Participants:
Series Code: MTS
Program Code: MTS002401A
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00:09 Building bridges with our Buddhist neighbors,
00:12 mission in the South Pacific 00:14 and the sights and sounds of Ghana coming up next. 00:51 Hello and welcome to Mission 360 . 00:53 I'm Gary Krause. 00:54 Today's program is coming to you from Accra, Ghana, 00:57 on the west coast of the continent of Africa. 01:00 This city of more than 2 million people 01:02 is very diverse. 01:04 Many different ethnicities 01:06 and some 50 distinct languages are spoken here. 01:10 Ga is widely spoken, 01:11 but the official language is English. 01:14 In fact, most children in this city by age five 01:17 can speak at least three different languages. 01:20 While we'll be learning more about Ghana 01:22 on today's program, 01:23 but first up, let's travel to the South Pacific. 01:26 From the remote tropical islands, 01:28 to the bustling cities of Sydney and Auckland, 01:31 from thick jungles to traffic jams streets, 01:34 amidst rugged mountains and white sandy beaches, 01:37 this is the South Pacific division. 01:43 This beautiful and vast territory 01:45 encompasses a variety of people, groups and terrain 01:48 that makes mission work in the region, 01:49 both a challenge and an incredible opportunity. 01:53 God is doing amazing things 01:55 in this region of 40 million people. 01:57 The Adventist Church here 01:59 counts a membership of more than 500,000 people 02:01 who worship on Sabbaths in nearly 2,000 churches. 02:05 More than 80% of the membership 02:07 lives in Papua New Guinea 02:09 and the Pacific Islands. 02:15 In Goroka, Papua New Guinea or PNG, 02:19 the Adventist Church operates 02:20 one of the largest missions in the country. 02:23 As you drive through the beautiful landscapes 02:25 in the central region of PNG, 02:27 it's hard not to notice 02:29 the many Seventh-day Adventist Church sites. 02:31 Adventists here work hard to grow God's kingdom. 02:35 Today, some nearby church members gathered 02:37 to celebrate the Sabbath with enthusiasm. 02:40 They sing joyously in praise and worship. 02:50 Music is a vital component of worship. 02:52 Here many groups and choirs sing songs 02:55 to prepare the spirit 02:56 for the preaching of God's Word. 03:00 All is well 03:03 If God in it 03:06 Must believe that all 03:08 After the Pathfinders perform a skit, 03:10 the pastor brings a message of encouragement to people 03:13 who face many challenges as Christians here. 03:15 Among these challenges 03:16 are tribal beliefs and superstitions, 03:18 geographical isolation and language barriers. 03:22 As the world's most linguistically diverse nation, 03:25 PNG is home to more than 800 languages. 03:28 This can be a real Tower of Babel experience 03:31 for those sharing the gospel. 03:33 At the end of the service, 03:34 this community of believers sits in groups 03:37 as others dig up a pit 03:39 where food has been cooking. 03:40 This pit is called a Mumu, 03:42 the traditional Papua New Guinea 03:43 and way of cooking. 03:45 It's like an oven right in the ground 03:47 where you put hot stones in the hole, 03:49 followed by banana leaves 03:50 and then food. 03:52 Then the hole is covered with earth 03:53 and the food cooks overnight. 03:56 When the food is ready, 03:58 it's a warm and welcoming experience for all. 04:09 In the afternoon, 04:10 many churches in this area host programs. 04:13 This lively all day event make Sabbath 04:15 a day that the children and adults look forward to. 04:20 The growth the Adventist Church has experienced 04:22 in the South Pacific goes back to humble beginnings. 04:25 In 1891 Seventh-day Adventist Church co-founder 04:29 Ellen G. White 04:30 arrived in the South Pacific, 04:32 virtually pioneering the work here. 04:34 In the home she named Sunnyside in Cooranbong, Australia, 04:38 she performed her dual ministry of missionary and writer. 04:42 Her work in this region built a foundation 04:44 for the church's early efforts in the South Pacific. 04:48 Today, the Adventist Church carries on 04:50 the early missionaries' legacy 04:52 as it continues to spread the gospel 04:54 throughout the region. 04:56 Although there has been significant growth, 04:58 there are still unreached people groups 05:00 in hard to reach places. 05:02 Please pray for the missionaries 05:04 who sacrifice much to serve in the South Pacific division. 05:10 My guest is Pastor Fred Agyei-Baah 05:13 who is the Director of Global Mission 05:15 for the North Ghana Union Conference. 05:18 Nice to meet you again, Pastor. 05:19 And thank you for joining us. 05:21 Nice meeting you too. 05:22 When we think of Ghana, what, 05:26 how would you describe your territory? 05:27 Right. 05:29 Our territory in the country of Ghana 05:31 is about two tenths of the landmark of Ghana. 05:34 And our population is close to 18 million, 05:40 the population of this area, and we have, 05:44 but that with to go Burkina Faso, Eastern West, 05:48 and Burkina Faso in the Northeastern West, Togo, 05:51 and then Cote d'Ivoire and it's a vast territory, 05:55 very vast territory, 05:56 where there are a lot of people groups 05:59 that we have there. 06:00 And I can imagine that one of your challenges 06:02 would be just transport because of such distances. 06:05 That is true. 06:06 We have plans for transporting around 06:08 and moving from one area to another area, 06:11 it's a very vast area. 06:12 It's truly, certainly that is the situation. 06:16 What are the mission challenges do you face? 06:18 Yes, we face the problem of 06:21 getting transportation just as you said, 06:24 and then urbanization, 06:26 then as the rural drifts to the urban centers 06:30 and the cities and getting overpopulated wise, 06:35 we have the rural areas 06:38 and the villages being depopulated 06:40 and it affects mission. 