by Dean Miller

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What would it take to plant 2,000 churches across West Africa by 2030?

For leaders from 13 West African Baptist conventions and unions, the answer began with a simple but challenging realization: church planting requires more than vision. It requires sustainable support.

That conversation emerged from a long-standing partnership between BGAV’s Impact Missions and the Global Mission Resource Center in Ghana. Since 2012, the More Than Nets initiative has helped distribute mosquito nets throughout northern Ghana, contributing to a reduction in malaria rates of more than 35 percent while also supporting the planting of more than 300 churches.

In 2023, the conversation shifted toward a much larger vision. Emmanuel Mustapha and leaders of the Global Mission Resource Center shared a goal of seeing 2,000 churches planted across West Africa by 2030. Impact Missions leaders quickly recognized that such an ambitious effort would require more than traditional funding models.

The question became: How could church planting be supported in a way that would continue long after outside funding ended? The answer was an innovative partnership model.

In July 2023, leaders from 13 West African countries gathered in Ghana to develop a framework for working together. Each participating convention was asked to create both a church planting strategy and a business plan designed to generate income for ministry.

With this plan, BGAV provides participating conventions with a $30,000 interest-free loan to launch an income-producing business. Profits from those businesses are then used to support church planters in their own countries.

A Ghanaian entrepreneur who funds ministry through his own business ventures helps evaluate each proposal to ensure it has a realistic path toward sustainability before funding is approved.

The approach is already showing promising results. As of May 2026, four participating conventions have received funding. One project, operated by the Ghana Baptist Convention, involved renovating a building that will soon open as a guesthouse. Three others—a trucking business in Ghana, a poultry farm in Sierra Leone, and a transportation service in Liberia—are already operating profitably.

Those profits are helping support church planters and ministry efforts while also allowing participating partners to begin repaying their loans.

For Impact Missions, the initiative reflects a commitment to stewardship and local ownership. Rather than creating long-term dependence on outside funding, the model helps local leaders develop resources within their own communities to support the work God has called them to do.

So far, the progress is encouraging. As of May 2026, participating partners report 221 churches planted; 8,920 new believers; and more than 60 church planters receiving support through the initiative.

Several additional countries are nearing approval for their business plans, while others continue working through challenges related to political instability or leadership transitions.

What began as a conversation in Ghana three years ago has grown into a regional movement built on partnership, sustainability, and a shared commitment to advancing the Gospel.

The vision of 2,000 churches by 2030 remains ambitious. But with churches already being planted, businesses generating income, and new believers coming to faith, leaders across West Africa are taking meaningful steps toward making that vision a reality.

Rev. Dean Miller is BGAV’s team leader for Impact Missions.

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