Rev. Dr. T.B. Dankwa

What an honor to have known such a great man and his family!  I spent one year with T.B., 1984, in Kenya.  I was volunteering with I.F.E.S. and T.B. was then the Regional Secretary.   What I most appreciate is how T.B. was always committed to the BASICS of the Christian faith.  Solid inductive Bible Study and expositional preaching.  Prayer.   The centrality of seeing Jesus as the Lord of our lives.  Discipleship as obedience to the Lord as understood in Scripture.  Though even some of our best churches have gotten away from the basics, T.B. would always insist that we be grounded here.   I’m thankful, too, for how well he loved his family (quite an example for me, a single man at the time).  It was clear that his wife and kids were a strong priority in his life, and he spoke of them with great pride!   And even though we have not seen each other for 38 years, T.B. would regularly email me, sending birthday and anniversary greetings, or just general notes of encouragement.   I can’t wait to see him again in heaven!  

I had the privilege of meeting T.B. Dankwa in 1984, the year I was stationed in Kenya with the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students (I.F.E.S.). T.B. was a Travelling Regional Secretary with IFES for all of Africa at that time.   I most appreciate how T.B. always encouraged us to be grounded in the “basics” of the Christian life. He kept reminding us/me of the importance of: inductive Bible Study, daily devotions in Scripture, expositional preaching of the Scriptures, the centrality of prayer, sharing your faith with those around you, how one’s relationship with Christ is what really matters. Though we would edifyingly talk about many other matters together, it was this exhortation emphasis never to stray from the basics that sticks in my mind as I recall being with T.B.   I also learned from his example of loving his family! He was very much a family man who cared very much for his wife and children, and always made them a priority in his life. I was single at the time, and his example was a sober and helpful preparation for me as I contemplated the serious calling of marriage on my own life.   T.B. kept in touch with me over the last nearly 40 years as well, writing me emails regularly that either celebrated my wedding anniversary, or birthday, or just a quick encouragement in the faith.   I had hoped to see him again in this life…but now I must wait until I see him again in heaven!

Tribute to Reverend Dr. TB Dankwa by Prof. JH Amuasi The first TB Dankwa Missions Fund and Public Lecture held at the British Council Hall in 2018. This is what I shared as Chairman’s Opening Remarks during the event: “REVEREND DR. THEOPHILUS BAMFO DANKWA – A MENTOR FOR MANY GHAFES ASSOCIATES AND OTHERS. My wife Joyce and I are absolutely delighted to be here to appreciate a mentor. Mentor means a wise and trusted counsellor or teacher. In Greek mythology, Mentor was Odysseus’s trusted counsellor. He was assigned the responsibility to raise Odysseus’s son Telemachus, while Odysseus was away fighting in Troy. When he returned after many years, he found Telemachus completely transformed. Mentor became the wise adviser, counsellor or teacher of Telemachus in the “Odyssey.”  The story of Mentor is demonstrated in the life of King Joash of Judah and his uncle Jehoiada the High Priest. Jehoiada, a wise counsellor, influenced Joash to live a God-honouring life.   Scripture says in 2 Chronicles 24: 1-2, 15-16 that: “Joash was seven years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem forty years, and that Joash did what was right in the eyes of the Lord all the years Jehoiada the priest instructed him. Now Jehoiada was old and full of years, and he died at the age of a hundred and thirty. He was buried with the kings in the City of David, because of the good he had done in Israel for God and his temple.” What good did Jehoiada do? He passionately mentored 7 year old king Joash until he became a great king. As long as Jehoiada the high priest was his counsellor, Joash served the Lord. Having someone in our lives to guide us toward faith and Christlikeness can be good and helpful. Even better is getting to know the Lord ourselves and learning to rely on the Holy Spirit to be our guide. That is making our faith personal, isn’t it? So it is with any type of mentorship. The mentor’s goal is to assist and guide his mentoree (or mentee as some prefer to call it) to excel in his chosen profession, be it sacred or secular. The story of Mentor is again being passionately demonstrated in our present time in the life of a man called Reverend Dr. Theophilus Bamfo Dankwa. He is the type of Jehoiada the High Priest of Judah. So, we have a High Priest of GHAFES. He has mentored quite a number of us already and is still being used by God in the mentorship business. And when we talk about mentoring, we are looking into investments that pay off, like it happened in the case of Jehoiada who passionately mentored 7 year old king Joash until he became a great king. We are gathered here this evening foremost to thank God and give Him glory for the lives of Rev. Dr. Theophilus and Dr. Mrs. Virginia Dankwa, to honour and celebrate their contribution to the GHAFES ministry and Christendom. We are also here to carry their mentorship business into a new dimension – what GHAFES Executive Council call “T.B. Dankwa Missions Fund” – to raise support to enrich GHAFES missions work. It is a launching ceremony that will include a maiden public lecture. Who wouldn’t like to be part of this noble (inaugural) cause? It should be an honour for us all to be here at such a time as this. So I, in particular, accept gladly to serve as chairman of this gathering to celebrate someone who has been mentoring me all these years. (Culled from: The first TB Dankwa Missions Fund and Public Lecture). I first met Osofo TB Dankwa (as I used to call him) at the Great Hall of the UST (now KNUST), Kumasi in 1971 at one of our Inter Hall Christian Fellowship meetings. He had then taken over from Rev. Gottfried Osei-Mensah as Travelling Secretary of the Ghana Inter University Christian Fellowship (GIUCF), now Ghana Fellowship of Evangelical Student (GHAFES). He became my mentor. The mentoring continued when we were both in the UK pursuing our separate programmes – he in Theology at London Bible College and I in Medical Physics. He used to visit me and Joyce at Northwick Park Hospital where I was studying and staying from 1977-1980. Then in 1989, when he and Osofo Maame Virginia returned to Ghana from Nairobi, Kenya after his tenure as IFES Regional Travelling Secretary for English and Portuguese speaking Africa, they introduced Bible Study Fellowship (BSF) for the first in Ghana. Osofo TB was the foundational member when the Men’s BSF Evening Class was established in 1991. He extended invitation to many men to join the Class and furthermore mentored many BSFers.  He was so committed to BSF and wouldn’t miss Monday Evening Class Meetings.  He was regular and punctual, and contributed effectively with wisdom during discussions and was an inspiration to all of us. He kept coming to Class when the Wednesday afternoon in-person Satellite Discussion Group (SDG) was created at East Legon in 2017, and then by zoom in 2020. It was only in September 2021 that he completely stopped joining us by zoom because of health challenges. Osofo TB, with great appreciation, GHAFES Associates and the entire BSF Class with its SDGs, salute you. The days of your pilgrimage on earth have come to an end, but we still hope for better days to come when we shall meet again in those “mansions with the blest!” The 12th century hymnist, Bernard of Cluny, put it comfortingly this way (MHB 652): “Brief life is here our portion;  Brief sorrow, short-lived care.  The life that knows no ending,  The tearless life, is there.  O happy retribution:  Short toil, eternal rest;  For mortals and for sinners  A mansion with the blest!” Fare thee well, our mentor and friend.

It was sometime in the 1963 academic year, when a young man visited and took a seat among us students in the Assembly Hall of the Labone Secondary school.  It was a normal Scripture Union (SU) weekly study session.   The unassuming gentleman participated and refreshingly helped with deeper perspectives on the Bible lesson and application.  By the end of the study session, we knew we had a Leader, one with enormous zeal and commitment to nurture and mentor us in our spiritual growth towards the stature of the fullness of Christ.  Bro TB, as we referred to him, made it weekly from the University of Ghana, Legon to teach and spend time with students the rest of my time there.  He also led several of us on Retreats (SU Camps) during vacation periods, where we bonded with others across the country. From Labone, I enrolled at Prempeh College, Kumasi for Advanced Level courses in 1967, where to my delight, discovered that my Mentor was on staff in the Chemistry Dept!  Naturally my spiritual nurture continued along with any assistance I needed with my chemistry curriculum.  During this time, we attended Fellowship meetings in the city and SU meetings on campus with outreach efforts to reach students with the gospel. I met the then aspiring Physician, Sister Virginia as Fiancé of Bro TB. I remain indebted to Drs TB & Virginia Dankwa for the years of shepherding in Ghana, and follow-up in ensuing years of my chemistry/chemical engineering study abroad.  All that guidance, besides family care and support, and above all the Lord’s direction, fortified my commitment to missions, and enabled some couple of years ministering alongside missionaries in a Cree Indian Reservation in Central Saskatchewan, Canada, and other church planting efforts in the US. My Mentor extraordinaire Bro TB has joined the church triumphant.  The mission to which he was called and dedicated his life, continues.  Thanks be to Christ Our Lord.

