By: Wayne and Arlene Wilson
In the goodness of God we have the privilege of working with pastors and Christian workers from a number of denominations in the West African nation of Ghana, specifically in the Northern Region. One of the Christian leaders we minister with is Rev. Immanuel Issa. Rev. Issa is a member of the Dagomba tribe, which is said to be 80-85% Muslim. Not surprisingly, Rev. Issa was born into a Muslim family and later became a follower of Jesus despite the persecution he faced.
Today, Rev. Issa is an ambassador of Jesus Christ in his village that is located about 45 minutes from Tamale, the capital of the Northern Region. He pastors a thriving Baptist Church in his overwhelmingly Muslim village. Rev. Issa takes seriously the task of seeing that those he shepherds are equipped for works of service. To that end, he brought in a team from the U.S.A. that provided Christian education training to his people as well as vocational training involving working on motorcycles that are the primary mode of transportation in that part of Ghana. This practical training will enable them to service their own motorcycles as well as assisting others.
However, Rev. Issa’s concerns are not confined to his congregation and village. He has a passion to reach out to those who have never heard the gospel. This led he and another colleague, Evangelist Immanuel, to travel weekly for the purpose of establishing Christian congregations in two villages that have mosques but no Christian witness. Because the villages are inaccessible by road, the two men load their motorcycles onto a canoe and travel by river to the proximity of the villages, unload their bikes, and travel from there to the villages where they hold Bible studies. Although their village is 11 hours from the ocean, the men describe the trip as “going overseas,” and it can take up to two-and-a-half hours each way during the rainy season, which lasts from June through September!
Rev. Issa’s zeal and passion for full orbed discipleship and evangelism reflects the passion of the Apostle Paul who labored tirelessly not only to see that believers would become spiritually mature (Colossians 1:28, 29), but also to establish churches in areas where the gospel had not yet penetrated (Romans 15:20). We are currently raising support to return to Ghana full-time to co-labor with Reverend Issa and pastors like him whose passions are to equip Jesus’ followers and proclaim the gospel to those who have never heard. You can learn more about our ministry on our Field Worker page at: modernday.org.
If you would like to make a financial contribution to the Wilson family, Click Here.
