholicism. After independence, freedom of religion was introduced by the first constitution in 1824 although Catholicism remained the official religion.
Today, there are 33,000 remote indigenous communities living along the banks of the Amazon River, which suffer from a variety of issues including illiteracy, violence, and alcoholism. Using a boat called, “The Luz na Amazonia” the Bible Society of Brazil is reaching out to these communities with Scripture resources and practical aid, such as healthcare.
Thailand
In the 1550s, soldiers from Portugal came to Ayutthaya, a city located on an island where three rivers meet. By 1660, religious leaders from Portugal and France established the Vicariate Apostolic of Siam there. Even after 360 years of Christian missions in Thailand, only one per cent of the population is Christian. The Christian community in Thailand now has Thai leaders and groups working to spread their beliefs to 80,000 villages. In recent years, more tribal groups like the Urak Lawoi, also known as Sea Gypsies, have become Christian. The Thailand Bible Society is translating the Bible into the Urak Lawoi language after twenty years of effort, and they are also creating a particular Thai Study Bible for Thai people to use.
GEORGIA
In 1921, the Red Army invaded Georgia overthrowing the social-democratic government and installing a Bolshevik regime. In 1991, Georgia achieved independence from the Soviet Union. In the post-Soviet era Georgia has suffered from an economic crisis, political instability, ethnic conflict, and secessionist wars in Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
Today, 86 per cent of the population identify as Christian, but only 10 per cent actively attend church. The Georgian Bible Society is working to bring people the Word of God by translating the full Bible. In 2018, it published the New Testament in Georgian which was warmly welcomed by clergy and theologians who lauded it for bringing them a deeper understanding of the Scriptures.
The Book of Joshua
Courage for Everyday People
In this eight-session series, pastor Louie Giglio shows us that our story today isn’t too far removed from Joshua and the Israelites: we need the same strength, courage, and faith to face the challenges in our lives. Join Louie and learn what it means to follow God faithfully, no matter what obstacles are before you.
EMPTY HANDS
BIBLE POVERTY
EMPTY HEARTS
BIBLE ENGAGEMENT
EMPTY MINDS
BIBLE LITERACY
