Dear Friends,
As we conclude our Anglophone Africa prayer series, let’s pray together for Edmond Vanderpuye in Ghana.
Located in West Africa, Ghana was among the first African countries to throw off the yoke of European colonialism, gaining independence in 1957. According to the 2021 census, 71% of Ghana’s 31 million people identify as Christians and 20% as Muslims, while 3% practice traditional religions exclusively. Religious tolerance is high in Ghana, where no significant link exists between ethnic identity and faith.
Edmond is pursuing a PhD in Theology and Development at the Oxford Centre for Mission Studies in the UK. As Executive Director of International Needs Ghana, a holistic development ministry, Edmond is researching sustainable models for Christian social enterprise. Edmond and his wife Nana have four children.
Edmond shares the following message:
Dear ScholarLeaders Community,
Thank you for your fervent prayer every week for scholars researching and publishing all over the world. I am blessed every week as I join this faithful community in prayer. It is encouraging to be part of this caring community.
My Research
I am a research scholar at the Oxford Centre for Mission Studies (OCMS) in the final stage of my doctoral research. My research inquires into how Faith-Based Social Enterprises (FBSE) in Ghana address tensions in their social, financial, and spiritual objectives through organizational spirituality to promote holistic sustainable enterprise outcomes.
My Country
Ghana, like some other countries in the Global South, currently faces economic challenges that the government explains are the result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war. Therefore, the government has decided to seek support from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The decision has caused public outrage due to earlier promises by the government not to seek an IMF bailout.
In Ghana, there continues to be freedom of expression of religious beliefs. The Church has been growing steadily with more opportunities to deepen discipleship and Christian witness in the marketplace.
Prayer Requests
1. Pray for good health and strength through the final stages of completing and defending my thesis.
2. Pray for the Church in Ghana at all levels to prioritize discipleship and commit to demonstrating Christian values in public engagements.
3. Pray for missionaries, church planters, and pastors to boldly proclaim the Gospel and to shine the glorious light of Jesus among unreached people groups and communities.
Edmond Vanderpuye