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Davenport, Dewayne D.

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Abilene Christian University Digital Commons @ ACU Stone-Campbell Books Stone-Campbell Resources 6-1964 The Ghana Report Dewayne D. Davenport Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.acu.edu/crs_books  Part of the Africana Studies Commons, African Languages and Societies Commons, Biblical Studies Commons, Christian Denominations and Sects Commons, and the Christianity Commons I ( the Ghana ,- I .. . r The Ghana Mission Dewayne Davenport, Missionary Madison Church of Christ Madison,. Tennessee Report ''The Gospel for Ghana'' cmER FOIi ~rnflAATIO:I S f!IU!f !'JilUSTI.\I UIIMftS,Tf .GHANA REPORT ,Vol. IV June, 1964 -No. A HISTORY OF THE GHANA MISSION WORK "Dewayne Davenport in natj.ve cloth and sandles. " On August 31,19 61, the Davenports and Reynolds left Phila-delphia, the plane heading for Ghana. These missionaries were the first resi-dent missionaries ci. the Church of Christ to enter Ghana. · "Jane Davenport in native cloth-Name of Cloth, "Oh tree, youhave killed my brother. " Following is a brief history of the work in Ghana since the arrival of the Davenports and the Reynolds . 6 We began by advertising the church and our first meeting in the newspaper. Als 9, thousands of handbills were passed out to announce our first meeting at the YMCA in Kumasi. Not many people came to ,the "Y" and it was soon decided to move from the "Y." All the time we have been distributing literature and the tract, "Back To The Bible," had come to the hands of a preacher in Old Tafo and his friend.Joseph Owusu. After study Owusu was baptized and the first congregation in Kumasi began meeting at Old Tafo. The church has grown numerically and spiritually. They partially support their preacher. In November a contact of the late John Gaidoo came to visit us. He was Samuel You.ng who was working with the Department of Agriculture in the Eastern Region. Young beca ime our first convert in Ghana and upon going back to his town he established a congregation in his town immediately. Thus Oworobong and Old Tafo became our first two churches. C .ir 0 vc rn C r By December of 19 61 we had baptized around 2 5 people. In December Bro. B. 0. Samuel, a Ghanaian preacher, who had been studying in the Bible School at Ukpong, Nigeria, re-turned to Ghana to help in the wo rk. We now had a full-time interpreter and the work began to grow more rapidly. Also, i n the first yea r Isaac Gaidoo, son of the late Bro. John Gaidoo was baptized. In January of 19 62, the second Kumasi co n gregation was established at Amakom. The month of February saw the opening of the Ghana Bible College at Old Tafo. Since then the College has graduated its first class of six preachers. From· Old Tafo the School was moved to Amakom and now_ the School meets i n a house adj oiI).irig Bro. Derr' s home. . The School presents a great opportunity for training the native preachers. The native preachers are the key to the future of the Ghanaian work. From the very first the Bible Correspondence Course has been operated and has had a large enrollment. Few people have been baptized as a direct result of the course, but thousands have studied from the true Gospel for the first time via the Correspondence .Course. We believe that the Word of God will not return void, therefore, we are using every means to get the Word before the people. By the time our first anniversary in October 1962, there had been 250 baptized. Five or six congregations were also meeting. One of the most effective tools in the work has been the outdoor preaching. By preach-ing in the market places, street corners, etc. , we have been able to reach over 50,000 in less than three years . People will stand listening for long periods of time and then ask questions. Most of our contacts have come through this method and the Correspond e