Ghanaian Presbyterian Minister is Among International Peacemakers Visiting this Fall

Scripture: Acts 7:17-29

"But as the time drew near for the fulfillment of the promise that God had made to Abraham, our people in Egypt increased and multiplied until another king who had not known Joseph ruled over Egypt.  He dealt craftily with our race and forced our ancestors to abandon their infants so that they would die. At this time Moses was born, and he was beautiful before God. For three months he was brought up in his father's house; and when he was abandoned, Pharaoh's daughter adopted him and brought him up as her own son. So Moses was instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in his words and deeds.

"When he was forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his relatives, the Israelites. When he saw one of them being wronged, he defended the oppressed man and avenged him by striking down the Egyptian. He supposed that his kinsfolk would understand that God through him was rescuing them, but they did not understand. The next day he came to some of them as they were quarreling and tried to reconcile them, saying, 'Men, you are brothers; why do you wrong each other?' But the man who was wronging his neighbor pushed Moses aside, saying, 'Who made you a ruler and a judge over us? Do you want to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?' When he heard this, Moses fled and became a resident alien in the land of Midian. There he became the father of two sons.

Rev. Gladys Lariba Mahama has a big job. She is a minister with the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, serving five congregations spread across the upper eastern region. She is also the women's coordinator for the Northern Presbytery and a social worker. Her work keeps her busy, but the impact is rewarding.

Mahama is one of nearly a dozen International Peacemakers who will be speaking across the United States this fall, giving Presbyterians and others an opportunity to learn about the church's work in a part of the world they may not be familiar with.

"As a social worker I have worked under the GO Home Project of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, which seeks to reintegrate women who have been identified as 'witches' that are eventually sent back to their communities," she said. "I have also been working on an association for widows. It is difficult to reach all of the people I need to see because of a lack of adequate transportation in the area."

Mahama says the illiteracy rate of these communities is high, making it difficult to communicate. She often needs someone to accompany her who can translate the English language. Because most of the people are small-scale farmers, she finds it hard to reach many of the people during rainy seasons.

Despite the hardships, Mahama says she finds the work rewarding.

"One thing I believe in the work of God is that the inheritance of heaven awaits me, and that is what gives me the passion to work," she said. "Due to the nature of this work, I believe I have gotten a lot of exposure because I meet different people day in and day out. I have learned so much from others."

Mahama and the other scheduled peacemakers will speak around the country from September 23 to October 17. The group gathers in Louisville before and after their visits for orientation and debriefing. Carl Horton, coordinator of the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program, says visits by each peacemaker usually last between three and five days. Not all visits must include a weekend. Midweek visits are recommended for colleges, universities or theological institutions.

Mahama is hopeful American congregations will be inspired by what she has to say, and she plans to spend a lot of time promoting peace.

"Peace is a key ingredient in a successful human life," she said. "I will therefore talk much about peace, good relationships, tolerance, hard work and the seriousness in working for God. People should be willing to come and listen. I will base my speech on participatory method; therefore, I will expect all of us to share ideas and learn from each other."

Mahama finds the work of the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program very important in today's world.

"I work with all manner of people from different tribes, clans and even communities. It is incumbent on all to embrace peace in order to live in harmony so that we can grow as individuals and a nation as a whole," she said. "As a minister of God, I need peace to promote the word of God. Without peace, people will not be willing to listen."

The Presbyterian Peacemaking Program has invited leaders from partner denominations and organizations to visit the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) for more than 30 years. As many as 57 countries have been represented by the speakers as they have traveled to churches, synods, presbyteries and educational institutions.

Other peacemakers will be coming from Colombia, Cuba, Hungary, Iran, Israel/Palestine, Kenya, Niger, South Sudan, Syria and Uruguay.

Rick Jones, Communications Strategist, Presbyterian Mission Agency

Prayer: And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you. John 14:16-17