I Was Wrong About Church Planting Movements Until Ghana Corrected Me

I remember the day Pastor Kwasi walked me three hours through the bush to a small village called Asamankese. The sun was hot enough to bake bricks. He wanted me to see the fruit of his labor, a tiny mud-brick structure with a thatch roof, where twenty-some souls gathered each Sunday. That little church, born out of his faithful witness, showed me more about the true potential for church planting movements in Ghana than anything I had read in a book.

This work is not about grand strategies alone. Rather, it is about one man, one message, and God’s power to take a tiny seed and make it grow. Our calling here in West Africa is to multiply that process, to see new churches arise where the gospel has never been clearly heard. That’s the heart of our work.

The Ground in Ghana: A Fertile Field for the Gospel

Ghana is a nation of incredible warmth and hospitality. You’ll find smiles and greetings everywhere you go. However, beneath that vibrant surface, there’s a deep spiritual hunger. Many folks here know of God, but they don’t truly know Him in a personal way. Traditional beliefs often mix with nominal Christianity, creating a spiritual landscape that is both receptive and complex.

Therefore, true, biblical church planting movements in Ghana are so vital. We aren’t just looking to gather people; we are looking to see lives transformed by the power of the Word of God. When people genuinely get saved and start living for the Lord, they naturally want to share that new life with their families and neighbors. This is how the gospel spreads, one heart at a time, creating ripples that become waves.

We work in communities where the gospel has been preached, but perhaps not clearly, and in places where the name of Jesus is barely a whisper. The need is immense. You can read more about the specific challenges and triumphs we face daily in our updates and stories on our blog.

More Than a Program: The Heart of Discipleship in Ghana

We don’t just want to add numbers to a roll. We want to see lives changed for eternity. That means one-on-one discipleship, teaching folks the Word of God straight from the King James Bible. When people get saved, they need solid food, not just milk. They need to understand what they believe and why.

Jesus gave us clear instructions on this. He said, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20). That’s our marching orders. This is not just about sharing a message once; it’s about making disciples who then make other disciples. This is the engine that drives true church planting movements in Ghana.

My wife Laura and I spend countless hours teaching Bible studies, answering questions, and simply living out our faith in front of new believers. This is often slow work, but it’s essential. You can’t rush spiritual growth, but you can certainly encourage it. If you’re interested in learning more about the philosophy behind our ministry, you might enjoy my book, Missionary on Fire, which dives into these very principles.

Overcoming Barriers, One Soul at a Time

Building church planting movements in Ghana comes with its own set of challenges. Language barriers are a constant. English is the official language, but local languages like Twi, Ewe, Ga, and many others are spoken in homes and villages. Sometimes, I try to explain a deep theological concept using a local proverb, and the blank stares tell me that went about as well as you’d expect. My wife Laura just shakes her head. We learn these things the hard way, through patient repetition and often, a good laugh at my own expense.

Cultural nuances also play a huge role. What might be polite in America could be offensive here, and vice-versa. We have learned to listen more than we speak, to observe before we act, and to always approach with humility. The gospel is universal, but its presentation must be culturally sensitive without compromising truth. This careful approach helps us build trust, which is the foundation for any lasting ministry.

“Globally, there are still over 7,000 unreached people groups, representing billions of individuals who have little to no access to the Gospel.”
International Mission Board

The work of reaching unreached people groups is a global effort, as highlighted by organizations like the International Mission Board. Here in Ghana, we focus on specific areas, but the underlying need is the same: to bring the light of Christ where it has not shone brightly before. It requires persistence, patience, and a deep reliance on God’s Spirit to open hearts and minds.

The Power of Local Leaders in Church Planting Movements

You can’t build sustainable church planting movements in Ghana from afar. It has to be led by Ghanaians. Our job as missionaries is to help raise up indigenous leaders who can plant and shepherd their own churches, reaching their own people effectively. We pour into men like Pastor Kwasi, teaching them, discipling them, and then trusting them to lead.

This means spending time in formal training, but also in informal mentorship. It involves sitting under a tree, talking through a difficult passage of Scripture. It also involves driving to another village to help them with a new outreach. Furthermore, it means equipping them with Bibles and teaching materials. These men and women already understand their culture, their language, and their people in a way we never fully will. They are the key to seeing the gospel truly take root and spread across the nation.

We’ve seen the fruit of this approach. Churches started by Ghanaian pastors who were discipled through our ministry are now planting their own churches. It’s a beautiful picture of multiplication, exactly what Jesus envisioned. If you’re considering how you might be involved in missions, even for a short time, you might look into our missionary internships to see this process firsthand.

The Unseen Work: Prayer and Persistence

Sometimes you feel like you’re planting seeds in rock. You pray. You wait. You pray some more. This is not glamorous work. There are long days, frustrating setbacks, and moments where you wonder if you’re making any difference at all. The mission field clarifies things quickly. It removes the padding. There is only the work.

We’ve learned that persistence is not just a good quality; it’s a spiritual discipline. I study again. I visit again. I preach again. I forgive again. I trust God again. This is the rhythm of ministry here. We have seen God answer prayers in incredible ways, often after long periods of waiting. It reminds us that the battle is His, and the victory belongs to Him alone.

We cherish the prayers of our supporters. Those prayers are the unseen fuel that keeps us going, especially on the days when the challenges seem overwhelming. If you want to join us in this vital work of prayer, you can find out how to receive our prayer letters and stay connected with our specific needs.

The vision for church planting movements in Ghana is vast, but God is bigger. We keep pressing forward, one soul, one family, one village at a time. It’s a privilege to be part of what God is doing here, watching Him build His church in this corner of West Africa. If you want to keep up with the stories of these new churches and learn more about how God is working here, I invite you to visit our blog. You’ll find regular updates and insights into the incredible things the Lord is doing.

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