nee Courses. Tracts and leaflets, literally thousands, have been distributed in Ghana. Tracts have a way of never dying and we receive in quiries from all corners of Ghana as a result of a friend passing on a tract. In July 1963 the Reynolds returned to the States. The Davenports carried on the work alone until September when the Harold Derr family arrived to replace the Reynolds, being supported by the Wilmington Church. We regret that no replacement has volunteered for the Davenports, at present. One very effective tool has been the Vacation Bible School. Our first Vacation Bible School was conducted in September 1963. Ther e have been three schools and each one a success with a n average of over 150 children daily. A Bible Correspondence Course in Twi, the native language has been completed. It is the first course by any church in the native language. The future looks bright for the church in Ghana. We have five beautiful acres in Kumasi for future buildings when the need and opportunity arrives. The Government has officially recognized us by granting a quota for the missionaries. During this tour Bro. Davenport has . visited six West African Nations other than Ghana. They are: Nigeria , Cameroon, Dahomey, Togo, Ivory Coast and Upper Volta. The prospects are bright for missionary work in all these nations. All this work for the Lord has been made possible by your support. The Lord willing, and with your help we plan to return to Gh ana by July of 1965. Our new address will ·be: 4101 Cromwell Road, Chattanooga, Tennessee, 37411. Let us hear from you. Yours in Christ, Dewayne and Jane Davenport GHANA CONTRIBUTIONS SINCE LAST REPORT Billy & Freda ·webbe.r, Pat~rson, N.J.-- -- ,9. 00 , R.i.dgedale C·of C, Chattanooga, Tenn- - 2 5. 0 0 Collingswood C of C, Coll:i:nsw' d, N.J.- 90. 00 J. W. 0 'Banion, Swifton,Ark. - - --- - - - - 10. 00 Mrs. W. P. Jones, .Nashville, Tenn.- - - - - 5. 00 Floyd & Esther King, Langhorne, Pa. - - - 6. 0 0 Carl & Vena Kulp, w, Chester, Pa. - - - - - 15. 00 Lynda H. Walker, New Egypt, N. J. -- - - - 3. 00 M_rs. Sam Evans, Decatur,Ala. - - - - - - - !0. 00 Cr-owder C of C, Bell City, Mo. - - - - - - - 2 5. 00 E.,J.Alexander, Trion, Ga.- - - - - - - - - - - - 1. 00 Lina Windom, Washington, D. C.- - - - - - 6. 00 Hallie Mitchell, College - - - - - - - - - - - 3. 00 Jno. W. Nute, Stewart AFB, N. Y. - - - - - - - 3. 00 Ola Thornthwaite, Huntsville,Ala.- - - - 3. 00 Westwood C of C, McM'ville, Tenn.--- 50. 00 Mrs L. H. Heidbreder, Piggott,Ark. - - - - 3. 00 Mr. &1'4rs. D. E. Daughrity,H'tsv'lle,Alm.12. 00 J.L. Chambers, McM'Ville, Tenn.- - - - - - 3. 00 Lee W. Reid, Scranton, Pa. - - - - - - - - - - - 3 . 0 0 THE GHANA REPORT Vol. IV., No. 6 1 June, 1964 Published Monthly by Madison Church of Christ Madison, Tennessee Mrs. Hiram Stubblefield, McM'Ville - - 3. 00 s/Sgt. L. H. Lang, 2 634, S. Fr' isco, Calif.- 3. 00 Mrs. Ruth Holmes, Montgomery,Ala.- - - 3. 00 Russell Wats~n, Nashville, Tenn. - - - - 3. 00 Mrs. Lizzie Roney, McM 'Ville, Tenn.- - 3. 00 C. D. Shiplett:, St. Louis, Mo.- - - - - - - - - 12. 50 Crowder C of C, Bell City, Mo. - - - - - - 2 5. 00 Danny Killian, McM'ville, Tenn. - - - - - 2. 00 Brainerd C of C, Chattanooga, Tenn.- - -100. 00 Ch. of Christ, Box 454, Somerset, Pa.- - 9. 00 Walcott C of C, Paragould,Ark. - - - - - - 10. 00 Jerome D. Catchim,Arlington, Va.- - - - - 6. 00 Liberty C of C, Hope Hull, Ala. - - - - - - - 2 5. 00 East Lake C of C, Chattanooga, Tenn.- - 2 5. 00 Mr. &Mrs. H. C. Furline,Nashville, Tan. 6. 00 Highland Gardens C of C, Montg'rv,A. 2 5. 00 Ridge dale C of C, Chattanooga, Tenn. - 2 5. 00 Mrs. Bessie S. Colville, McM'ville, T .- 5. 00 Floyd &Esther King, Langhorne, Pa. - - - 9. 00 Ola Thornthwaite, Huntsville,Ala. - - - 3. 00 Second Class Postage Paid at Madison, Tenn. 

The Ghana Report

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The Ghana Report

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