Ghana lies just north of the equator, and hot climate prevails everywhere. Ghana is rich in gold, which attracted much exploitation by European traders in the 15th and 16th centuries, followed by the even more devastating exploitation of slave trading in the 17th through 19th centuries. Ghanaian ports are infamous for their holding cells for captured slaves awaiting shipping.

Southern Ghana is now conspicuously "Christian," though largely nominal. Outside the city of Accra, the majority of Ghana's citizens live in small villages, where African traditional religions dominate.
The Bible Church of Africa (BCA) grew out of SIM's work among unreached tribes in northern Ghana beginning in 1978. BCA now has more than 4,100 believers in southern, central, and northern Ghana. Ghanaians are receptive to the gospel, especially the youth.

SIM first entered Ghana in 1952. Their early efforts resulted in the establishing of Maranatha Bible College and Challenge Enterprises of Ghana (CEG) which are now fully autonomous Ghanaian ministries. CEG fosters media for evangelism and church development. Challenge Cinema Today provides showings of Christian films throughout Ghana via touring vans. The Challenge Enquiry Centre in Accra provides follow-up for the film ministry, Bible correspondence courses for adults and children, a Bible institute through prisons, the Young Searchers League which ministers to students in urban areas as well as a marriage and family ministry. The mission arm of BCA plans to enter seven unreached groups in Ghana.

SIM missionaries are involved in theological education, marriage and family ministries, church planting and ministries to human need such as preventive health programs, primary health care, literacy and economic development. They are planning a new outreach to an unreached Muslim tribe in partnership with the church. There is growing emphasis on curriculum development, and literature production in the languages of the people.

Please pray for:

1. Continued and growing partnership between BCA and SIM.
   
2. Healing of the lingering hurts of slavery throughout Ghana and beyond.
   
3. Wisdom in exploring and resolving such pervasive problems as polygamy, witchcraft, widowhood, low levels of giving in the church and the interface of gospel with culture.
   
4. Guidance in focusing on programs that will really work to reduce poverty and enable the church to support their own missionaries.
   
5. Guidance in developing a more dynamic youth ministry to meet the vocational, social, educational and spiritual needs of Ghanaian young people.