Dolphijn was the name of a local trader who lived in Apam, Ghana in the late 1800's. At the time, there were no Adventists living in the region. He picked up a tract from the sea that changed everything.
You may think the Seventh-day Adventist work in Ghana began in a major city. Instead, a small fishing village on the southern coast was the location of an improbable start.
“I welcome you to Apam [ah-pom] which is said to be the cradle of Adventism in Ghana. According to history, one Dolphijn picked a tract at the coast in 1888.”
Dolphijn [Dolfin] was the name of a local trader who lived in Apam. At the time, there were no Adventists living in the region.
“One day he was fishing. He saw a pamphlet floating. And this man, to satisfy his curiosity, picked that small pamphlet. And when he read through, he discovered the Bible truth about Sabbath.”
By 1891, there were 33 believers who had accepted to keep the Sabbath in Apam. The church kept growing, and quickly spread throughout Ghana. Today, you can find a statue of Dolphijn’s hand holding the famous pamphlet to commemorate the origin of the Adventist church in Ghana.
“The importance of it is that it doesn't matter how small the beginning of the gospel is. It started with just a tract on the coast of Apam, and now we have churches all over Ghana.”
In the 150 years following Dolphijn’s discovery, the Adventist church has grown and become well respected across the country. Today, Ghana has the largest Adventist membership in the West-Central Africa Division. Some of the top schools and medical centers are Adventist institutions. Even the top chaplain roles in the military and police force are filled by Adventist pastors. But there are still areas that are difficult to reach.
Meimba [Membah] is a young Global Mission pioneer in the northern region of Ghana. He has been working to start new groups of believers in communities that don’t have a Christian background. Among many other outreach activities, he became a volunteer teacher so he could reach students who didn’t come from a Christian background.
“The Adventist church is growing in Ghana, but at a slow speed in the northern region.”
“I decided to teach religious and moral education. So I decided to teach them what actually Christianity is all about. And as I speak to you now, every Sabbath, about 35 of the students visit the church. Ten of them have assured me they are going to choose an SDA senior high school.”
The work of Global Mission pioneers like Meimba is vital to reaching people in unreached communities in Ghana and all of West Africa.
“There are a lot of people in Ghana who have not heard the good news and with the support of the Global Mission pioneers and their projects, people are going to get used to hearing the message. And the people will hear the good news and it is changing lives. People are testifying about our God and this is done through Global Mission pioneers.”
Please pray for Ghana and the West-Central Africa Division. It’s a challenging field containing cities with great Adventist presence, but also regions with very little Christian influence. Thank you for your support in this area of the world.