I came to Know Rev TB, as we affectionately called him, when I joined Accra Chapel as a Medical Student, later having a wife and both of us worshipping at Accra Chapel. Rev TB was part of our lives joining us in the celebration of our marriage, naming of our kids, etc. He impacted us greatly with his sermons and encouragement in the christian faith. The best time we had with Rev. TB was surprisingly the time we moved to Canada. Rev TB will call and check up on us and will ask us to send him our prayer request to which my wife and I faithfully obliged. He never failed to do this year by year. Phyllis and I are eternally grateful for the support you gave to us through the most difficult years of our lives, your ministry to us, your prayer support, and for being a blessing to us and our generation. You demonstrated true christian living by your walk with God. Accra Chapel (KBCC) is eternally grateful for your years of service and correctly divining the word of God. We know you fought the good fight, finished the race and kept the faith. Our prayer is that God will award to you the crown of righteousness (2 Timothy 4:7-8). We miss you dearly. Rest in perfect peace.

We honour our fathers and mothers. We still remember your question when we were between our traditional marriage and our church one: “When is the African Christian married?” Lol!   We speak of ‘Africa to the Rest’ (#A2R) today because of the labours of forebears like Uncle TB. Rest in glory!

Tribute to Uncle TB by Rev. Dr. Richard Gadzekpo “And in the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.”— Abraham Lincoln From this perspective, I want to acknowledge the great impact Uncle TB Dankwa made on many lives across the generations. When I became the National Director of GHAFES, two burdens always kept me awake at midnight -how do we make disciples and how do we fund the ministry? I recall with great nostalgia when we approached him to establish and name a Mission Fund and Public Lecture after him (i.e the TB Dankwa Mission Fund and Public Lecture) in memory of his heart for missions and the legacy he left behind, he initially did not want to. But as it is known of him, in humility his first response was, “Richard why me? There are many others, Virginia and I will pray about it and get back to you.” He sure did get back to us with a positive response and a seed money of 10,000 Ghana Cedis. He and Mama Virginia felt humbled that the Board decided to name this important aspect of GHAFES life and ministry in his honor and memory. I experienced Uncle as a man of prayer, humility, and simplicity. Uncle TB had genuine passion for young people and with a commitment to leaving a legacy of making a difference, transforming lives, and impacting generations unborn. So, as we mourn and yet celebrate his death, we want to encourage others, especially the young ones to emulate the life and ministry of the late Uncle TB Dankwa.  If there is any way by which we really will want to perpetuate his memory expressing our appreciation, then it is what he stood for and loved to do – to see that GHAFES continues to make disciples and to see that 100 years and beyond till Christ’s return on earth that GHAFES will still exist, helping people to know Christ as they know Him. You can partner with GHAFES as we perpetuate his memory through the TB Dankwa Mission Fund and Public Lecture. So, I want to challenge you, I’m not being facetious in any way. Please go to https://ghafes.org/give/ and kindly give a donotation to support Uncle TB’s desire to see GHAFES raise One million Ghana cedis (GHC1,000,000.00) toward the TB Dankwa Mission Fund. Uncle TB was a man of prayer. I believe that if GHAFES has a platform that continues to call people to prayer for and on behalf of the ministry, it is because of the persistency of Uncle TB. Each time I visited him he asked the question, “so when are we bringing back the prayer bulletins on our WhatsApp platforms.” He was a man of prayer who always desired to see people pray. . I was on his prayer list and from time to time he will text and check on me after I left for the United States. The last thing that touches my heart most is whenever he came across anything pertaining to ewes, Uncle TB Dankwa will send it to me in the USA via WhatsApp and say, “Richard, have you seen this?” He knew how to care and maintain relationships. Each time we exchange text messages he will always ask, “How is Noreen (my wife) doing?” He met my wife only once but never forgot her name. He was a people person.  My one year stay with GHAFES would not have been a success without Uncle TB’s support and prayers. To the family, we want to say earth has no sorrow that heaven cannot soothe. So, I pray the Lord will soothe your sorrow because parting is always painful. And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with singing, With everlasting joy on their heads. They shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away – Isaiah 35:10 (NKJV).

We will always be grateful to you and aunty Virginia for welcoming us into the fellowship at Accra Chapel and encouraging us in our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. May God continue to bless and keep your family. Rest in peace Rev. TB Danquah.

Rev. TB was, indeed, a great man of God, and a Bible teacher and expositor. My encounter with him was during the time he was in-charge of Accra Chapel Trust, now Korle Bu Community Chapel. He was very simple and approachable, and was always willing to share his knowledge with others. Such a person he was. May his soul rest peacefully.

Tribute by the Ghana Fellowship of Evangelical Students (GHAFES) in memory of Rev. Dr. Theophilus Bamfo Dankwa (aka “Uncle TB”) “…You will be missed, because your seat will be empty.” 1 Samuel 20:18b (NIV) When we established T. B. Dankwa Mission Fund & Public Lectures in his honour 5 years ago, the younger generation who saw the tail end of his student ministry referred to Rev. Dr. Theophilus Bamfo Dankwa, affectionately called Uncle TB, as our living ancestor. Now he assumes the role without qualification. Uncle TB entered the University of Ghana in his late teens with vibrant faith. He looked for and joined the University Christian Fellowship [UCF], a member of GIUCF/ GHAFES. For the next 31 years his life was intricately woven with the story of GHAFES and IFES. As a fresh student he began to assume leadership roles in the fellowship and became the President in the final year. It was during his era as a student that the first University of Ghana Campus Evangelistic Mission was held with the late Rev John Stott. He was part of that history making conference at the Presbyterian Women’s Training College, Aburi, in 1966 when GIUCF was birthed as a national evangelical movement. In fact, Uncle TB will not skip any Christmas conferences and “All for Christ Campaigns” which were held during the long vacations. Following his graduation from Legon, and as a teacher he found it imperative to invest in the lives of young people in Scripture Union groups and at SU camps. It was not surprising that he was invited to take up the role as first Travelling Secretary for GIUCF/GHAFES in 1971. He also had additional responsibility for the Fellowships in Sierra Leone and Liberia.  He was so selfless that he used his personal car, an Opel Kadett Caravan 1.3, for ministry rounds, visiting the campuses in Legon, Cape Coast, Kumasi, and Winneba.  He lived a simple life without ostentation and dressed simply and neatly. On his visits to the Fellowships, he normally stayed with the students– he slept in the halls of residence and ate at the dining halls /cafeterias. At conferences and at mission outreaches, he shared in the same life and routine of the students. No one “waited” on him. He was simply one of us! He was among his students as “one who served” as our Lord was among his disciples [Luke 22:27]. Uncle TB came along with students to plan and execute various mission outreaches on both the campuses and in the communities. He embodied the Mission of GHAFES, “Knowing Christ Jesus and making Him known”. In 1977, Uncle TB became the first Regional Secretary for Anglophone Africa.  He ended up spending 23 years of his life for the cause of missions to the university world, in not only Ghana but the entire continent. He became an icon representing African Christian student mission in the global evangelical world. He also had concern for the surrounding French speaking countries, specifically Togo. [You may know that the Republic of Togo and the Republic of Benin have the least evangelized people in Africa, south of the Sahara] Uncle TB was instrumental in establishing Groupe Biblique Universitaire [G. B. U] of the University of Benin (now the University of Lomé) in Lomé, Togo. He challenged students to study the Bible for themselves both personally and in small groups and apply it to their lives and gave them the tools to dig out its gem.  He recalled a day when a fellowship did not agree with his interpretation of a text. He said he left the meeting excited that his students were finally thinking through scripture. Years later one of the students confessed to him that he realized later that Uncle TB was right. He did not believe Christians in tertiary institution should be zombies. These became authentic Christians who lived distinct Christian lifestyles that they were nicknamed “chrife”. These will not lie or cheat, lived to the highest moral standards, a life of integrity. He believed that national development depends on people of integrity who love justice and compassion. They help the right and fight the wrong. Indeed, Uncle TB was an astute Bible teacher and evangelist. This tribute to Uncle TB would not be complete without the mention of an incidence at the 1973 annual conference at the Aggrey Memorial Secondary School, Cape Coast. He was speaking on the Holy Spirit when the next speaker, Hon. William Ofori Atta, aka Paa Willie, came in. He had been invited as a guest speaker and had come earlier as his scheduled talk was about an hour later. He came in walking, assisted by a walking stick. He mentioned later that he had been suffering from gout.  When it was his time to speak, Paa Willie walked to the podium without his walking stick. He told us to our amazement that the Holy Spirit ministered healing to him while he listened to the talk by Uncle TB. Oh the applause! Before he moved on to become the Regional Secretary for Anglophone Africa, Uncle TB made GHAFES a self-supporting organization, the first of its kind in African evangelical movements.  At the time, even most of the established mainline churches were still depending on external financial support. He was a coach, a mentor, a counsellor, motivator and encourager, and more to many African leaders. Perhaps a quote from a letter to the GHAFES National Director from Akwasi Addai Diawoo, a former President of the UCF, Legon and his wife Vicky, sojourners in Sierra Leone during our nation’s challenging economic years and now resident in London would make the point of Uncle TB’s legacy. “We have been blessed, inspired and encouraged, as direct beneficiaries of Uncle TB’s enduring ministry over the many years. He has been a fantastic role model, mentor and inspiration to us. African Christianity has the likes of “Uncle TB” to thank for the solid foundations that buttress the revival movements we dare to envision across Africa today and worldwide”. Uncle TB’s life is a testimony of an ordinary person who set out in faith to achieve extraordinary feats because he dared and believed in the extraordinary God. Uncle TB, rest well! Rest in Peace and be raised on the resurrection morning.

