Ghana Mission Project History & Timeline

Revised Summary of Mennonite/Ghana/Good News Theological Seminary (GNTS)/University Mennonite Church (UMC) Interactions, 1971 - 2008

1970s-1980s: Edwin and Irene Weaver (after leaving Nigeria because of the Biafra War) begin relating to sister churches in Accra of the Spiritual Independent churches/African Independent churches, resulting in the founding of the Good News Training Institute in 1971 (now Good News Theological Seminary (GNTS)). Over the years, other Mennonites serving there include: Willard Roth, Stanley and Delores Friesen, as well as Erma Grove (see below) and Howard and Miriam Charles.

1973-74: University Mennonite Church (UMC) member Tom Charles lives in Ghana from the summer of 1973 to the summer of 1974, when he is 12 and his father Howard teaches at Good News Theological seminary (Now called Good News Theological College and Seminary, GNTCS).

1980s: Erma Grove is a Mennonite missionary at Good News Theological Seminary (while the current Seminary President, Thomas Oduro is a student there). Colleagues of Ms. Grove, Dr. and Mrs. Robert Kraay, write of Ms. Grove: "While we were in Ghana as Lutheran missionaries, we worked hand-in-hand with a Mennonite missionary, Miss Erma Grove. She was instrumental in keeping the school going during some really difficult economic and political times in Ghana, and worked steadfastly for many years teaching and encouraging the students and Independent Churches . . . It is gratifying to see that the GNTS has dedicated a women's dormitory to Erma Grove."

1980: Fran and K. ("Osseo") Osseo-Asare begin attending UMC (Osseo is from Ghana and he and his wife both have close and continuing ties with Ghana)

1996: UMC writes into its vision statement the intention to form a mission partnership with a congregation overseas. The wording is later changed to "mission partnership."

November 2000: Gladys and Carl Keener contact Mennonite Central Committee and Mennonite Board of Missions requesting information about mission partnerships. Both agencies send information that is shared with the congregation. Further discussions are tabled.

November 2002: Fran and Osseo bring their adopted teenage nephews Sam and Ernest Osseo-Asare from Ghana to live with them in State College.

2006: As part of the discussion of purchasing a larger church building, UMC congregation decides to begin a serious exploration of an overseas mission partnership. A Mission Partnership Committee is formed: Evelyn Bartsch, Kris Charles and Liz Hunsberger are the original members.

June 2006: Liz, as chairperson of the committee, searches Mennonite Mission Network (MMN) web pages to identify a contact person and information about mission partnerships. An e-mail is sent to Dean Heisey indicating our interest and requesting further information and assistance in identifying possible partnerships. On June 19, 2006 Dean Heisey forwards 4 possible projects, one of which is GNTCS. He indicates that GNTCS in Accra, Ghana might be a possibility for UMC, as well as the Ghana Mennonite Church. We learn that Maple Grove Mennonite Church (MGMC) in Belleville is also considering a mission partnership with GNTCS.

July 2006: The mission committee settles on GNTCS as a likely partner, and forwards their recommendation to the leadership committee for consideration

August 20, 2006: At the UMC congregational business meeting, the Mission Partnership Committee shares with the congregation the possibility of UMC and MGMC partnering with GNTCS in Ghana and the congregation selects the partnership with GNTCS as the choice of mission, and learns that Maple Grove Mennonite Church is also interested in partnering with the seminary. The congregation charges the committee to continue exploring this mission partnership possibility.

October 2006: Dean Heisey meets with MGMC's Mission Committee and encourages them to consider sending a work team to GNTCS as early as the spring of 2007.

November 2006: Dean Heisey comes to UMC on Sunday, 11/26/06. He gives the morning message, then leads the adult SS class, and provides several handouts as a means to introduce GNTCS and several Ghana Mennonite Churches.

March 2007: Fran Osseo-Asare joins UMC's Mission Partnership Committee. That committee meets with MGMC's Mission Committee 3/14/07. The committee discusses the possibility of Fran visiting GNTCS as she will be in Ghana mid-May, 2007, and also realizes that with UMC's move to the new building in May, there is no possibility of considering a team going to Ghana in 2007. The committee discusses the possibility of having a Ghanaian meal sometime after Fran returns from Ghana in June to be held at UMC and inviting members of MGMC.