06:43 It costs us to work so much in the cities 06:46 because most of the people are coming to the cities. 06:49 Excellent. Yes. 06:50 Now tell me about some of the Global Mission pioneers 06:52 who are working in your territory? 06:55 In our territory, we have 18 Global Mission pioneers 06:59 and they are scattered in the vast area 07:02 that I talked about. 07:04 Most of them are working so assiduously 07:08 to ensure that the work of mission must. 07:11 I can't forget one of the stories 07:14 that the Global Mission pioneer told me 07:17 that he was walking one day on the street. 07:20 And then he saw an old woman coming from the farm, 07:23 and they decided to take the load off the old woman 07:26 and actually picked the load and went to her household. 07:29 The old woman said, "Where are you coming from? 07:31 What are you doing in town?" 07:32 He said, "Oh, I am here with the word of God. 07:36 And that is all I do in town." 07:38 And he has his own work, he's a tailor. 07:42 So he said, "I'm a tailor also 07:43 at that storied building you find there. 07:46 And just as that happened, the woman said, 07:49 "This is wonderful, no Adventist in this area 07:53 just as seen today. 07:56 So what is your church?" 07:57 And he said, "I'm a Seventh-day Adventist." 07:59 "Oh yeah. 08:00 Can I join your church on your day?" 08:04 She said, "Can I join you for church on Sunday?" 08:06 He said, "No, we go to church on Saturday," 08:08 and the woman was there. 08:10 And the woman is under Bible study now. 08:14 And we believe one day, 08:16 she will be a baptized member of the church. 08:18 I visited them, met the woman and we talked 08:21 and two of the children have also joined the woman 08:23 coming to church. 08:25 So just that simple act of kindness 08:27 in helping with the load started the conversation. 08:29 It's nice to be nice. 08:32 I like that. 08:33 What about some of the other pioneers? 08:35 Oh, the other pioneers are also working. 08:38 There was one who found himself 08:41 in the motor bike accident. 08:44 And we have been taking care of him. 08:47 He's doing better. 08:49 He went to hospital, and at the hospital, 08:51 he was proclaiming the Word of God. 08:54 And nurse also said, 08:56 "I am interested in studying the Word of God. 08:59 Beautiful. It is good. 09:00 Even when he was sick, 09:01 it was an opportunity for him to proclaim the Word of God. 09:05 Now the pioneers they, 09:07 how do they travel from place to place? 09:10 Yeah. 09:11 A number of them have motorbikes 09:13 that have been provided by Global Mission. 09:15 And some of them have bikes, 09:18 some of them who also walk, 09:20 and we are yet to see 09:22 if they could get a motorbike 09:23 because where they were to work in the area is by motorbike 09:28 and not even by bicycle 09:29 because the distance is a little far. 09:32 Right. 09:34 Can you tell me another story of church planting 09:37 or pioneers working in your territory? 09:39 Yeah. 09:41 In the territory, we have planted 12 churches. 09:45 Now we have nine Global Mission centers. 09:49 We have planted 12 churches and we keep moving 09:52 and some of the pioneers when they work in an area, 09:55 they are asked by the next village, 09:57 "Can you come and then work with us?" 09:59 And then they move there. 10:00 They plant the churches, 10:02 but the challenge we have is where to put the converts. 10:06 Right. Yeah. Yes. 10:08 Because they come into a group, 10:10 but if it rains heavily what do you do? 10:12 There is trouble. Right. 10:13 Rains heavily, there's trouble. 10:14 The sunshine is so much, there's trouble, 10:16 some of them recess 10:17 and the conferences have also bought land 10:21 and we are trying to see 10:23 how best they could get long shelters for them. 10:26 Okay. 10:27 Now, when a Global Mission pioneer 10:29 begins his or her work they, 10:32 they're putting Christ method into practice. 10:35 What sort of things do they do? 10:36 What sort of activities do they do? 10:38 Yeah, the major activity they do, 10:40 like Christ mingle with the people. 10:43 They also find themselves mingling with them 10:45 in a lot of activities. 10:47 When there's a community program, 10:49 they find themselves amongst them. 10:51 And some of them I've even picked to be that one day 10:54 people in town who they look up to. 10:57 So they mingle with the people. 11:00 And then the act of kindness is also provided. 11:05 And as long as they provide act of kindness, 11:08 just like Christ did, 11:10 they win the confidence of the people. 11:12 And then they can say, 11:14 "Why don't you follow me to church on Sabbath? 11:16 Wonderful. 11:17 Pastor Fred, what are your hopes for the future 11:20 in Northern Ghana? 11:22 Yeah. 11:23 Our hope for the future in Northern Ghana, 11:24 in respect of Global Mission is to ensure that 11:28 some of these people who have moved 11:30 from the rural areas to the cities 11:33 or have reached, 11:34 we have the message reaching them, 11:37 a lot of the youth are coming. 11:38 And then we also solved 11:42 with the problem of youth unemployment. 11:45 And we're looking at how best we can work at this. 11:49 Even I am looking at having a group 11:52 by urban center of influence in one of the cities in Ghana 11:56 so we can find a way of getting the youth 12:00 employed, trained 12:02 and then they go 12:03 and do their own self employment 12:06 and we are looking at it. 12:07 We see a brighter future 12:09 for Global Mission in my territory. 12:11 Fantastic. 12:12 Pastor Fred, thank you so much for sharing with us today. 12:15 And viewers at home please pray for Pastor Fred 12:18 and the Global Mission pioneers, 12:20 the church planting, 12:22 particularly the challenge of the cities in Ghana, 12:25 and we'll be right back after this break. |
Revised 2020-04-02