Tribute for Rev. Dr. T.B. DANKWA will not be complete without a word from me and the Source of Light, Ghana. Much has been said which I do not need to repeat. In October 1994 when I got married TB was my Senior Pastor working with Rev. Alfred Addison. In October 1996 when I was appointed to start the Source of Light Branch in Ghana he helped in most decisions I make concerning the ministry. When I was asked by the Source of Light International Office to make a budget for the ministry and personal support, he directed me to meet Rev. Dr. Solomon Ayittey who was then the Africa Director of Pioneers. Having Served as Board Chairman in many organisations he playeda role in Board Seminars for Source if Light Ghana. He continued his behind the scene Guidelines and finally in October 2020 when the Lord provided the ministry with a new Nissan pickup he performed the dedication of the vehicle at the Source of Light Office in Banana Inn-Accra. His work on earth is DONE! TO GOD BE THE GLORY FOR THE MANY CROWNS AWAITING HIM.

GOD Bless and keep you

T B had a very lovely spirit which  four of us Freelanced Eangelists had the privilage of sharing. This was in the late 60s when such a calling was misunderstood and not torolated by almost all churches in Ghana and some fellow Believes. I lnow this because I am one of the pioneers of that kind of callong who experienced it We called ourselves ‘God’s nobodies.’  Today, it may be difficult for some to picture how things were in those days. However, four of us evangelists —  myself,  Rev. Akwasi Appiah, the late Alex Nsiah-Kumi, and Nicholas Asante – Asamoah — were taken on board by TB. We lived in his bungalow where he fed us for-I-have-forgotten-how-long. At that time he was a Chemistry tutor at Prempeh Collage in Kumasi. That shows TB was torolant, kind, caring and a commit Christian who believes in the ministry and soul winning. So it was no surprise when himself became a minister of the gospel. My last interactions with TB was through my WhatsApp post which he used to send me comments and suggestions. It was through this  that he read an article I wrote on marrige. TB in his usual wisdom and encouragement texed back suggesting I published it and suggested the title “Beforw You Marry Consider These Things.”  I did that and dedicated it to him. TB, you will forever be in our heart and mind.

Rev Dr T B was a special gift to all who cherished the Lord and came in contact with him. He touches everyone who listens to him, whether preaching , counselling , teaching or simply joining in in a conversation. For those of us who got to know him and worshipped with him over the years in KBCC, Pastor TB encouraged, motivated, shared our joys and moments of sadness, taught us to pray at all times irrespective of the challenges we face. He will call, remind us of our birthdays , find out how we are faring regularly. He supported us in any further educational venture we undertook and was a constant visitor to our homes. He will use the “footprints” of the Lord to pick us up when we are down. He is so simple and always ready to answer CEP questions just like everybody else without attempting to know it more than anybody else. Rev Dr T B served the Lord with passion and for most of us, he remains our mentor, our icon , our resolve to  serve just as he did and bring more souls to the Lord. Pastor!! Papa Nii says Yaa Woo Ojogban! Daa Yie! Fare thee Well!

My memories of Rev. TB Dankwa go beyond 25 years ago. I first met you when I first joined the then Accra Chapel and the Chapel Trust Singers. Soft spoken but principled and God fearing man. You loved your father. You were very committed to youth ministries. You counselled my husband and I before we got married. One of the things I remember you mentioning was that we needed to have a good relationship with God – love God- and to let God be centre of our home. Your marriage was a testimony to that. You performed the naming of our first 2 children and even then you had advise for us as parents. We are indeed grateful. You continued to have an amazing relationship with us even when years later we left Accra Chapel . You welcomed us with a smile anytime we came around. This Ramadan, we missed your usual prayer  posts. I cannot believe  you are gone, Pastor but we know that you are at a better place and that on the  resurrection day we will see you again. Rest in peace Pastor.    

Papa T.B as l affectionately called him has been a blessing to me.  I met Papa T.B at GEC in 1994 and in 2001 at Agape Bible College.  Papa your fatherly counseling, prayer support and your wonderful health advise for my kids will forever be in our hearts.  We praise God for accepting you into His bosom.

