Our History
The Ghana Baptist Convention which started as a mustard seed is now growing into a large denomination in Ghana.
The Convention's early beginnings are associated with the Nigeria Baptist Convention and the Southern Baptist Convention of U.S.A. Nigeria Baptist brethren came to Ghana (formerly known as Gold Coast) to trade in the early 1900's. The Yoruba Baptist Association (formed in 1935) made an appeal to both Nigeria Baptist Convention and Nigeria Baptist Mission (NOTE: the Mission is made up of only Southern Baptist Convention missionaries working in Nigeria) to send some missionaries to start Baptist Churches among the Ghanaians because the Yoruba Baptist Churches were failing to attract Ghanaians into their fold since Yoruba language was used in all their worship services. The Nigeria Baptist Mission in response to the request made by the Yoruba Baptist Association sent Rev. and Mrs. H. R. Littleton to Ghana in 1947 to start Baptist Churches among the indigenous people. Their effort resulted in the establishment of the first indigenous Baptist Chuch in 1952 at Boamang in the Ashanti Region.
Earlier in 1947, the Yoruba Baptist Association was renamed Gold Coast Baptist Conference to enable the emerging Ghanaian Baptist Churches to be part of the Conference.
In 1957 when Ghana gained her independence from Britain, the Conference was renamed Ghana Baptist Conference. All this time the Conference was under the Nigeria Baptist Convention. In 1963 the Nigeria Baptist Convention granted the Ghana Baptist Conference independence.
The Conference was renamed Ghana Baptist Convention in January, 1964. The Convention works in partnership with the International Mission Board (IMB) of the Southern Baptist Convention, U.S.A. For the past few years, the IMB has changed her mission strategy whereby the body is now pursuing peoples group concept. Thus the IMB's support to the Convention in terms of personnel and finance has dwindled greatly.
The Ghana Baptist Convention is now seeking partnership with other Baptist bodies or churches to carry out the vision(s) God has given to her in Ghana and beyond. In 2002 the Ghana Baptist Convention (GBC) and the American Baptist Churches International Ministries (ABC/IM) signed a partnership agreement.