The Serving Africa Mission

For Africa

A chance for women to help

African women need help. They face all the same problems which we face, and they do so with courage. They have a passion for Jesus, and they love to serve him, but this is where the problems begin. They lack education, knowledge and skill. This is where Pastor Mary Blessing Smith can use her skills and gifts. A trained teacher, she runs courses for women in Africa. With the support of local churches, she is beginning to help women get a firmer  understanding of their faith, and a deeper knowledge of how to serve Jesus.

Now the Serving Africa Mission, for whom she works, is currently preparing to build its main base on land it has bought near Accra. A key building on the base is LYDIA HOUSE

A clear statement

The Serving Africa Mission believes in seeing God’s women having every opportunity to serve him. While recognising that in Africa, leadership is entrusted mostly to the men, it works hard to get women’s ministry recognised and encouraged. Many Pastors and leaders do want to see the gifts moving among women, but don’t know how to make this happen. Here again, we are glad to help. Mary works with women at every level, from leadership to the ordinary women who work in the fields and the markets.

Mary’s ministry is part of the wider work of the Mission, which is committed to training and equipping churches to handle what God is saying to his people today. The Mission is led by Rev Jim Smith and Bishop Samuel Ofori.

The house

Lydia House has two levels. On the lower level, there are teaching rooms, which Mary and others can use to teach and release women into their callings. Upstairs is an open space, where women can pray – for themselves, for their families, and for Africa. On one end is the pharmacy, where women can get basic medical help, and instruction in basic hygiene. On the other end is the kitchen.

November 2009: Roof going on at last!

Feb 2009

We believe that the women of the U.K. should provide this facility, as a gift to the women of Africa. It’s not a financial thing, although money is involved. It’s a way of saying “We are with you. We love you. We support you.” In the decades to come, African women will be trained and equipped in an atmosphere of love and concern from England

What can we do?

Lydia house is a vision. It was conceived as a way of helping African women move forward in their faith, and a way of releasing them into the ministry of the African church.

Lydia House is an opportunity of selfless love from one part of the Christian family to another part of the same family. It is an opportunity to say “We love you.”

Lydia House is an opportunity to make a difference. Many people want to help, but just don’t know how to help. The task seems so large, and we feel so small. Here is an opportunity to contribute to an act of love which will make a difference, and which will never wear out simply because it is a spiritual gift. The building is the outworking of the gift. The building will grow old and eventually fall. The gift of love will endure forever.

If God touches you, then contact us to see what you can do.

UPDATE: We are now ( March 10) completing Lydia, and have the funding to sink the well.