TRIBUTE TO REV DR TB DANKWA Rev. Dr.TB Dankwa joined the Board of Trustees of SIM Ghana in 1995 and provided guidance and support through the terms of two SIM Ghana Directors – Phil Bauman and Ruby Mikulencak. Mr Phil Bauman writes: ‘Rev. Dr. TB Dankwa served for many years on the Board of Trustees for SIM Ghana. ‘Uncle TB’ as he was affectionately known by many, served not only as Trustee but also as Chair of the Trustee Board.  Even as chair of our Trustee Board he made the effort to get to know the members who served with SIM Ghana. It was a pleasure to have ‘Uncle TB’ and Virginia come to Kumasi to spend a week with our team and provide us with refreshing and encouraging teaching from God’s word. ‘Uncle TB’ had a tremendous heart for missions and was involved with a wide variety of organisations that pursued a missions vision. It was clear that his passion was that people in this world would have the opportunity to hear of the goodness of Jesus and come to faith. He was a capable Chair for the Trustee Board and we knew he had our organisational interest at heart, though not for the sake of SIM Ghana, but rather so that SIM Ghana would continue to fulfil the kingdom purpose that we collectively understood. In the homegoing of ‘Uncle TB’, SIM Ghana (and the church in Ghana) has lost a missions statesman, a pioneer, a man of integrity, a pastor, a teacher, a friend. Heaven has welcomed a faithful servant who had the ambition to ensure that ‘the Gospel was preached where Christ was not known’ (Rom 15:20)’ Ms Ruby Mikulencak writes :- ‘TB was a gentle thoughtful man with a concern for the people and friends he knew. He was a student of the Word of God and often blessed and encouraged my life as I listened to his sermons. There are two occasions that he made a huge input into my life. One was on the Silver Jubilee (25 years) of my being in Ghana. At the celebration service TB talked about the importance of faithfulness. He said something that really touched my heart. He said “You do not find to many servants of God serving for such a long time as Ruby. She is a dying breed.” When I re-entered America after serving in Ethiopia and Ghana for 40 years, I got malaria very badly.  Of course, I could not get a positive smear so the doctors in the States would not prescribe malaria treatment. TB heard of my struggle and weakness. He called me on skype and prayed for me. I cannot express my gratitude for this prayer and for his love and concern for me. I think that is a picture of TB’s servant heart and passion to direct and lead people into a deeper walk with the Lord. His prayers was amazing.’ These testimonies bear witness to a man who loved the Lord deeply and served him through a deep concern for fellow members of the Body of Christ and for those who still need to hear the good news of God. SIM Ghana is profoundly grateful for Rev TB’s leadership, wisdom, and servant heart. We pray for his devoted wife and family at this time of parting. We are thankful for the wonderful certainty that TB Dankwa is rejoicing in the presence of the Lord he loved and served and with whom we will all one day be reunited.   Ms Penny Bakewell: SIM Ghana Director    

We first met at Accra Chapel as it was known then, when the services were held at NTC. I was visiting a friend who invited me to church. After a few visits he knew my name and  took an interest in my life and everyone in it – my daughter, family, work, etc. That was the man I got to know then as Reverend TB Danquah. We kept in constant touch – and he was the more regular communicator, a special gift he shared with many. He always seemed to ‘know’ when things were not going right and he would reach out. Every phone call ended with a prayer. Uncle TB (that was who he had become to me and to many)was a man of constant and consistent prayer. Whenever I was going through trials of a professional or personal nature, he was my refuge. In a particularly difficult period, we met every Sunday to pray together with Auntie Virginia. Her words were few but carried deep warmth and wisdom. For many years we met to share and pray and I learned to pray for Christians all over the world who were undergoing persecution. This year I missed the Ramadan prayers he shared every year. Through those prayers I learned how much Christians were suffering in Ghana and around the world. I am eternally grateful for the selfless love shown to me and my family over decades by Uncle TB and Auntie Virginia. I can never forget that and I will always be grateful for the many lessons I learned at your feet Uncle – especially how to pray in all things and for all people. Thank you Uncle TB. Your passing leaves an ‘unfillable’ vacuum for Auntie Virginia, your children and grandchildren as well as the many for whom you were a spiritual pillar, teacher and prayer warrior. May the Lord receive your soul and give you your well deserved eternal rest. Da yiye Uncle.

Dear TB You have indeed fought well and won well Your consistency and tenzcoty in the things of God has spanned generations and i am blessed to have known you in various capacities I will miss your prayer and fasting during the ramadan period and will miss your gentle but firm voice esoecially in issues concerning the faith I know you have joined the great cloud of witnesses in heaven urging us on to finish well You have done very wellRest in peace

Dear Reverend, What a shock to hear of your passing this very morning! Somehow, one never gets used to death and always imagines it happening to “someone else”. You were of such great support to me and my late father, when he was taken ill , leading to his eventual passing. Although we never met personally, we corresponded often, having been introduced by Dr Ahuma Adodoadji, and you were always sure to ask after the wellbeing of me, my father and the family. The Almighty has called you, kind Sir, for your job on earth is done. May you rest in eternal peace, with your maker, whom you served so faithfully.

I met Rev TB Dankwa for the very first time in 2019 when I was feverishly preparing for my father’s passing into glory.my father was an integral part of Korle -Bu Community chapel and I needed a tribute from the church, Rev Dankwa welcomed me with warm open arms !he was so kind and gentle and very accommodating of me.he ended up counselling me on an issue I shared with him and it was comforting as he encouraged me not to lose hope but keep the faith going, I am saddened by his death but knowing that he’s transitioned to a glorious peaceful home! Rest on  in glory Rev. Dankwa!    

At our hardest moments, God led us to Rev. TB. He was a great counselor and a pillar of strength. Thank you God for Rev TB Dankwa

  I am among the hundreds of university Christian students that Bro TB Dankwa welcomed and ministered to in the early 1970s across campuses in Ghana. Moving from high school Scripture Union to University Christian Fellowship (Chrife) was a great leap of a mixed bag for many students. For example, there were those who embraced the campus freedom and said goodbye to all SU beliefs and tendencies; as well as those who found the SU beliefs not satisfying and needed some more powerful teachings befitting intellectuals. Hence, started indulging in other spiritual and philosophical activities including all kinds of groups and meditations. But by the mercy of God, many of us who braved it to join GHAFES under your Leadership are very grateful we did despite the numerous distractions to derail us. Several things run into one’s mind while starting university – “I am a university student busy cracking my mind studying all kinds of subjects so that soon I will have a profession, a career; perhaps have a husband and some children. How am I going to cope with all these; and how does my acceptance of Christ fit into all of them?” Thank you, Bro TB that under your overall leadership and management, you championed through the numerous campus fellowships, the need for teaching and studying Biblical Truths, balancing Biblical teachings with intellectual and cultural challenges, and developing a mission mindset in sharing the gospel and living it out in our lives. At the end of my first year at the Legon campus, by God’s grace, I had made up my mind – no TURNING BACK on JESUS. I joined Legon Outreach to go out and share the gospel. Two areas stand out of the several lessons I learned from Chrife: that my mind matters – I need to approach spiritual issues intellectually; and that my acceptance of the Biblical truth should be lived daily in all aspects of my life. Interestingly, since the 70s I have always associated these books with you. Paul Little’s Know What You Believe and Know Why You Believe; Frank Morison’s Who Moved the Stone; and John Stott’s Christ the Controversialist. I got to know you a bit less formally when I served with you as a member of the Senior Advisory Council for GHAFES. We were able in the small group, to chat among ourselves before and after meetings. But knowing you on a more personal level came in Botswana. As a regional Travelling Secretary for Africa, it was impossible for you to visit your thousands of students in their homes. I think I am among the few who got such an opportunity. In the early 1990s, my family was very privileged to host you in our home in Botswana. You were there to support Peter and the brave brethren (Boipelo Lucia Seitlhamo, Daphne Keboneilwe, Phemelo Moleofe, Manzini Macholo, Tony & Maitlamo Modise, Julian Letlole) who were laying the foundation for a national Christian movement for university and tertiary students in Botswana. Your efforts were not in vain and today, the Intercollege Christian Movement of Botswana is operational in Jesus’ Name. Despite the tense environment at that time that demanded prayer meetings, talks, counselling, etc, I got to know you not as a Preacher or a Speaker at a Conference but rather as a brother and friend. It was quite interesting and pleasing to observe how you felt free (at home) with us as if you have stayed with us for months – seeing you going to the kitchen and helping yourselves with whatever you wanted; sitting and eating together with the family and having jokes, amusing the kids (oh the fun with the drumsticks!) etc. It was simply lovely. Thank you for your humility and sense of humour. Hosting you was very relaxing and pleasant. Botswana marked the beginning of a long friendship with you. Praise God you and Sister Virginia were in Ghana in 2018. We were honoured to have you attend our 40th wedding anniversary.  Little did we know that we were saying our goodbyes to you Bro TB. Yes, the tears are flowing but we do not mourn like those without hope. To Sister Virginia and the rest of the family, may the Holy Spirit Himself comfort you. Well done Bro TB, good and faithful servant of the Lord. Your crown is waiting for you, and it is glittering with the gems of the thousands of students you nurtured to stand up for Jesus in all their spheres of life. Go well Bro TB to the Lord you loved and shared.  

