As part of the process of implementing the vision of Rev. Dr. Fred Deegbe to grow Calvary Baptist Church through the revitalized sheepfold (small group) ministry, the city of Accra and its suburbs were demarcated into zones at the beginning of 1995.
The area stretching from the Tetteh Quarshie Circle to Adenta was designated as Zone F. The zone comprised residential areas in Shiashie, East Legon, Adjiringaano, South Legon, Okponglo, Legon Staff Village, North Legon, Haatso, Agbogba, Kwabenya, Atomic Hills Estates (Ashongman), Dome, Legonman (Redco), Madina, Ashaley-Botwe and Adenta.
Choosing a Name
Embracing the challenge of organizing ourselves into a vibrant zone capable of planting a satellite mission of Calvary Baptist Church, members decided to choose a name for the zone at our first zonal meeting held at the residence of Deacon Bernard Barnor at Madina. Members present were inspired by the militancy of Joshua and Caleb, who, even though were in the minority, believed in the power of God to bring them into the Promised Land, in spite of the giants in the land. Accordingly, members unanimously chose the name Joshua-Caleb. We believed that in spite of any challenges we faced in our zone, were able to fulfill God’s purpose for bringing us there, neither by our power nor might, but by God’s mighty Spirit.
Leadership
The zone was organized under the leadership of the late Rev. John Martin Abankwah assisted by the late Rev. Dr. George Odoi (then deacons), Deacons Peter Manful, Bernard Barnor, and Deaconess Christina Abankwa and supported by three Area Shepherds, namely, Charles Owusu, Vincent Amuh and Mrs. Elizabeth Hadjah, and twelve sheepfold shepherds.
It was under this leadership that the zonal fellowship began to grow. Members met regularly at the sheepfold, areas, and zonal levels for times of fellowship and prayer.
Family Focus Week
The bonds of friendship and love among members were further strengthened as we met together more frequently from mid-1995 onwards to plan a programme for the celebration of our first Family Focus Week. Under the theme, “Serving God together as a Family”, we celebrated week from 1st to 6 th August, 1995. The programme of activities included a High Praise night, a symposium, an inter-zonal variety night of music, poetry, family video show visitations, and presentation of gifts to elderly people in their homes. The climax was a thanksgiving service on the 6th of August with a powerful sermon on the theme delivered by the late Rev. Steve Asante.
Activities Preceding the Birth of the Mission
The fire ignited in our hearts from the family focus week kept burning long after the celebrations had ended. Determined to build the Joshua-Caleb family on a strong foundation of prayer, as well as afford an opportunity for those who could not travel to Adabraka for prayer meetings, members began Wednesday evening prayer meetings in two locations. Those who lived in Legon, Madina and surrounding areas met at the Presec J. S. S. premises, while those who lived in the SSNIT Flats, State Housing Company Estates and surrounding areas met at the residence of Pastor Charles Owusu (then an Area Shepherd) at Adenta. The prayer meetings at the Presec JSS was later moved to Rev. Abankwah’s residence due to the lack of electricity in the premises.
A New Mission is Born!
As we persisted in prayer, we heard of a vacancy created by the moving of one of the churches, which worshiped at the Gbewaa Conference Centre, to their own premises. We needed to move in quickly to prevent the space place from being taken over by another church. With the approval of our Senior Pastor, we held our first worship service at the center on Sunday 17th December, 1995. This led to the reference to the Mission as a “premature baby.” We had a total attendance of 45 made up of adults and children. Rev. Dr. Fred Deegbe formally launched the Adenta Mission during the service at Adabraka. Deacon Abankwa was installed as the first Leader, with Deacon George Odoi as the Assistant Leader. In the subsequent years the mission leadership was strengthened with the arrival of Deacons Ben Gogo, Joseph Barnor, Christian Sottie, Albert Hanson, Josiah Acquah, and Deaconess Mrs. Fati Issaka.
