Shepherding the Flock

There are several Baptist Conventions and Unions across West Africa, each training pastors for their churches and leaders for outreach groups. With a low literacy rate throughout West Africa, it is not surprising that the educational level of church leaders varies widely throughout this region. Ministers with a lower educational level are trained in pastors' schools, including one where oral learning is the method of teaching theological education. Often these bi-vocational pastors serve in rural areas, working hard to reach their people for Christ. Their transportation can include motorcycles, donkey carts, boats, bicycles and other means. Other pastors are able to obtain seminary degrees and work in large city churches that offer many outreach opportunities including evangelism, literacy, and medical and social needs ministries.

Recently more than 30 pastors were ordained as ministers of the Ghana Baptist Convention that is striving to provide leaders for its 800+ churches. On the Sunday after the Ghana Baptist Convention's annual business meeting, the newly ordained ministers' churches had special times of prayer for the pastors and their families. This was a serious time of commitment and affirmation as church members recognized these men as being set apart by God and chosen by Him to lead them. As these new pastors and their wives and children knelt in prayer, they also affirmed that God's call to ministry involved the whole family.

Thousands of pastors work in many countries throughout West Africa. Some have spent their whole life in ministry and are ready for retirement. Others are just beginning their time of ministry and are discovering how fulfilling – and how difficult – serving God's people can be. Baptist pastors in West Africa need your prayers as they fulfill God's call on their lives.

• Ask the Lord to continue to develop a servant heart in West African Baptist pastors and to give them wisdom to deal with the challenges they face in their ministry assignments.
• Intercede for these men and their families so that they will continue to have a zeal and passion for evangelism as the focus of their ministry.
• Ask God to continue to draw them into a deeper walk with Him.
• Also pray that God will give older pastors an extra measure of patience and grace as they mentor those who are new to the ministry. Ask the Lord to give them wisdom so that they will be good examples to those whom they mentor.

Wanda Walker - Convention Team