Like many International Christian Students across Africa, we also interacted with Bro TB Dankwa when he came to Botswana in the early 1990s. It was an experience never to forget. The student Christian movement was going through a stormy and violent transition and instead of fueling the flame I can still remember him, as yesterday, saying “God will raise another crop of students”. Indeed, as time evolved history was rewritten at the University of Botswana – that breed of students were born and embraced IFES. Intercollege Christian Movement of Botswana is currently a member of the IFES family to God’s glory. No words can explain the depth of Bro TB Dankwa’s warmth, kindness, love, maturity, patience, wisdom, understanding, and singleness of heart he showed towards God’s work. He wanted to see many university students have a platform to preach the gospel and have a relationship with the Lord as they pursue their academics. I guess Bro TB Dankwa knew from the depth of his heart that this life we live is but a short chapter that requires a longer and permanent chapter to be started and lived. That’s how I saw Bro TB at a personal level. Till we meet again, rest in the Lord.

We received the news of the passing on to glory of Rev. Dr. T. B. Dankwa with missed feelings. As Awana Missionaries for the Southern sector of Ghana from 1998-2012, we interacted with him as the Head pastor of KBCC (Accra Chapel ) on several occasions. He allowed Awana to have our annual Bible Quiz competitions at the church on several occasions. He would always encourage us knowing the challenges we faced in the ministry. Every new year , he and the wife will send us their greetings based on a scripture verse. We called to congratulate them when we heard they have celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. We will miss him but can’t forget his quiet nature. He was the embodiment of a matured Christian. Fare there well Pastor. Our condolences goes to the dear wife and family not excluding the members of KBCC

I have known TB as we affectionately call him for over 50 years. We met through the work of Scripture Union the mid-1960s. Over the years we became both Christian brothers and close friends. We bought land together in East Legon and he graciously paid my land rates as I was out of Ghana. We became closer when I became Traveling Secretary in East Africa for PAFES (later called FOCUS) and he was Traveling Secretary in Ghana. We both married Medical doctors. When I first brought my Kenyan wife to Ghana, TB and Virginia hosted us like family. Three attributes characterized TB: He was a gentleman’s gentleman – – he demonstrated Christian Faith in practice, was kind, loving, caring and rejected any form of bitterness. Secondly, he was loyal and supportive of all his close friends. He was somebody you could always trust. Thirdly, he was a “Giant of the Faith” to non-believers in our country. He led many in Ghana to Christ. He made a significant impact on Ghana NOT based on material things but on Christianity in the country. Ghana and Africa will miss this kind follower of Christ. To TB, I say you have fought the good fight, kept the faith, enter the rest of Christ to receive the prize awaiting you like Paul. REST IN PEACE. To Virginia, I send my condolences and say we are available to support you, don’t hesitate to reach out. And to Ama, Akos, Kwadwo, and Kwaku, I say your dad has completed his work for Christ. In your pain remember all the good that he has done. May this console you.

TB Danquah was a brother, a friend, and a father to me. I first met TB when he was teaching chemistry at Prempeh College, Kumasi, in 1970. He was a much sought-after preacher and teacher in christian circles in Kumasi and its environ taking leading roles in many SU and town Christian fellowship programs. Later in the year we both attended the erstwhile Ghana Inter University Christian Fellowship (GIUCF) Christmas Conference 1970 held at Sekondi College, Sekondi-Takoradi.  At the end of the conference, it was announced that the unassuming TB would be taking over the mantra of the Travelling Secretary (TS) for the GIUCF from the astute Gottfried Osei Mensah even as GIUCF was soon to transition into the current Ghana Fellowship of Evangelical Students (GHAFES) that extended fellowship to more tertiary institutions in the country. It first sounded like a mismatch, but time proved otherwise – not only did TB sized up into the shoes but expanded the shoe size for later TSs to step in to the glory of God and to the cause of His Kingdom in Ghana, Africa, and the world. A veteran of the revival that swept the country during late 1960s and early 1970s, TB Danquah remained levelheaded and focused.  He was true to his basic christian principles and ethics, not immersing himself in the excesses of the Holy Spirit moves of those times.  His counsel was always sound and thoughtful.  Students on the various campuses queued to book counselling time with him during his travels and visitations.  He remained calm in face of provocation of any kind.  During the MISSION ‘72, a campus wide evangelistic crusade organized by the Inter Hall Christian Fellowship (IHCF) for the KNUST community, TB assisted the main speaker Tony Wilmot and was detailed to the ministry at the Independence Hall to follow up on the students who responded to the altar calls in addition to general counseling among Christians and non-Christians alike.  At the end of one of the counseling sessions he debriefed the hall’s Christian Fellowship members of his exploits at a forum organized to share experiences and to pick up lessons for subsequent days’ encounters.  Apparently, TB had ministered to a student who had responded to the altar call and had left a message on the card to receive additional counseling.  The student’s major spiritual problem and human failure was his inability to control his mind from dirty thoughts.  TB entered his room, looked around and noticed that the walls were conspicuously pasted with provocatively inappropriate photos.  He gently shared the message of the gospel of Christ with this young man.  On exiting the room, he turned to the student and respectfully pointed to his decorative walls as a source of his problem.  His quiet diplomatic demeanor approach to issues more than often yielded the desired results.  The average Chrife of those times would have handled it in a different but unproductive manner.  That was a lesson for me.  During a subsequent crusade at Larteh – Akuapem in 1974, TB remained calm amidst the spiritual gymnastics that overshadowed the message of the campaign throughout.  As the overall leader of the crusade, he remained focused and effectively managed the young, exuberant, and inexperienced christians on a noble mission to save the world for Christ once and for all.  TB was caring and looked after his flock wherever they found themselves.  In the late 1980s no sooner had I arrived in Harare, Zimbabwe to take up a teaching appointment at the University of Zimbabwe than two staff members of the University knocked at my office door looking for me.  They introduced themselves as fellow christians who had been sent by TB to check on me.  Apparently, TB might have had a wind of my relocation to Zimbabwe from the USA and, through his extensive network in christian circles, had found the need to get me company even before I looked for one.  It has been more than a decade since TB and I last crossed paths in Ghana but TB never ceased to send me felicitations whenever he found someone coming my way. Rev. Dr. Theophilus Bampo Danquah was a man of wisdom, kindness, character, and compassion; he embodied the qualities of a Christian leader for our day.  No wonder many ministers of the gospel, pastors, evangelists, and christian field workers can trace the origins of their work to his wise counseling and advice. At his passing I believe he could say with confidence, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith”.  He now joins several of our compatriots who have gone before us and enjoying the bliss of heaven in the company of the saints and angels.  Bro TB, rest in the bosom of the Father until we meet again.  In the interim, for your brethren stuck on this side of the spiritual divide you will be sorely missed. DA YIYE, Bro TB.

Rev Dr TB Dankwa was a truly humble unassuming gentleman. Some prefixed TB with Pastor, Brother or, by many, Uncle. To us, he was forever the affectionate Uncle TB even though he was the pastor of the church we attended at Korle-bu. The impact he made on the Christian communities in Ghana in particular and Anglophone Africa in general was enormous. He did not seek the limelight, but when it came, he acquitted himself with dignity and integrity. His smile was calming and disarming. He was a man of few words, soft-spoken but firm. Uncle TB was a wise gifted communicator, a real teacher. It was a pleasure to sit under his teaching in Accra Chapel for many years. One of his most memorable quotes was “if parenting doesn’t bring you to your knees in prayer, it is unlikely anything else will”. It is a quote that came to mind often and reassured me whenever I (Abena) found parenting a challenge. In dealing with temptation and permissiveness he would often admonish that ‘you cannot stop the bird from perching on your head, but you can stop it from building its nest’. There were other aspects of him apart from being a Pastor. He was up to date with the latest developments in Information Technology. I remember he was the first to explain what email was to me (Victor) in the early 90s. A few weeks ago, a muslin colleague of mine (Abena) at work informed me Ramadan had started.  I thought “of course! Uncle TB is no more. If he had been I would have been aware Ramadan was about to start”. Over the last few years, he would connect with a group of us by WhatsApp during Ramadan to pray daily for various groups of Muslims. In his absence, this had not happened. Uncle TB has left his mark. He has laboured in the Lord’s vineyard and in the last few years, with ill-health. But we can sing: ‘Now the labourer’s task is over, now the battle day is past, now upon the farther shore, lands the voyager at last. There the tears of earth are dried, there its hidden things are clear, there the work of life is tried by a juster judge than here. There, the penitents, that turn to the cross their dying eyes, all the love of Jesus learn at his feet in Paradise. Father, in thy gracious keeping, leave we now thy servant sleeping. A-men’. Uncle TB, you are now asleep and at rest with your Lord. We shall meet at the resurrection. Da Yie.

