Ghana Travel Seminar: May Day

  1. Ghana Travel Seminar: Seeing the magnificence of God’s love
  2. Ghana Travel Seminar: Time for church!
  3. Ghana Travel Seminar: Elimina Slave Castle
  4. Ghana Travel Seminar: Learning at the Akrofi-Christaller Institute
  5. Ghana Travel Seminar: May Day
  6. Ghana Travel Seminar: The ties that bind
  7. Ghana Travel Seminar: Reuniting with alumni
  8. Ghana Travel Seminar: Singing without words
  9. Ghana Travel Seminar: Handcrafts with personality and stories
  10. Ghana Travel Seminar: Touching the lives of children and teenagers
  11. Ghana Travel Seminar: Hospitality and kindness
  12. Ghana Travel Seminar: Love and anger are the key

BY DR. FRANCES TAYLOR GENCH

Today is a holiday in Ghana – May Day, a Labor Day-type celebration. We joined the congregation at Grace Presbyterian Church for the last hour of their four prayer service celebrating this occasion. The service started at 4:00 a.m. We joined them at 7:00 a.m. and it was a packed house!

Director of the Syngman Rhee Global Mission Center for Christian Education and Assistant Professor of World Christianity  James Taneti (at right in pulpit) speaking at Grace Presbyterian in Ghana.

Then we visited the nearby Patmos Retreat Centre in Akropong-Kuapem, founded by Grace PC’s dynamic Catechist, Abboa Offei (Offei is in white with us in top photo). The retreat centre began as a prayer camp, has expanded its facilities, and has become an oasis where individuals, congregations, para-church organizations are welcome to gather free of charge for prayer, rest, restoration, renewal, and release. We visited the lovely prayer forest where many such groups were gathered for prayer and were privileged to have an opportunity for conversation with Abboa Offei in the new chapel on the grounds — a unique opportunity to learn about spiritual renewal and deliverance ministry in Ghana — and to have him lead us in a powerful prayer of blessing on behalf of our group member Eric Tang, who is celebrating his birthday today! What a great way to start his new year!

Frances Taylor Gench is the Herbert Worth and Annie H. Jackson Professor of Biblical Interpretation at Union Presbyterian Seminary.