Togo
Date Entered: 1974
Major Ministries: Medical Ministries, Literacy work, ESL, Community Development, Maintenance, Church Planting, MK School, Baptist Academy of Theology in Africa (BATA), Reaching Muslims through the Northern Outreach Project
Country Profile
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.
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. Eight hours north of Lome in Mango, ABWE missionaries are engaged in establishing a second medical center called the Wendell Kempton Medical and Ministry Center. A radio ministry is also in the plans. Additional missionaries are needed to assist in these outreach efforts.
To learn more about all the ministries in Togo, visit www.togo.abwe.org.