Dear Uncle TB, I missed your sharing of Ramadan prayers this year. Your life has touched my life in many special ways. You and mummy have mentored Nana Yaw and I in many ways unknown to you. Your humility, integrity, and simplicity taught me so much about the Christian life. Its really hard to think of our world today without mentors like you, but we also know you played your part very well. You have so lived, loved, and died in ways that we cannot forget. We wish you Rest from all your labors as we pray for Mama Virginia and your adult progeny. May God grant his church deep comfort and rich Joys as you go ahead. Like you, may we work the works of God while we have breath. We would miss you no doubt, but your memories would spare us on. Rest on Our Uncle. See you in heaven. Beth.

Pastor TB your life of Godly leadership and compassion was a shining example to all. God knows that The impact you had on our lives and many others cannot be expressed adequately in words or accolades .We are grateful to God for your life and  We were honored to know you . May you Rest peacefully in the bosom of the Lord whom you so faithfully served . Thank you.

TRIBUTE TO REV. T. B. DANKWAH – BY REV. DR. AHMED ADJEI “For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven, if indeed, having been clothed, we shall not be found naked. For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life.” (2 Corinthians 5:1-4). Rev. T. B. Dankwa lived in the hope of the above Scriptures. He is now asleep and waiting to be clothed gloriously in Heaven. I met with Rev. T. B. Dankwa around 1987, shortly after the birth of Converted Muslims Christian Ministry (C.M.C.M.). He came to love me as a son, as a friend, and as a young minister. He took such a close interest in me and in my ministry, CMCM. and the Straight-Way Chapel Int. He and his family prayed regularly for us, and also supported us financially. He occasionally visited and ministered in our church. Besides, he every now and again called to ask how far my ministerial work was going, especially my ministry to Muslims. He encouraged and motivated me always. At the inaugural ceremony of Muslim Background Believers Koinonia Movement (MBBKM) in October 2020, he was present to participate with his wife as a Board member. He also helped to sponsor the programme through an unknown personality who didn’t want to be mentioned. Through his instrumentality, Korle Bu Community Chapel became one of the churches that gave us so much support. Rev. Dankwa introduced and connected me to many international organizations, notably the Association of Evangelicals in Africa (A.E.A.), headquartered in Nairobi, which further broadened my network of friends and organizations. Whenever he was in Kumasi he called me so we could meet together for some conversation. The last time we met together was in November 2021, when he came to Kumasi for a wedding ceremony. Alas, I heard of the passing on of my dear father to eternity to be with his Heavenly Father who he loved very much and served very well. Without an iota of doubt, you are one of those rare gems that comes into a life – my life, as a destiny helper; as a dear father; as a dear counselor; as a motivator; and as a prayer support base. Sleep well in the Lord until we meet again in the Resurrection morning. Farewell Rev. T. B. Dankwah. May your soul rest in peace.

Daddy you are indeed a father to all you goes beyond boundaries may the Good Lord hold and keep you continue to RIP From your children in Sierra Leone the Saint Turay

The righteous perish, and no one ponders it in his heart; devout men are taken away, and no one understands that the righteous are taken away to be spared from evil. Those who walk uprightly enter into peace; they find rest as they lie in death. Isaish 57:1-2. What a joy to see you speak, a joy to have you counsel us. Your regualr check on us was warm and cherished.  We will miss all the wisdom you had for younger couples, the prayer  for us to serve God’s purpose,  and special phone calls and whatsapp messages. As Ramadan begun this year I missed your  daily prayer notes for our brothers and sisters in Islam. Uncle TB we are missing you dearly. You are Patriarch and your good works follow you. Few times we had you in our Wellness clinic was a joy. Afua did share some of the fun time you had together with Mama Virginia until that fateful day with Dr Yaw Perbi. Now we know your work is complete and the laborer of Christ will have his deserved rest in the bosom of Abraham. Papa rest well and as Christ returns we shall surely meet again. May the family be comforted and church be strengthened to continue your legacy of selfless service to God and country.

I joined IFES in 1998, but although I did not have the honour of working directly with Rev T.B. Dankwa I saw the fruit of his ministry in the amazing leaders and thriving national ministries IFES English & Portuguese-speaking Africa. I am thankful that in more recent years I had the pleasure of meeting T.B. and spending time with him in Ghana and South Africa. I have very good memories of an orientation and training event for new IFES Regional Secretaries which we held just outside of Accra. We invited Rev T.B and Dr Virginia to spend time with us and share about life and ministry. It was such a joyful and inspiring evening of fellowship and learning. T.B’s servant heart, sense of fun, and deep love for God’s word came through so powerfully. Many in IFES have been praying for our brother T.B. during the last months. We mourn his passing, but we are also thankful for the life and ministry of this good and faithful servant of the LORD.

It is heavy hearts that we say our collective fare well and may you rest in peace goodbye to our dearly loved Rev. Dr TB Dankwa, aka TB. TB was a man who was well known and loved throughout the Evangelical Christian Fellowship of our generation. TB was a people’s person who touched many people’s lives. TB was caring and found it important to maintain contacts with those he knew as well as reconnecting people together. One small incident comes to mind. TB was on a trip to the UK in 1994 and he came to visit us in the Midlands. The  name of David Troko (Dr David Troko then), came up in conversation. That name made me remember that Joyce had told me that she met a gentleman called David  Troko at a Youth For Christ conference in Liberia in 1971.  TB wanted to see David and Velma Troko on that trip. They lived just a few miles away from us.   We went over to see the Trokos. This turned out to be a joyful reconnection for David and Joyce. May he rest in peace. Kwasi and Joyce Okanta-Ofori        

TRIBUTE TO OUR LATE FATHER AND FRIEND. REVEREND DOCTOR T.B DANKWA. We were  shocked when the  news of the departure of our beloved father and friend came to us. A day previous  we called  auntie Virginia and  she said there was improving until second  day that our  brother Reverend Emmanuel Dabson broke the news to us.  We thank for the life well spent. We got to know Reverend Doctor T.B Dankwa in 2018 through our eldest brother Reverend Doctor Mike Oye  who was his friend and clasmate. When we came to Tamale region as missionaries since that time, he has been our mission supporter and patiner on the mission fields. Anytime you came to him you will not feel sad. We thank God for everything and for choosing the best for him. Although it’s very  painful  but, the clay can not ask the potter what  did you mould? God does all that pleases  Him. Mama, brothers and sisters please take heart the end of everything is at hand. We pray that God will sustain you, comfort and console you all in Jesus Christ mighty name amen 1 Corinthians 15:26,52-57. Good night rest papa, good night Reverend Doctor T.B Dankwa, good night the man of God, adieu our brother and friend

ERIC & SYLVIA BEDIAKO Eric first met Brother TB in 1969 at a Scripture Union Rally at Prempeh College in Kumasi. He was his Pastor (Travelling Secretary) at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science Technology (KNUST) from 1969 until 1974. Eric was with Brother TB at the Larteh Campaign, making the initial contacts. He arranged for Eric to join the team to the Pan African Christian Leadership Assembly (PACLA) in Nairobi in December 1976 and that changed Eric’s life. Brother TB was Eric’s mentor at the London Bible College from 1979 to 1980 when he was a final year student and Eric a first-year student. Sylvia met Uncle TB in 1976/77 in his final year as Travelling Secretary at the University of Cape Coast. She had the great privilege of being in the Dankwas’ home at least one Saturday every month for a meal and fellowship and playing with Ama and Akosua in London in 1978/79. Uncle TB, Dr. Virginia, Ama, Akosua, and Kwadwo (baby) were at our wedding in Chelmsford, Essex in August 1980. He also encouraged Eric in his Bible teaching at church for the last four decades. Brother TB and Dr. Virginia have always come to visit us whenever we visit Ghana with a food parcel. It is just unimaginable that we will not see Uncle TB in-person in our next visit to Ghana. We are grateful to God for Uncle TB’s great influence on our lives. We know that Uncle TB is at peace now and resting in our Lord’s bosom.

