Today in the Mission Yearbook - The Great ‘Co-Mission’

Sharing our faith to the ends of the Earth

January 12, 2021

Girls in northern Ghana walking to the river for water during the dusty dry season. (Photo by Josh Heikkila)

Proclaiming the Good News of the Gospel and making known to others the teachings of Jesus has been integral to the church since its earliest days. We may ask, why does the church share its faith in Jesus Christ this way? The simple answer: We do it because Jesus commands us to do it (Matthew 28:19–20).

In mission, we share with others how Jesus inspires us to work for justice and reconciliation in the world, and how he gives us a sense of grace and peace in return. We also share with others how Christ’s blessings have transformed our lives, and we express a desire for others to experience the fruit of the Spirit, too: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, humility and self-control (Galatians 5:22–23).

Faith in Jesus Christ touches the deepest parts of our being, so it is not always easy to articulate to others how he touches us and transforms us. But still, by the grace of God, we go out and we try, praying and working for the best, and knowing with certainty we will always fall short. We trust that Jesus himself, the redeemer of the world, can make up for where we fail.

The Bible itself gives an account of early missionary endeavors in Acts of the Apostles and the letters of Paul. In the centuries that followed, missionaries carried the faith to the ends of the earth: to Ethiopia and Egypt, and the rest of Africa; to Armenia and India, and later East Asia; to Rome and the countries of Europe; and eventually to the Americas.

The work of mission has always been shaped by the example of Jesus himself, who loved and valued the people among whom he worked. I am struck by the times when Jesus was conducting his ministry of healing, when after healing people, he speaks those confusing words: “Go; your faith has made you well” (Mark 10:50–52).

For those of us involved in mission — especially in areas like health, development and poverty reduction — the words of Jesus make wonderful sense. Although we may be supporting partners to improve human flourishing, it is ultimately the people themselves who bring about well-being in their lives. Mission at its best only helps push it along.

When working together with mission partners, there are many methodologies that inform what we do. Community organizing lifts up an “iron rule”: Never do for others what they can do for themselves. And it emphasizes that leadership always needs to come from within the community. Participatory Assessment, which is used by the United Nations, involves listening to people and empowering them to organize for societal change.

Community Health Evangelism, a methodology now widely used in Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) World Mission, describes itself this way: “CHE equips communities to identify issues and mobilize resources to achieve positive, sustainable change. Lives and communities are transformed as people come to Christ and work together to address local needs.”

In 1974, the All Africa Council of Churches, in the wake of independence movements that were spreading across the continent, called for a moratorium on the sending of Western mission personnel and financial support. Although the moratorium was never fully implemented, it pushed for the transformation of mission practice around the world. Anti-colonial and anti-racist movements fought for their voices to be heard. And although we still struggle to fully hear and listen to them, these voices have shaped how mission is now done.

Although evangelism is still central, and the health, education and development work remains a vital part of what we do, there’s a new aspect of how we carry out mission together.

We must walk side by side and together with Jesus Christ. We must sit down and break bread together in Jesus’ name. We must get to know each other as siblings, and with the help of the Spirit, love each other as family. As we strive to do these things together, God will set our hearts aflame with the Good News of Jesus Christ.

The Rev. Josh Heikkila, Regional Liaison for West Africa, World Mission, Presbyterian Mission Agency

Let us join in prayer for:

PC(USA) Agencies’ Staff
Barbara Betts, Administrative Services Group (A Corp)
Teresa Bidart, Presbyterian Mission Agency

Let us pray:

Dear God, help us to recognize that all the good things we own come from you. Give us the courage to share what we have received from you for the furtherance of your work. In the name of Jesus Christ we pray. Amen.

Today in the Mission Yearbook - Trade and tariff systems prevent cocoa processing in West Africa

Unjust system keeps farmers trapped near poverty level

July 26, 2020

Dried cocoa seeds being prepared for packaging and export from Ghana. (Photo by Josh Heikkila)

In the backyard of my house in Accra, Ghana, there are plantain, papaya and mango trees, each giving fruit at their particular times of the year. I’m excited as the dry season ends — the beginning of spring in the U.S. — when our avocados ripen and become ready to eat!

In addition to these trees, there is another fruit tree in West Africa that has had a huge impact on the people and economy for almost 150 years. It’s the cocoa tree. The fruit of the cocoa tree is processed to make chocolate, and almost two-thirds of the world’s production takes place in the countries of West Africa.

The fruit, rather than hanging from the branches of the tree, grows as a pod off the trunk. The seed of this fruit is fermented, dried and then ground into powder, which becomes the primary ingredient of chocolate.

The fruit of the cocoa tree is not eaten for sustenance. Instead, it’s a hugely important cash crop in countries like Ghana, Togo and Nigeria. On family farms across the forest belt of West Africa, families grow cocoa (in addition to crops for personal consumption), which is then sold for extra income. It’s not unusual for children to help on these family farms after school and on weekends.

Major industries in Ghana include drilling for oil, mining for gold and growing cocoa. Each brings in roughly the same amount of money to the country. (One local company, in fact, refers to cocoa as “brown gold.”) While we might not hear much about the economics of cocoa, it has a profound impact on the region. The market price of cocoa sometimes affects whether the government can provide education, health care and necessary infrastructure for the well-being of the people.

Most of the cocoa exported from Ghana is in the form of the unground beans or powder. While prices always fluctuate, cocoa powder is currently selling for about a dollar a pound. The U.S. and Europe charge little or no tariff to import beans or powder. But as soon as the cocoa is processed a little more, these same countries impose a tariff of up to 30% on the cocoa that Ghanaian cocoa distributors import into Europe and the U.S.

In the competitive market for chocolate products, companies try to avoid paying this tariff. They import unprocessed cocoa, which is then made into chocolate domestically. Even companies certified as fair trade, while they are able to transfer more income to farmers, are trapped in this competitive economic system that can be highly unjust. The tariff system has largely prevented West African countries from processing the cocoa they grow, thus keeping them trapped at the level of farming the cocoa. The value that is added to cocoa, therefore, ends up in the pockets of Western processors, while farmers in West Africa remain at levels near poverty.

One focus of PC(USA)’s Matthew 25 invitation is eradicating systemic poverty. This focus highlights the need to “change laws, policies, plans and structures in our society that perpetuate economic exploitation of people who are poor.” Looking at the economics of cocoa, you can see that trade and tariff policies are one area that must be addressed if we are to be in true solidarity with communities that are impoverished. This is something we can do only if we are together.

When we meet global partners, we often hear stories about their everyday lives. Our West African partners tell us about the way God has endowed them with the gifts and skills they are using to thrive in this world.

When we hear these stories, our own lives are enriched, and our faith strengthened. The Matthew 25 invitation reminds us that we also have to go deeper, because our own economic prosperity can sometimes be intricately tied up with perpetuating the poverty of others.

I wish I had solutions to all the problems we face, and answers to all the questions. Obviously, I don’t. But I trust that as we work together with our West African mission partners — listening and learning about one another’s lives — it will help us to work for the improved well-being of all God’s children.

Josh Heikkila, Presbyterian World Mission’s Regional Liaison for West Africa. Based in Ghana, he facilitates partner relationships, implements regional strategies and supports the work of mission personnel in the region. Subscribe to his letters. Consider supporting his ministry.

Let us join in prayer for: 

PC(USA) Agencies’ Staff

Bintou Jalloh, Board of Pensions
Ellie Johns-Kelley, Presbyterian Foundation

Let us pray:

Gracious God, we give you thanks for your glorious creation and world mission ministry. Amen.