Ghanaian missionaries visit Odessa to seek support

A group of African missionaries visiting Odessa will share their distinctive songs of praise and worship at three Permian Basin churches this weekend along with their desire to spread the word of God throughout the world.

The Rev. David Adjani and his wife, Mabel Adjani, will join fellow Ghanaians Seth Tieku, Edwin Otabil, William Amoyau and John Boateng on Prime Time Christian TV at 8 p.m. tonight to describe the work they do in the United States and Africa.

At 6 p.m. Friday, they will be guests at Mount Sinai Baptist Church, 2121 E. Ninth St. They will lead the 10 a.m. Sunday service at Faith in Christ Church in Crane and the 6 p.m. Sunday service at Belmont Baptist Church, 806 N. Belmont Ave. All services are open to the public.

David Adjani, founder of the African Missions Center, said the services will blend American gospel music with the African version of praise music. “Our form of worship can be quite different,” Adjani said. “We raise our hands and close our eyes during worship, and often we kneel or bow down.” Attendees can expect at least one hour of music because exuberant singing, dancing and shouting are central to African worship, he said.

The music will be followed by the mission: to encourage others to become partners in reaching out to underdeveloped countries where there are so many needs.

“The governments in these (African) countries cannot provide for their people,” Otabil said. “There’s not enough revenue. But the church is a trusted organization, and we can provide social services and bring in the word of God.” Food, medical care, education and vocational training are the most pressing needs in countries such as Ghana, Kenya, Ethiopia and Uganda, Adjani said, and the work is quite often done by missionaries.

Boateng is the founder of Daystar Bible College in Ghana, a school that started with funds from the African Missions Center. The college offers a one-year course of intensive study to men and women “who feel called to do the work of God,” he said.

Once students graduate, they can go out into the villages, begin sharing the word of God, start a small school, teach good health and hygiene practices and organize cooperative efforts among farmers, Boateng said. Since the Ghanaian school opened in 1995, more than 400 students have been trained and sent out as missionaries.

“We can do so much more if we get sponsors,” he said. “So many want to come (to the Bible college) but don’t have the money, and we have to have something to support the school and pay the lecturers. If someone gives $300, that will sponsor a student for one year, paying for his classes and providing support for the lecturers.”

Setting up vocational schools is also imperative, Otabil said. “Africa has a large able-bodied population that has no skills. It’s important to provide training that will allow them to find good work.”

Tieku said God has given missionaries the tools they need to do their work, but it’s not work that they can do alone.

“We can offer ourselves for comfort and prayer, but to make a difference, we need support,” he said. “It is very difficult for missionaries sometimes. They may go into a village, and there’s no way to help the people because they have no financial support to feed them.”

When people are hungry because they haven’t eaten in three days, Amoyau said, “nothing you say to them will sink in. Meeting their physical needs opens the door for them to embrace the Gospel.”

In addition to financial support, Boateng said prayers are always welcome. “I wish we could get every Christian in Odessa — or maybe even in Texas — praying for the African Missions Center,” he said.

And while the group wants to draw financial and spiritual support for the work of African missionaries, they also want to encourage Americans to come to Africa as missionaries themselves and participate in the work that needs to be done.

“We need doctors, nurses and teachers to come,” Boateng said. “They can serve a very short time or stay longer. They shouldn’t be afraid to come to Africa.”

For information about African missions or the weekend services, call 352-8484.