Serve with ABWE
Africa: Togo
Togo, West Africa, is a finger of land slipped between Ghana and the Republic of Benin. Her boundaries extend from Burkina Faso at the north, and dip into the Bight of Benin at the southern tip. The independent Togolese Republic was born in April 1960. The name Togo dates back to 1884 when a protectorate treaty was signed with the Germans on Lake Togo at Togoville.
Video Feature
Christian School Ministry
Learn how ABWE is helping to train teachers and develop schools in Togo.
The population of Togo may be divided into three main geographically arranged groups. In the south are three principal tribes: the Ahoulan, the Ewes, and the Gens. The centrally located group is composed of the Akposso, the Bedere, and the Bogo-Ahlon. The third division in the northern and largest sector of the country is occupied by six chief tribes, among them the Kabiyes, the Kotokli, the Moba, the Konkomba, and the Basari. Although French is the official trade language, dialects predominate.
The religion of Togo remains faithful to its pagan ancestry. Voodoo and spirit worship in the western hemisphere began in Togo. Although Romanism and liberal Protestantism have been in the country for some time, the Biblical gospel of the grace of God is almost foreign to the population.
Experienced ABWE French-speaking missionaries initiated the ministry in the capital city of Lome, and then branched out into the interior. Kpalime became the second major center of gospel witness. A school for the blind has proven to be a splendid tool for evangelism. A medical-surgical evangelistic work, opened in July 1985, has become one of the keys to breaking down resistance to the gospel. Six hours north of Lome in the mushrooming city of Kara, a newly formed local church is branching out into many new areas. Further expansion is underway to the northernmost city of Togo, Dapaong. Additional missionaries are needed to assist in these outreach efforts.
The initiative and industry of the four million people is an asset to the ABWE goal of church planting. ABWE missionaries have found the Togolese people very responsive to the gospel. They are eager and zealous to open new ministries on their own. Church planters are needed to execute the plan to multiply churches in the urban centers.
The Karolyn Kempton Memorial Hospital needs more staff. There are immediate opportunities for surgeons, nurses and other medical personnel. Also, there are on going needs for miscellaneous medical supplies. The Bible Institute ministry is growing and requires additional instructors and administrators. New recruits are needed to assist the veterans in the well-planned strategy for reaching Togo for Christ.
This inspiring video provides an overview of ABWE's ministries in Togo. Evangelism, pastoral training, literacy, medicine, and other compassion ministries, such as the "Village of Light" blind center, are being used to plant churches in this small West African country.
The "Village of Light" is a place where physically blind people in Togo are coming to know Jesus as Savior. Though the world around them is dark, the light of the gospel shines into their hearts. This inspiring video tells the story of ABWE's ministry to blind Togolese.
Togo Information
Date Entered: 1974
Major Ministries: Church planting, medical evangelism, blind center, theological education.
Country Statistics: For up-to-date country statistics please visit the website(s) listed below.
World Factbook - Togo