Ghanaian Members Plant Second Church in Columbus
photos by kofi adjei
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or some time, members of the Columbus Ghanaian church have been talking, thinking, brainstorming and praying about planting a second Ghanaian church. They were convinced that this was long overdue because of the influx of many ethnic Ghanaians who have moved from Ghana, West Africa, and settled permanently in the city’s different neighborhoods. Many of these Ghanaian immigrants had not yet heard the Seventh-day Adventist message. After considerable planning and extensive demographic and psychographic studies, the congregation accepted the challenge to plant a second church in 2016. To facilitate this, senior pastor Sampson Twumasi conducted two revival meetings on “Evangeliving”— living like an evangelist in everyday life—which prepared members for the church plant launch and involved every family intrinsically in the project. During the months that followed, the church plant taskforce made reports to both the church board and the church at large during church business meetings. This created excitement among the members and energized everyone to participate in the planting
Pastor Derick A. Adu (left) and Pastor Sampson Twumasi (right) present Sampson Nuro, Daniel Boateng and Joseph Sarkodie, the lay leaders of the Prince of Peace church, with plants to symbolize their role of overseeing the new congregation.
Members of the Prince of Peace Ghanaian church gather to celebrate the new church plant. process, reports Kofi Adjei, communication director. After seeking the Lord’s direction, the taskforce chose the northern section of Columbus for their new church plant. Strategically selected for its close proximity to many Ghanaian immigrants, leaders trained the few Ghanaian Adventists in that vicinity on how to reach fellow Ghanaians. The new Ghanaian church was founded in August, when a core group from the main church agreed to serve as charter members. Three church elders with years of experience in church planting in Ghana and in the U.S. will nurture the core group. Church leaders also plan to use the core group to refocus on non-attending members, young postmodern professionals and churched and unchurched Ghanaians who may be seeking the Adventist truth. Though the group is new, they have been attracting new members and have gradually developed different ministries. Named Prince of Peace Ghanaian church, this group that started with about 60 members now has more than 80 members, with a baptismal class in session. Prince of Peace currently meets at 1755 GranvilleDublin Avenue in Columbus. The mother church, Columbus Ghanaian, continues to provide assistance until this new church can stand on its own and be organized into a company to join the sisterhood of churches within the Ohio Conference.
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