May 2007: Fran meets with Bruce Yoder and Rev Thomas Oduro and several staff members at GNTCS on May 29th. She takes greetings and pictures from UMC and MGMC to share with the folks in Ghana. She also takes pictures of the GNTCS campus and staff to bring back to our two churches.

June 2007: UMC & MGMC members gather around tables in the UMC Fellowship hall (Atherton building) to eat a Ghanaian meal prepared by Fran and many helpers from both churches. Fran also reports on her visit to GNTCS and shows pictures.

August 2007: Bruce Yoder & Nancy Frey, MMN West Africa Coordinators living in Cotonou, Benin, are on home leave and meet with MGMC Mission Committee 8/15/07. Again, Bruce and Nancy encourage a face-to-face visit to Ghana sometime in 2008.

November 6, 2007: Bruce Yoder meets with Evelyn, Liz, and David Miller at UMC. Bruce encourages us to send a small delegation to GNTCS. He also says he will arrange a meeting with the Moderator of the Ghana Mennonite Church. Since Osseo and Fran will actually be living in Accra, Ghana from January-July in 2008, Fran could be involved in the planning stages of this trip at that end.

November 18, 2007: At the UMC Business Meeting, the Mission Partnership Committee proposes that 3 members from UMC plus Fran (already in Ghana) join 4 members from MGMC to travel to Accra, Ghana to explore face-to-face with GNTCS faculty and Board of Governors ways we might partner together. The committee shares Bruce's statement that it would be important to have a male church leader be one of the team members and have an equal number of male/female team members. The congregation accepts this proposal and agrees that the church would be responsible to pay all the travel costs of the team members. There is already a Ghana Fund in the church budget and people are encouraged to begin making contributions to that fund. The congregation charges the committee, in consultation with MNN, GNTCS and MGMC to select team members and set a date for the trip.

January 6, 2008: Joint meeting held at UMC to finalize dates of and preparations for the trip: date set for May 3-13, 2008. The trip is to be an exploratory trip to listen and learn from our Ghanaian brothers and sisters. The team members from MGMC are: Alan and Nancy Kauffman, Jolene Byler and Jared Byler (not related). The UMC members are: Liz Hunsberger, David Miller, Jim Rosenberger and Fran Osseo-Asare. (UMC's team is approved by the Leadership Team). Orientation meetings are scheduled for March 22 and April 13.

January - May, 2008: Fran meets with Steve, Bruce, and the GNTCS staff to finalize arrangements and an itinerary for the teams coming to Ghana.

April 2008: Additional preparations include logistics of what to pack, what gifts to take. UMC members Becky Kephart and Vonda Yoder make a wall-hanging to give to GNTCS and an exact duplicate to keep at UMC. David orders two peace lamps: one for GNTCS and one for the Ghana Mennonite Church Center. Alan agrees to order some peace banners to give to various people. The children at UMC order pencils with the UMC name and pencil sharpeners. They also draw pictures which they attach to notebook pages to give to children we meet. Team members are encouraged to take photos of themselves to give as gifts to students and people we meet at churches. David and Alan also agree to take some books for the GNTCS library and to the Mennonite Church.

May 3-14, 2008: Trip to Ghana with teams from UMC and MGMC.

June 1, 2008: UMC team members report to UMC during morning worship.

August, 2008: UMC business meeting has a discussion on possible partnership arrangements with GNTCS and requests the Ghana Mission Partnership committee come to the next business meeting prepared to make specific recommendations to the congregation

September 4, 2008: Ghana Mission Committee and team members from the May Ghana trip meet at Maple Grove for a dinner meeting with Dean Heisey to consider next steps regarding partnership with GNTCS.

October 30 - November 5, 2008: Rev. Thomas Oduro visits UMC and Maple Grove, making presentations at Allegheny Conference and a joint service/fellowship meal at Maple Grove, as well as private dinners and receptions designed to inform congregational members about the school and its mission.

November 16, 2008: At a congregational business meeting, UMC unanimously votes to accept the Ghana Mission Partnership Committee (GMPC) recommendations, with a few minor wording changes, and asks the GMPC to take action on UMC's behalf with our partners.