This quarter, our focus is on the West-Central Africa Division, which plays a pivotal role in overseeing the activities of the Seventh-day Adventist Church across an impressive 22 countries. These countries include Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo. The division’s headquarters are located in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
Within this expansive region, we find a staggering population of 472 million people, with 889,196 of them identifying as Adventists. Remarkably, this translates to a ratio of one Adventist for every 531 individuals.
Our Thirteenth Sabbath Offering for this quarter will be directed toward vital mission projects in Ghana and Cameroon. In Ghana, these funds will serve a noble cause – the expansion of the Seventh-day Adventist Nursing and Midwifery Training College. This institution has thrived since its humble beginnings in 2015, starting with a mere 22 students and now boasting an enrollment of 770. The demand for enrollment has consistently exceeded the school’s capacity, making expansion imperative. With the help of the Thirteenth Sabbath Offering, new classrooms and additional dormitories will be constructed, enabling more aspiring students to pursue their studies at the college. Notably, this institution is a true mission school, with only 30 percent of its student body identifying as Adventists. For a more in-depth look into the experiences of students like Achiaa, please refer to pages 26–30.
The other noteworthy mission project centers around the establishment of a bilingual English/French elementary school in Bandjoun, Cameroon. Church leaders have shared with us their insight into the dire need for quality education in Cameroon, particularly in the form of international schools offering instruction in both English and French. The new school is poised to address this pressing need and occupy a vital niche in the educational landscape.
“Adventist education is valued here,” as emphasized by Isaac Yenge, the executive secretary of the Cameroon Union Mission, during a tour of two Adventist schools in the capital, Yaoundé. These schools collectively accommodate approximately 3,700 students, underscoring the importance of education within the community. For inspiring stories about the faith of children in Cameroon, please turn to pages 4–14.