Listening to the piece by G. R. A. Butler on HEAVEN in Fanti Language, rendered by Gospel Melodies at the funeral of 91-year-old Mr Augustine Dartey Asamoah at the Anglican Church at Mampong Akuapem on Saturday 26 March, 2022, I could not help but visualize in my mind the presence of Brother TB among the galant soldiers that the song writer describes in his beautiful captivating song, welcoming the saints to the holy place. A place, as painted by Butler where, beholding the face of the Almighty with songs, it is just going to be just glorious. He asks ” Is there anyone who does not want to go there? The new Jerusalem?”

Those who answer “No” are those who have had no foretaste, the people whom Brother TB spent his life preaching to and encouraging many more to expound The Word to for their eyes to be opened and thus delivered from Hell fire.

Working alongside Rev Gottfried Osei-Mensah in Ghana Inter-University Christian Fellowship (GIUCF) and then later serving as Travelling Secretary of Ghana Fellowship of Evangelical Students (GHAFES), his presence and delivery of sermons was one of quiet persuasion. Noting that I had graduated in BSc Admin (Accounting), he proposed I serve as assistant to Brother James Binka who was Treasurer of the Board of GHAFES (then called SAC (Senior Advisory Council)). James Binka was a chemist and hence was to be excused if he missed some of the nitty gritty issues and deadlines that are involved in the work of Treasurer. I thus had occasion to put my knowledge to work in assisting him, later ending up as substantive Treasurer, and then much later as Chairman of SAC.

TB’s open- handedness was at work when, desirous to make an extended week-end trip to London from The Netherlands in 1980 where I was studying and wondering where I could spend those days, he gladly offered me accommodation at his flat. My friend Alex Darko rivalled his offer and gave me room. When later I visited TB and in conversation enquired from him how he was going to accommodate me, looking at his relatively small place, he pointed me to his long arm chair which he said had served many important personalities. That was great fun, and a testimony of a willingness to share, no matter how limited the resource was.

His sense of humour was perhaps only apparent to those who were a little closer to him. It was great. His knowledge and sharing of The Word is known to us all. He is not only resting from his labours. The thousands from all walks of life that will hail him on That Day will be tremendous. Great joy, such as the songwriter puts it so beautifully, with matching music, will be our lot when we meet out there.

Brother TB, rest peacefully in our Lord’s bosom until we meet again.

I had a privilege of meeting Rev. Dr T.B Dankwa few times in Ghana and also during World Assembly in South Africa. Even if he was physically weak, he had a very sound mind and humble spirit. He was a first regional secretary for EPSA region and I heard a lot about his contribution in the region. We celebrate what God has done through his life and ministry, and his legacy remains in the region .  On behalf of entire EPSA family I would like to send my deepest condolences to Virginia and family.  May God grant you the peace that you seek

I had the privilege of meeting Rev. T.B. Dankwa during the World Assembly 2019, in RSA. Though advanced in age, he was so gracious in speech, conduct and in relating. I personally had some interactions with him while helping him to his Chalet to rest. I mourn as I celebrate his life as an example to us the young ones. On behalf of FES-Gambia accept my sympathy in Ghafes as well as the Regional Office, and also the family.

A faithful servant of the Lord. Always encouraging all he met, with gracious words and a twinkle in his eyes. His desire for the growth of Christians in the knowledge of the Lord was a great example to me from 1979 until he passed on to his rest with the Lord. The last time we spoke, even with his voice weak, he continued to encourage me. A giant in African fellowships

He lived for the Flock. He prayed for them. He called on them and he helped through rough times. He identified with peoples struggles and encouraged them to do more He remains a great counselor Rest well Uncle TB

An Appreciation by Kofi Otutu Adu Labi He impacted generations for Good. I first met TB, as we used to call him then, at the University of Ghana when he took over from Rev. Gottfried Osei-Mensah as Travelling Secretary of the Ghana Inter University Christian Fellowship. Of course, we promoted him to Uncle TB long ago, an appellation we attached a lot of endearment to and which I suspected he enjoyed hearing. I remember Uncle TB’s regular visits to us at Legon and the way he shared life-impacting lessons with us about various aspects of the Christian life. He had a way of breaking down Christian principles into basic building blocks which made them easy to imbibe and put into practice. The one word I would use to describe Uncle TB is that he was an Encourager.  I remember a telephone call I received from him after I started contributing to Scripture Union’s Daily Guide Devotional. This was early in the morning and he told me that he and Sister Virginia had been blessed by my contribution for the day. He encouraged me to keep up the good work. I must say that I felt happy to receive this commendation from such a great man of God.  Uncle TB was one person you were always sure to walk away from with deep insights, clarity and understanding about the things of God and how they relate to our contemporary world and its challenges.  He had some uncommon, but very practical, advice too. On one occasion, while in conversation with him, he offered me a piece of advice that has proved very helpful to me as a Lay Preacher. He told me that the late John Stott had advised him to remember to empty his bladder before he went into the pulpit. I took the advice and have applied it religiously since then. Imagine feeling the urge to empty your bladder while in the process of preaching! I wonder if this type of wisdom is taught in a formal setting. Yet it is one piece of advice that has surely saved lots of preachers from embarrassment and on the other hand made them bring their sermons to many an abrupt end. As we celebrate the transition of Uncle TB from this side of eternity to the Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ in the sure hope of the resurrection, I want to share two more recollections of him, formally documented by me, to give us all an opportunity to learn more from the godly wisdom he was so richly endowed with. THE MINI GATHERING – DAWU AKUAPEM Wednesday and Thursday, July 19 and 20, 2017, saw 19 friends gathered at Dawu Akuapem. A couple and one other person present who are ordinarily resident in the United States were part of the group. My wife Elioenai and I were present. The common thread running through us was the fact that we had been members of the University Christian Fellowship (UCF) at the University of Ghana from the mid- 1960s to the mid-1970s. We met to reconnect and to share fellowship away from the hustle and bustle of our normal everyday lives. The idea for the Gathering was mooted by Rev. Prof. Seth Ohene Asare (affectionately called Kwaku Asare by friends) and his wife Rev. Dorothy Asare. THE DEVOTION LED BY REV. DR T. B. DANKWA (TB) TB, a Chemistry graduate and teacher before he went into full-time ministry, was the Travelling Secretary of the Ghana Inter University Christian Fellowship, now Ghana Fellowship of Evangelical Students (GHAFES) when I was at university. He was one of the pioneering Ministers of Korle-Bu Community Chapel (formerly Accra Chapel). TB used Psalm 92:12-15 as his foundation scripture, with special reference to verse 14 which says: “They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green” (NIV). Let no one make you feel that you cannot bear fruit in old age, he told us. The way we bear fruit may change, but we should still continue to bear fruit, he encouraged us. Rev. Dr T. B. Dankwa then went on to leave the following lessons for our edification: 1. Pass on the baton to the younger generation. He quoted Billy Graham who says that the Church is only one generation away from extinction. It is therefore critical that we invest the things of God in our children, grandchildren and others. Teach them the way of God accurately, he advised. 2. Prayer ministry. This is something that we can all be involved in, even as we slow down on our activities. Make a list of people, especially young ones, to pray for on a regular basis. 3. Take good care of your bodies! He recommended the acronym RED for our guidance. Rest. Exercise. Diet. He also asked us to take seriously the advice of the late evangelical leader, John Stott, relating to the 3 Hs or Horizontal Half Hour. That half hour may take the form of a nap during the day or simply taking a complete rest during the day. That half hour reinvigorates. I must add that this is known as the power nap in some parts of the corporate world. 4. There are things we need to say No to. I could readily identify with this, and I was grateful he brought it up. As I keep reminding people, you cannot chase every rabbit in the field! 5. Do not give up on your unfulfilled dreams! At this juncture, he quoted Henry Wadsworth Longfellow: “It is too late! Ah, nothing is too late Till the tired heart shall cease to palpitate. Cato learned Greek at eighty; Sophocles Wrote his grand Oedipus, and Simonides Bore off the prize of verse from his compeers, When each had numbered more than fourscore years, And Theophrastus, at fourscore and ten, Had but begun his Characters of Men. Chaucer, at Woodstock with the nightingales, At sixty wrote the Canterbury Tales; Goethe at Weimar, toiling to the last, Completed Faust when eighty years were past, These are indeed exceptions; but they show How far the gulf-stream of our youth may flow Into the arctic regions of our lives. Where little else than life itself survives.” 6. Finally he prayed that God would give us the grace to grow gracefully, and not be bitter and cynical.