New Leadership
From then on, the church was set on the path of growth. The three area shepherds, Charles Owusu, Vincent Amuh and Mrs. Elizabeth Hadjah were ordained as Deacons to further support and strengthen ministry in the growing congregation, and new area shepherds were appointed in their place. In 1998 Deacons Abankwa and Odoi were formally recognized as pastors of the Calvary Baptist Church family by the Ghana Baptist Convention.
Following the call of Pastor Odoi into full-time pastoral ministry, Pastor Abankwa, then serving on part time basis, decided to turn over the leadership of the Mission to Pastor Odoi, and he became the Assistant Pastor. Deacon Charles Owusu continued to support them in the preaching and prayer ministry, as well as service leadership from the pulpit. Both Pastors Odoi and Abankwa were subsequently ordained as Reverend Ministers in November 2000.
Planting of Aburi Mission
A few months after the inauguration of the Mission, a door opened for the planting of a Baptist church in Aburi. The Mission seized this opportunity with zeal and embarked on a series of activities towards planting a mission in Aburi. These activities included crusades, door to door evangelism and follow up on the souls who made decisions for the Lord. Finally, a new mission was born in Aburi, with a team from the Adenta Mission, led by Deacon Vincent Amuh and Bro. John Addo Adjei providing interim leadership until a substantive Pastor, Rev. Texman Tandoh was appointed. Other missionaries on the team included Brother Samuel Boafo, Mrs. Helen Acquah and Ms Janet Baah.
The Search for Land
Soon after its launch, the Mission began to look for land to build its own permanent place of worship. Our persistent search led us to a plot of land within the SSNIT Flats, which, according to the master plan for Adenta, had been earmarked for religious purposes. Members of the Mission went on a prayer walk on the land one evening to claim it, believing that every place where the soles of our feet tread, the Lord will give to us (Deut. 11:24; Josh. 1:3).
In spite of some initial setbacks, we persisted with efforts to acquire the land from the State Housing Company. God divinely intervened, and the SHC allocated the land to us to begin construction of our church building. God fulfilled His Word that came to us during our prayer walk on the land.
Construction of the Auditorium
After securing title to the land, Rev. Dr. Deegbe, Senior Pastor of the Calvary Baptist Church family, cut the sod for the commencement construction works on our Temple complex, which consisted of a basement, an auditorium with a gallery and baptistry, as well as a block of offices. Dr. Deegbe was very supportive of the entire project, including getting us a good design blueprint from the U. S. A., which enabled us to maximize the use of the space we had. He also assisted us to get local architects who adapted the design to suit our local conditions.
We initially built the basement of the complex, and moved there from the Gbewaa Conference Centre for our worship, prayer and other services. God continued to strengthen our hands to build, and, in spite of some initial problems, miraculously provided all the spiritual, physical, human, material and financial resources, until the building was fully completed.
Messrs Alex Allotey, Church Consultant, Eddie Akotey, Contrator1, Emmanuel Quarpong, Quantity Surveyor , Emmanuel Adjei, Contractor 2, Kwabena Bimpong, Structural Engineer, Nana Asare and Mrs Xorla Aryittey, comprised our Technical team for the construction. The building was finally completed in 2003 and Rev. Dr. Fred Deegbe, assisted by the Assembly Woman for Adenta, dedicated the building to the glory of God.
Growth
The Adenta Mission began with three Area Fellowships and twelve Sheepfolds. By 2004, we had grown to seven Area Fellowships and thirty-three sheepfolds. Four new Deacons, namely, J. C. Amui, Kwadwo Anim, Dr. Kwasi Gyabaa and Mrs. Felicity Issah were ordained to strengthen ministry to the sheepfolds.
Church attendance increased from the 45 recorded on the first Sunday to over 500 on average. Also, there was growth in the spiritual lives of the members resulting from the following:
- A lively worship atmosphere enhanced by hi-tech facilities.
- Evangelistic programmes like medical outreach, door-to-door witnessing within the flats and in the sheepfolds, musical and evangelistic film shows, prayer and deliverance services.
