From everywhere to everywhere

As a young Christian, Ghanaian Kwame Adzam dreamed of being involved in sharing the gospel. And he’s certainly doing that: these days, he heads up BMS World Mission’s Heart for the Gospel ministry, building strong evangelism and discipleship programmes. But he also had another, more specific dream.

“When I became a believer, I was thinking, ‘When will Ghana be able to send mission workers to other places?’” he remembers. “I’ve always been praying, ‘Lord, would you open the doors for the Global South Church so that we can become significant partners in fulfilling your mission?’”

Now, finally, this vision is taking shape.

Over recent decades, mission agencies have begun thinking of mission less as something belonging to the West, and more as an enterprise “from everywhere to everywhere”. While the Western Church is struggling, Christianity in the Global South is thriving and growing. And with this vibrant faith comes the desire to spread the gospel.

“BMS was beginning to change posture, thinking about the gift of God that lies within the Global South Church,” says Kwame. In 2024, with support from BMS and local partners, the African Oasis Mission Hub was born. It’s a centre in Ghana where Christians from across Africa can gain the knowledge and skills they need for engaging in mission – in their own continent and beyond. The training includes modules on evangelism, discipleship, world religions, risk management and community transformation. There’s also a three-month practical placement.

It’s a phenomenally exciting new venture. “This is the beauty of the Oasis Hub: it’s intentional,” says Kwame. “It’s the first of its kind, deliberately and strategically working with churches to identify, recruit, train, send and support mission workers from Ghana, from Africa, to other places.”

Having a mission hub in Africa brings all kinds of benefits. For instance, it’s easier for African Christians to access certain countries where western workers might struggle to gain entry. There are often fewer linguistic and cultural barriers to overcome. And in areas that are less open to the gospel, African Christians can share the good news of Jesus without ringing the alarm bells that western workers might.

This is where the hub can be really strategic – for example, in reaching into North Africa, where many countries are hostile to Christianity. “We are hoping to energise the sub-Saharan student population, who know life in the North African countries and have built some relationships,” says Kwame. “They can then begin to connect, albeit in a sensitive and discreet way, with the nationals.”

Graduates from the Oasis Hub are already sharing the gospel enthusiastically across Africa. One student, Ife, came from Nigeria to train at the hub. He’s now serving God in the Gambia, a Muslim-majority country where less than four per cent of the population identify as Christian. It’s somewhere BMS would never otherwise have been able to send a mission worker. “The gospel harvest that will happen in the Gambia for generations to come is because BMS was generous with the resources God has given us, but also generous in our heart posture to see God’s Kingdom expand,” says Kwame.

Other hub graduates are serving in countries as diverse as Guinea, Tanzania, Zambia, Nigeria, Togo, Burkina Faso and Côte d’Ivoire. In time, Kwame hopes the hub will send workers beyond Africa to the help revitalise the Church in the West.

The story doesn’t end with the Ghana hub. BMS has recently started making plans for a second mission hub in Thailand, which could reach an incredible 1.6 billion people.

“It’s really exciting for me to be part of this,” says Kwame. “It feels like it’s a call God gave me decades ago coming to be.”