Ghana
 | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  |
Overview of the Work
The Lord has blessed the Mountain Home congregation of the church
of Christ with the opportunity to work in the country of Ghana for
numerous years. Now the Lord has opened a new opportunity to
expand the work in West Africa. Early in 2007, we will be sending
a full time missionary to the country of Ghana. We will also be
providing a ship container full of Bibles, Bible study material, Song
Books, and other Bible literature to be distributed throughout the
country. Our man in the field will be spearheading a plan of
Evangelism, accompanied with Edification and Benevolence.
Evangelism
If we study the activities of missionaries in the New Testament, we
will find that their primary mission was always evangelism. The
people in West Africa are very religious, and many of them will turn
to the truth soon after they hear it. However, there are many places
in West Africa where the truth has not been preached. Although the
church is strong in Southern Ghana, there are towns and villages in
the North where people have never heard of the church of Christ.
This is especially true in the areas that are dominated by Muslims. It
is our hope to be able to teach everyone throughout the country of
Ghana regardless of their present religious orientation. Steven’s
plan is to locate himself in an area that is predominantly Muslim, so
that we can especially introduce these people to Jesus.
Edification
There are many congregations throughout the country of Ghana that
are struggling to survive. Some of these are even dying off. There
are many reasons for this problem, but one of the major ones is the
lack of spiritual maturity in the church. Most of the people in the
Northern part of Ghana are uneducated and superstitious. Therefore,
it is very difficult for them to grow spiritually, and very easy for
them to be pulled away from the truth. Steven has come up with
many ideas on how to deal with these problems. It is our goal to
implement these plans, and attempt to edify the church throughout the
country.
Benevolence
When we study missionary activity in the Bible, we find the
evangelist helping the indigenous people with their needs. It is our
goal to attempt to identify these needs, especially of our brethren,
and make an effort to help wherever we can.
About the Missionary
Steven Ashcraft learned the truth about Jesus Christ right here in his
home congregation in Mountain Home. As he continued to study the
Bible, the Great Commission began to eat away at his heart until he
felt the need to answer the call of our Lord. He enrolled in Bear
Valley Bible Institute in Denver in 2003, and graduated in 2005 with
a Bachelors in Theology. He had already earned a Bachelors in
Accounting from the University of Arkansas in 1983, and had
practiced as a CPA for many years.
A trip to Ghana in 2003 had introduced Steven to the mission field,
and he felt the need to return. So he went back to Ghana in 2006,
and spent about four months surveying the needs of the church
throughout the country. As a result of this trip, he has developed a
plan for the evangelism and edification of the church. This plan
includes encouraging the Christians in Ghana to evangelize and build
up the church in their own country.
May the Lord Bless our Efforts
