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Ghana
BASIC team member Lois Andrews leads opening worship at the Kasei Hospital chapel.
What does it mean to be a brother or sister in Christ? Brothers and Sisters in Christ (BASIC) is exploring that question with the people of the Kasei region of Ghana. First Presbyterian Church of Glen Ellyn, Illinois, is teaming up with other PC(USA) congregations, including Rolling Bay Presbyterian Church in Bainbridge Island, Washington, to become involved in congregational partnership and grassroots development work in the Kasei region of Ghana.
Dr. John Boateng, director of the Luke Society for Africa and a founder of BASIC, began his work in Kasei over twenty years ago. Through his leadership and the support of the Luke Society, local churches, and villagers, Kasei now has a forty-five-bed hospital and a water project with two deep wells, several pumps, and two water tanks. In 2005, Glen Ellyn Presbyterians Sada Andrews and Debbie and Steve Tonissen founded an organization based in the United States that works with BASIC. The people of BASIC made a long-term commitment to work with their brothers and sisters in Kasei to explore the common call to follow Jesus. Together they are building relationships while they help raise this Ghanaian town out of poverty.
In the summer of 2007, Lois Andrews and Sherri Bergstrom expanded the local schools’ use of the library and textbooks BASIC provided. Laura Alonso helped to support the young women’s outreach. Dylan Ferreira, a graduate student in agriculture at California Polytechnic State University, came to the village for three months to build relationships with farmers and learn their practices. He is developing an agricultural business roadmap that will lead to at least a fivefold increase in average farming family income.
Partners/Ministries
Presbytery Partnerships with Ghana: Presbytery of Lake Michigan with the Evangelical Presbyterian Church, Ghana; Presbytery of Greater Atlanta, Foothills Presbytery, Presbytery of the James, Presbytery of Lackawanna, Presbytery of Mid-Kentucky, Presbytery of New Brunswick, Salem Presbytery, Presbytery of Denver, Presbytery of Chicago, and Presbytery of Milwaukee with the Presbyterian Church of Ghana
PC(USA) General Assembly Staff
Dennis Blum, GAC
Michele Blum, PPC
SharrieBobrow, OGA
Gracious God, thank you for your love that crosses all barriers of language, culture, and geographic location, love that literally crosses oceans. We ask that you would guide and bless all brothers and sisters in Christ who seek to work together in your name. Amen.
Ps. 57, 145 Ps. 85, 47
Isa. 48:1–11
Gal. 1:1–17; Mark 5:21–43
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