A Training Program To Equip Local Churches for Small Group Evangelism in the East Ghana Conference of Seventh-day Adventists

Problem Many Adventists in the East Ghana Conference like others in the global church erroneously perceive ministry as limited to activities at the church premises on the Sabbath or specific programs or events like a three-week evangelistic series, rather than a lifestyle. Even so few participate in ministry leaving the bulk of the membership in the pew as spectators. Method My research was based on the study of the Bible, E. G. White counsels, literature on church growth, statistics on growth trends of the East Ghana Conference, and the church in Ghana, as well as my personal journey as a worker in many fields in Ghana (the entire research was done on campus). Results A review of the statistical report of the East Ghana Conference revealed that the Conference grew at an average rate of 4 percent per annum from 1999-2009 while the ratio of the baptized membership to the population of the Eastern Region of Ghana, for the same period, stood at 1:75. The research further indicated that the Ghanaian cultural context presents bright opportunities such that when harnessed will accelerate the rate of growth as well as the membership to population ratio. There is the need therefore, to find the best working sub-structure of the local church that will change the members’ attitude to go beyond mental accent to serving and living the gospel for rapid growth. Conclusion To address the problem, local churches need to change the status quo. Doing this will involve careful study of Christ’s teaching on kingdom expansion, and also the immediate environment and understanding their reason of existence, casting the right vision and developing strategies that would involve the entire membership through small working groups for ongoing ministries like prayer, study, spiritual growth, care, outreach, and accountability

Credit Information Sharing Coverage and Depth and Their Impact on Bank Non-Performing Loans

This study provides an international evidence of how credit information sharing coverage and depth impact on bank non-performing loans across the income brackets categorized by the World Bank. Employing anova and robust standard errors OLS estimation techniques, the results suggest that both coverage and depth of information shared are imperative in reducing bank non-performing loans. However, coverage of credit information shared is more effective in reducing non-performing loans with public credit registries while depth of information shared is more effective with private credit bureaus. The findings further prove that the use of both private and public bureaus and registries are more effective in reducing non-performing loans than using either of them. The study finally finds that non-performing in low income countries varied significantly from that of high income countries. These findings are largely consistent with previous studies and require the implementation of policies that deepen the coverage and depth of credit information shared across the income brackets especially low income countries

Evaluating Banking Profit Performance in Ghana during and post Profit Decline: A five Step Du-Pont Approach

In this study we aimed at three objectives. First, identify and rank banks based on a composite score comprising of all five du-pont variables. Second, we identify variables in the five step du-pont set up that are most likely to influence bank ROE during and post profit declining periods. And third, we estimate a model to capture the variables that drive bank ROE during and post profit declining periods. We first establish from our rankings that, foreign banks in Ghana performed better during profit declining periods while the local banks performed better in post profit decline periods using the top ten banks as a benchmark in both periods. Employing Pearson correlation coefficients matrix, we recognized that operating profit margin, asset turnover and leverage were most likely to influence bank ROE in both time periods. We further employ OLS regression and find that bank ROE was impacted by operating profit margin and leverage during profit declining periods and post profit decline while tax effect added up in post profit declining periods

Asante Cultural Symbols, A Source for The Creation of Bamboo and Leather Souvenirs

This piece of presentation is on souvenirs, as the cultural belief in Ghana. In discussing this presentation, some attempts have been made to examine the nature and diversity of indigenous Asante cultural symbols as a source for the creation of Bamboo and leather souvenirs, as well as an appreciation of indigenous bamboo and leather crafts as a human achievement. There is also a general overview on Asante culture in Ghana, outlining in particular the shape of the cultural symbols, varieties that exist, and the philosophical impact it has on Asante man (the Asante community). The writer argue that the Asante cultural symbolic embellished bamboo and leather souvenirs evolved out of motivated and adoptable processes, which have social heritage components as well as devout and enlightening dimensions. These the writers concluded have experienced substantial variations over the past several periods. Keywords: Culture, Souvenir, tourist, Proverbial souvenir, Regalia souvenirs. DOI: 10.7176/JTHS/55-05 Publication date:March 31st 202

Manure characteristics of small ruminants fed agro by-products in the guinea savannah agro-ecological zone of Ghana