- Exciting and interactive Bible Study and fellowship at Sunday School and in the sheepfolds.
- Improved discipleship classes and other programmes for spiritual growth.
- Effective leadership and faithful stewardship of the resources of the church.
The Road to Autonomy
Towards the end of the year 2002, our Senior Pastor mooted the idea of the Adenta Mission seeking the Lords face in considering being granted an autonomous status as a full self governing, self financing and self propagating church independent of its mother church, Calvary Baptist Church Adabraka. Dr. Deegbe explained that the move toward autonomy had become necessary because the Adenta Mission had fulfilled all the requirements set down in the Calvary Baptist Church Developmental plan.
After several consultative and educational meetings between Adabraka and our local Deacons which later trickled down to the auxiliaries and sheepfolds, the Body of Deacons at a meeting on the 29th November 2004, set up an ORGANISATINAL/AUTONOMY committee comprising the following:
- Deacon Peter Manful (Convener)
- Pastor Divine Kumah (Member)
- Dr. George Opoku (Member)
- Mr. Thomas Amoah (Member)
- Ms. Takyiwah Asare (Secretary)
- Rev George Odoi (Ex-Officio Member)
Their task was among others,
- To identify the characteristics of an Organized Church
- To identify status of the Adenta Mission with regard to those characteristics
- To identify aspects that were lacking in our Mission, and
- Draw up a sequenced programme towards the achievement of those characteristics
Upon completion of their assignment, they made the following recommendations:
- Setting up of Constitutional Draft Committee
- Setting up of Nominating Committee to propose Church Officers for elections.
- Recruitment of Administrative Personnel
- Presentation of Final Constitutional Draft for adoption
- Search and Call of a Senior Pastor
Autonomy Vote
At a specially convened Business Meeting on the issue of the autonomy on Sunday May 1st 2005, a 3-man delegation from Calvary Baptist Church made up of Rev Phillip Lutterodt (Associate Minister -Special Duties), Pastor Dan Annan (Associate Minister-Ministry Enhancement), and Rev Ebow Paitoo (Director of Missions), came to supervise the vote for autonomy.
The following were the Electoral Officers:
- Deacon Kwadwo Anim
- Deaconess Mrs Felicity Issah
- Deaconess Mrs. Elisabeth Hadjah
When the votes were counted, the results were as follows:
Observation
The delegation from Calvary Baptist Church Adabraka declared the voting process Free and Fair and was full praise for the Adenta Mission for the conduct of the whole exercise and hoped this would be emulated by the other Missions in the future.
Call of the Senior Pastor
With the decision of the Mission to opt for Autonomy, there was the need to call a substantive Senior Pastor to lead the church into the future. A Pastors search committee was constituted to look for a suitable candidate to fill the slot. The following were members of the search committee:
- Deacon J.A. Barnor – Chairman
- Deacon Ben Gogo – Member
- Deaconess Mrs. E. Hadja – Member
- Deaconess Mrs C. Abankwah – Member
- Deacon Dr. K F Gyabaah – Member/Secretary
After much prayer and consultations, the committee reviewed resume of Rev George Odoi and gave him the opportunity to articulate his philosophy of ministry and his vision for the new church. The committee recommended him to the Body of Deacons. The deacons voted by consensus to recommend him to the congregation for consideration as the substantive Senior Pastor of the new Church.
At a business meeting called purposely to take a vote on this recommendation on Sunday 27thNovember, with Mr H. Darko Sarkwa as the Returning officer, the results were as follows
NEW IDENTITY: On Sunday 26th February 2006, a special business meeting was convened to vote on the proposed names for the new Church.
The votes cast were
| YES votes for Joshua Caleb Baptist Church, Adenta | 65 |
| YES votes for Calvary Baptist Church, Adenta | 143 |
| Abstention | 1 |
| TOTAL NUMBER OF ELIGIBLE VOTERS | 209 |
Conclusion
This is our story so far. May the good Lord guide us on our journey of faith. TO HIM ALONE BE THE GLORY.