“It made [the election] very unique, because the party in power was trying to push for Ghana’s first Muslim president,” Ray Mensah with OneWay Ministries notes.

A portrait of the President of the Republic of Ghana (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons, CC0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=157795094)

Mahama, a Christian, gained a decisive victory — 56.5% of the votes compared to 41% for Bawumia. Yet the election points to a growing influence of Islam in Ghana.

Mensah explains that like many parts of Africa, Ghana has a Christian south and a Muslim north. Missionaries entered the country from the southern coast, while Islam came down from the north. 

Yet even as mosques are spreading in its towns and villages, Ghana is a majority Christian nation (71 percent according to a 2021 census). It plays a key role in spreading the gospel in Africa, but more believers need to be mobilized to do so. 

That’s why Mensah and other leaders in the Ghana Evangelical Missions Association (GEMA) are working to rally local churches. “Vision 2040” as they call it has a goal of sending 30,000 missionaries from Ghana across Africa before 2040. They also seek to raise tens of thousands of churches to pray for and send out missionaries. Mensah says they came to that vision through “a process of praying and fasting and brainstorming.”

To him, it’s a matter of stewardship. “Just like we receive many missionaries, we should also give many missionaries to the nations to see people come to Christ all over the world,” he says. 

“To him that much is given, much is expected. I believe the Lord is expecting much for Africa, and Africa has to arise. The Church in Ghana has to arise, the Church in Africa as well. We have no other option. We have to be the Great Commission. We have to contribute significantly to global missions and world evangelization, for such a time like this.”

Ghanaian Christian leaders have mentored Christians in Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe and other countries toward starting their own national missions movements. They’re also involved within Ghana. Mensah is the director of OneWay Africa, which supports boots-on-the-grounds missions outreaches across Ghana and raises up Christians for missions, and more.

How you can pray

Jesus Film Riders (Image courtesy of OneWay Africa)

Pray for peace. Ghana is still a place where Christians and Muslims largely live without violence. But not all of its neighbors can say the same.

“We see the insurgency, the insecurity in our neighboring countries, in Burkina Faso, in Mali, in Niger, Chad and in our sub-region, and we just pray God’s grace. We pray for divine intervention. We pray that God will have mercy on Ghana and protect us from all the insecurity,” Mensah says.

Pray for more people to come to faith in Christ. “We pray that God will reveal Himself to our [Muslim] brothers. They are our brothers, and God loves them. We love them. We pray that God would hear us and empower the church to be able to reach out.”

Pray for the church in Ghana to be strong in discipleship. Pray that those who know Christ will see their faith impact every area of their life.

Then, consider partnering in the work. “We also invite people to partner with us in different ways — in prayer, logistics, finances, teams, short-term teams. Ghana is open to short-term teams,” Mensah says. “We open our arms [and] say, come! Let’s share the gospel together. It will change their lives. Let’s do the work together. There’s so much work. The harvest is [plentiful] but the workers are few.”

Learn more about the 19 unreached people groups still in Ghana today. Visit OneWay Africa’s website to learn more.

Header photo courtesy of OneWay Africa, OneWay Ministries. 

Samuel Afrifa with OneWay Africa says, “To organize a crusade, you need a lot of money. But with the JESUS Film, with our backpacks and our motos (motorcycles), we are able to get to a community and gather the people in no time to come and hear God’s Word.” 

OneWay Africa missionaries like Afrifa travel on motorbikes to some of the most remote parts of northern Ghana, among people steeped in Islamic or animistic beliefs.

Jesus Film Riders (Image courtesy of OneWay Africa)

Because the film is available in a community’s heart language, it draws people who might not otherwise come to see the story of the life of Christ.

“The best part is that they hear this message in their own language,” Afrifa says, “So it attracts the old, the young, chiefs, unbelievers, and imams. They all come in their numbers, and they watch the JESUS Film. After that, we admonish and make altar calls.

“It is a very cost-effective yet efficient tool that’s helping send the gospel to many, many hearts.”

JESUS is shared all over the world. In OneWay Africa alone, God has used the evangelistic film to reach more than 380,000 people since 2017, with more than 43,000 responding in faith to Christ. They have served among unreached people groups such as the Mamprusi, Fulani, Wala, Gonja and others.

Join OneWay Africa in praying for God to raise up more missionary riders plus the support they need for this critical outreach in Ghana. Ask God to continue to multiply the gospel impact of JESUS among even more people groups around the world.

Click here to learn more about the ongoing ministry of Jesus Film Project.

(Header photo courtesy of Jesus Film Project)

They are called the Jesus Film Riders.

Jesus Film Riders (Image courtesy of OneWay Africa)

Reagan Opoku Agyeman, one of the Jesus Film Riders says, “Jesus Christ has given us the commandment that we should all go into the world (Matthew 20:18-20). So that’s why I do this!”

All of these young men are college graduates. But instead of starting their careers in the marketplace, they are devoted to sharing Christ through the JESUS Film, produced by Jesus Film Project.

It’s not easy. They must ride across rugged terrain — often for hours — to reach remote and isolated villages. Each Jesus Film Rider must be willing to go anywhere, sleep anywhere, and eat anything.

Another Jesus Film Rider, Lord Cyrus Nyamenlewoke says, “I’ve been inspired by St. Francis of Assisi spreading the Gospel to places that were dangerous to his life. And so it inspires me to know that I can also do something for God and my life.”

The initiative is part of OneWay Africa’s Jesus Film Campaign. The ministry recently released a video featuring the Jesus Film Riders.

Jesus Film Rider (Image courtesy of OneWay Africa)

With the support of OneWay, these young men were equipped with new jackets, helmets, gloves, and motorbikes. Their motto: “I ride for the glory of God.”

Before they can show the JESUS Film in a new village, a visiting Jesus Film Rider has to establish relationships in the village. Sometimes they are able to provide water filtration units to meet practical needs and open relational doors.

Once they have built trust and get permission from a “man of peace” in the village, the Jesus Film Rider is finally able to share the JESUS Film.

OneWay Africa Field Director, Mawunyo Kuuku Win-Tamakloe says, “They can’t believe that the Jesus they’ve heard of can speak their language. It’s always heartwarming when they find out that Jesus can speak their language.”

Each film showing ends with a time of prayer and an invitation to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

Jesus Film Rider with village children. (Image courtesy of OneWay Africa)

Since OneWay’s Jesus Film Campaign began in 2016, over 225,000 unreached villagers have seen the JESUS Film. And 28,226 have committed their lives to Christ!

However, the ministry doesn’t stop there. After showing the JESUS Film, the rider will continue discipleship in the village. This looks like small group discipleship meetings using tools such as the Bible Plus audio players. Eventually, the small group grows and often establishes a new church.

Over several months, the Jesus Film Rider continues to support the village and trains new believers to disciple others. Then he moves on to the next village that needs the Gospel.

Ray Mensah, the executive director of OneWay Africa says, “It takes a whole team of people to put one Jesus Film Rider on the mission field. It takes the work of planners, facilitators, prayer supporters, and financial supporters among other people to get them on the field to reach people with the Gospel, to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and to make disciples.

A village in Ghana (Image courtesy of OneWay Africa)

“If you are led by the Spirit to join the team, we welcome you, whether you pray, give, or go. Come join us! Let’s send these gallant young men onto the mission field to win precious souls and the unreached multitudes for Christ.”

Click here to learn more and support OneWay Africa!

Check out the JESUS Film and Jesus Film Project here!

Header photo of Jesus Film Riders, courtesy of OneWay Africa.