A 90 day study on evaluating quantity and quality of manure from small ruminants in the Guinea Savannah agro-ecological zone of Ghana was conducted. 36 goats and 36 sheep were random­ly allotted to three dietary treatments - Basal diets of maize stover, cassava and yam peels as Treatment one (T1), T1 supplemented with cowpea residues as Treatment two (T2) and T1 supplemented with groundnut residues as Treatment three (T3) in a randomized complete block design. Feed composition and intake and manure characteristics were assessed and data ana­lyzed statistically using Generalized Linear Model procedures of SAS at 5% significance level. The Chemical composition of feed resources ranged from 3.2-17.3% crude protein, 82-97.2% organic matter and 2.8-18% ash. Total feed intake ranged from 519.55-659.72 g/day and 331.84-420.17 g/day for sheep and goats respectively. Sheep manure weighed 319.17-423.33 g/day and contained 20.74-29.01% carbon, 1.87-2.32% nitrogen, 0.77-3.00 potassium, 9.52-26.50% ash, 0.44-0.77 pH and C:N ratio of 10.98-15.53. Goat manure weighed 178.67-216.17 g/day with 19.58-30.61%, 1.56-2.21% nitrogen, 0.82-2.33% potassium, 10.75-19.80% ash, 0.37-1.47 pH and C:N ratio of 9.49-19.92. Results indicated that manure from small ruminants could serve as alternative source of fertilizer in Ghana since its characteristics compare well with chemical fertilizers. Keywords: sheep; goats; feed resources; manure; fertilizer

Evaluating Bank Profitability in Ghana: A five step Du-Pont Model Approach

We investigate bank profitability in Ghana using periods before, during and after the globe financial crises with the five step du-pont model for the first time. We adapt the variable of the five step du-pont model to explain bank profitability with a panel data of twenty-five banks in Ghana from 2006 to 2012. To ensure meaningful generalization robust errors fixed and random effects models are used.Our empirical results suggests that bank operating activities (operating profit margin), bank efficiency (asset turnover), bank leverage (asset to equity) and financing cost (interest burden)  were positive and significant determinants of bank profitability (ROE) during the period of study implying that bank in Ghana can boost return to equity holders through the above mentioned variables.. We further report that the five step du-pont model better explains the total variation (94%) in bank profitability in Ghana as compared to earlier findings suggesting that bank specific variables are keen in explaining ROE in banks in Ghana. We cited no empirical study that has employed five step du-pont model making our study unique and different from earlier studies as we assert that bank specific variables are core to explaining bank profitability

History’s Role in Policy Making: Proffering Solutions and Questions for Humanity and the Ghanaian Context

Concerning history, several people across the globe perceive or think that it is mostly about past events and also about dead people. Some trained historians, whether in ancient histories or contemporary histories, have sometimes vehemently concluded that the historian or the writer of history cannot draw conclusions but he can only make inferences or better still ask questions. Such carefulness of the historian does not only add to his tactfulness but also makes the ordinary reader aiming at policy to rush for quick-fix information, ‘non-history’. To a large extent when the works of historians have been used by policy makers, they are not cited. They are used in a way that the ordinary reader or beneficiary might not have a clue that history had a part to play in the birthing of such policy. This history and policy essay gleans information from essential academic sources to push forward an argument for history’s role in policy making. It does look at some relevant questions for Ghana where the authors lecture in history and political studies

Ethanolic stem bark extract of terminalia ivorensis A. Chev. protects against potassium dichromate–induced nephrotoxicity in rats.

Objective: The plant Terminalia ivorensis is used in traditional medicine as a diuretic and in the management of renal failure. We reported previously that the ethanol stem bark extract of the plant protects against gentamicin-induced renal and hepatic damage in rats. To further elucidate the mechanism of its renoprotective activity, we studied the effects of the extract on Potassium dichromate–induced nephrotoxicity in rats. The present study assessed the effectiveness of the ethanol stem bark extract of Terminalia ivorensis - against renal oxidative injury evoked by potassium dichromate. Methods: Adult Sprague Dawley rats pre-treated with (100–1000 mg/kg p.o. bwt) of Terminalia ivorensis extract for 5 days were challenged with a single dose of Potassium dichromate (20 mg/kg Sc) in the neck region on the 4th day. On the sixth day, renal function and markers of oxidative injury were assessed. Results: Terminalia ivorensis (300–1000 mg/kg p.o) pre-treatment dose dependently prevented decreases in urine output in rats challenged with a nephrotoxic dose of Potassium Dichromate. The extract also protected the rats against Potassium dichromate-induced rise in serum electrolytes, urea and creatinine. Furthermore, it dose dependently prevented Potassium dichromate-induced decrease in renal glutathione (GSH) levels whereas tissue oxidative enzymes Superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase were protected from damage. Markers of lipid peroxidation such as level of renal Malondialdehyde (MDA) and myeloperoxidase (MPO) also decreased dose dependently when compare with Potassium dichromate treated groups. The extract also protected the histomorphology of the kidney against Potassium dichromate induced damage. Conclusion: The ethanol stem bark extract of Terminalia ivorensis protects kidney against Potassium dichromate-induced renal damage

A Historical narrative of the British Colonial Administration's Clamp down on Witch finding Shrines amongst the Asante People of the Gold Coast

The paper focuses on the issue of witchcraft at the Gold Coast and Asante in particular. Information from archival sources and secondary sources has been gleaned to form a historical narrative covering the period 1907 to 1940. The dilemma of the indigenous people concerning witchcraft, the attempts of Indigenous Priest Healers (IPH) to cure and the trite efforts of the British Colonial Administration to clamp-down some of the shrines of the IPHs considered to be engaged in witch-finding have been looked at