Meet Pastor Enoch Owusu
I first met Pastor Enoch Owusu over 15 years ago during one of my first trips to Ghana. I was teaching a course at the Evangelical Church of Ghana’s Bible School in Kpandai and he was one of the students. To be honest, I can barely remember my interaction with him during those classes, but every time I meet him, he reminds me of our initial meeting and how impactful it was to be in that class. Since that time, Pastor Enoch and I have become good friends and I have seen him grow and mature into a good leader and man of God. Upon graduation, ECG assigned him to the fishing community of Yeji on the shores of Lake Volta in the Bono East Region.
With Pastor Enoch in Yeji on the shores of Lake Volta
With Pastor Enoch’s family
As one of CIM’s supported pastors, he is currently overseeing the ECG church in Yeji including preaching points in the nearby villages of Prang, Akamade, Kwame Danso, and others. He is also the Mission School Coordinator for the Yeji ECG Academy for primary and junior high school where CIM is currently supporting 14 teachers. His wife Cecelia is the kindergarten teacher at the school.
After many years of prayer, the Lord gifted Pastor Enoch and Cecelia with a daughter named Rose. She is now three years old and many consider her a miracle baby. During my visit to Ghana in 2020, I was overcome with joy when I met Baby Rose for the first time.
Pastor Enoch is very hard working. I have traveled with him to many of the villages that he oversees, many of them remote. The area that he is in charge of is very extensive and he relies on a motorcycle to travel. Because of the wear and tear of his bike over very rough terrain, he is in need for a new motorcycle. With his persistence, the preaching points and the school continues to grow. From the support of donors in Australia and Canada, we are able to help with his salary as pastor and mission school coordinator and also the salaries of the 14 teachers. We have also been able to help with the building projects for the school and mission house which is ongoing.
Students from Yeji School
The inflation rate in Ghana over the last year has been roughly 54 per cent, which has been the highest in two decades. As a result, it has been very difficult for the pastors and teachers alike financially, both in their personal lives and in their building projects. I was able to communicate with Pastor Enoch earlier this month and he shared with me that the enrollment for the school continues to increase, meaning there is a need for new text books and other supplies and the building project is lagging behind. There is no running water at the school and the mission house. Currently they are purchasing water from trucks which transports them to the school. The goal is to is to have a water extension from a local pipeline and to build toilets for the school when there are sufficient funds. They would also like to build a fence or wall around the school as the government has requested it.
Pastor Enoch has also been recently appointed as National Children’s Coordinator. Because of this new role, he will have to travel across the country. Pray that the Lord will provide a reliable vehicle for him to do this. On a personal front, even though he is only 44 years old, he is already planning ahead for future retirement and he asked for prayer to be able to find a piece of property that his family may own for when he does retire.
I have worked with pastors in Ghana for close to 20 years now and they are very committed to serving our Lord amidst tough circumstances and conditions. I have watched Pastor Enoch grow from a student in Bible School to a wonderful pastor and leader. I want to thank all the donors for their financial support in this process but especially for the prayer support. I have brought many STM teams to the Yeji area and I know that everyone that has traveled there have been inspired by Pastor Enoch and his family. Please continue to uplift this family to the Lord.
We will continue to highlight our supported pastors in future editions of our newsletter.
Rev. Isaac Quan
September Financials 2023
1. General Fund - for general and administrative purposes, such as staff salaries
2. Designated Fund - for specific ministries in different field locations as designated (cannot be transferred between funds)
*All financial figures are in Canadian dollars and rounded to the nearest dollar
Pray With Us:
Please continue to pray for peace in Ukraine. The invasion rages on and innocent lives are lost each day. Pray for House of Mercy as they take care of refugees, physically and spiritually. Praise God that Pastor Vasya and Pastor Vlad are now safely back in Ukraine after the “Mercy in the Midst of Turmoil” tour to Toronto, Montreal, Calgary, and Vancouver.
Pray for the pastors and teachers that we support in Ghana and Togo. Inflation is still greatly affecting their lives. Pray for our ministries in Ghana and Togo to share God’s love with the local Africans and help with some of their physical needs. Pray for the formation of STM teams in 2024. Continue to pray for Pastor Enoch and his family. Praise God for Pastor Matthieu has safely returned to Canada after his trip to Togo.
Pray for Rev. Richard Ding, CIM Australia’s missionary to Cambodia. His cancer has spread to his liver. He has started chemotherapy treatments and may need a liver operation. The next few months will be critical.
Pray for CIM USA as they are still looking for an Executive Director as well as a Director of Ministry.