Culled from my book All Things Bright and Beautiful.

The second remembrance is from the second TB Dankwa Missions Fund and Public lecture held at the British Council Hall in July 2019.

The following is what I shared on my Facebook timeline after the event.  “Rev. Dr. T. B. Dankwa has been involved in student ministry since 1963 when he entered the University of Ghana to study Chemistry. He served as President of the University Christian Fellowship and was the first staff worker of GHAFES from 1971-77. Indeed, he used to pay regular visits to us at Legon after he took over (in 1971) from Rev. Gottfried Osei-Mensah, who went on to join the Lausanne Committee in Switzerland.

TB, as he is affectionately called by contemporaries, was for a long period the Senior Pastor at Accra Chapel, now Korle Bu Community Chapel.
The theme for the lecture was “Awakening the Spirit of Patriotism and Volunteerism: the way forward towards Ghana beyond Aid – the GHAFES Model.”

The Speaker was Rev. Emmanuel Mawuli Ahlijah, a former General Secretary of GHAFES.

The Rabbis used to sit to speak.
When it was time for Rev. T. B. Dankwa (TB) to speak, he asked to be permitted to remain sitting while making his remarks. In what was clearly meant to be only an opener and an aside, he said that after all, the Rabbis used to sit and speak. That caught my attention and sent my mind back to the year 2008, to the island of Maui in Hawaii when I was at the Haggai Institute for Advanced Leadership. I worshipped with a congregation one Sunday and I was astonished to see the pastor sitting on a stool and preaching. Like most of the congregants, he was dressed simply but decently. He went on to deliver one of the best sermons I have ever heard. It was about Jesus and the Samaritan woman by the well.
We should allow our speakers to sit if that would be suitable for their circumstances.
That was my first takeaway from TB that evening. I know at least one very good teacher and counsellor who has not been preaching for years now ostensibly because his physical condition would not allow him to stand in the pulpit for long.
The second takeaway was: Be yourself. Don’t copy others. Everyone has his or her style.
Finally, God will show you what to do when you pray.”
I shall always remember what TB used to tell us whenever he paid a working visit to us at the University Christian Fellowship (UCF).
“In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity.”
― St. Augustine

Uncle TB has left a huge legacy and impacted many lives for the Kingdom of God in Ghana and beyond. May the God of all grace comfort his wife Sister Virginia and the entire family.

May his soul rest in peace as we look forward to a joyful Gathering on the resurrection morn.

I had the privilege of being taught and built up in my Christian life by Uncle T.B. Dankwa, when I was an undergraduate student in the Kwame Nkrumah University Of Science and Technology, Kumasi in the period 1971 to 1975. Uncle TB was then the Travelling Secretary for the Ghana Inter-University Christian Fellowship (now GHAFES). He would visit the KNUST campus to speak to us in the Inter-Hall Christian Fellowship. His One Hour Teaching on Friday Evening strengthened me and gave me a good grounding in my Christian life. I remember when He wanted to teach us to not just be noisy Christians said this, ” At the Akosombo Dam, where the turbines are, it is very noisy, but there is no power there. On the contrary, where the power is , it silent.” I learnt a lot from that statement. Uncle TB, rest in perfect peace until the Lord Jesus whom you preached  returns.

Uncle TB as we fondly called him was a Patriarch. A citizen extraordinaire whose gentle disposition not only touched lives but impacted communities and our country. A man of integrity who was  dearly loved by his kin and the community of faithful believers. Uncle TB , the earth has lost a fine gentlemen but indeed heaven has gained praise. Rest well in the bosom of the Lord.

I loved TB Dankwa. Humble , gentle, a smile that lit up a room, a devoted family man and husband to Virginia , as well as a very fine Bible teacher. In addition to his work in Ghana he made a very significant contribution to the growth of student ministry in Africa during the 1970s and 80s.Across Africa ,many have good cause to call him blessed. He was a true christian gentleman- of whom ‘ the world was not worthy( Hebrews 11). My sincere condolences to Virginia and the family. Thank you for sharing him with us. Lindsay Brown( Gen Sec IFES 1991-2007, and European Sec, 2082-91- when I worked alongside TB)

I really thank God that by His grace and mercy I met Uncle TB through the ministry of GHAFES many years ago. He developed love and admiration for me so strong that, he became my mentor. Uncle TB involved me in his ministry to Islamic nations where we prayed daily to cover Islamic dominated regions and town of Africa and the world. Thank you Uncle TB, for introducing me to this ministry also. I remember a year after the demise of my wife, Lydia, uncle TB called to tell me that, he felt I had a special anointing upon my life to establish a ministry to widowers. Even though I believed him, this ministry never took off till I heard of his glorious home call. Uncle TB, rest well from your labour that has seen multitudes born into the kingdom of God. May the Lord continue to increase you more and more, you and your children. Psalm 115: 14

I had fallen in love and ready to say I do. My fiancé asked that we go meet his pastor so we start counselling and plan the journey leading to marriage. That is how I met Rev Dr T.B. Dankwa. He was a very warm, empathic man and right away he struck me as one who had your interest at heart that went beyond his job. I had initially thought the counselling sessions were going to be talk sessions, but it went beyond that with study sessions and lessons accompanied with assignments and all.  We fostered a deep bond with him within those 3 months which got strengthened when he subsequently became my pastor and has lasted these 22 years. His first practical sermon he gave me was after the counselling session, when the 2 sets of pastors needed to agree to plan the wedding. That interaction left me in awe of him. He taught me a practical lesson in humility no sermon from a pulpit could have taught me. He was so down to earth and so nonjudgmental, you felt so comfortable to talk to him and you didn’t need an appointment to do so too. Several times I will just walk up to him and blurt “Osofo I need counsel” and he will be all ears; listening, guiding and advising. He was also one who believed in mentoring and grooming the next generation. He encouraged the small steps and motivated you to do more while guiding and correcting in love. He was a pastor’s pastor and has been a strong pillar for me and my family all these years. From naming ceremonies, celebrations, birthdays etc. Uncle T.B will always have a prayer and a word of encouragement for you on every birthday and anniversary. I have always teased Kwaku that Uncle TB was the reason he remembered our wedding anniversary every year. He will always have a blessing for us every year without fail and I hope I get to be proved wrong next week because for the first time in 22 years Uncle T.B. won’t be around. Uncle T.B. I will always thank God for your life and for your example in Christlike humility. Thank you for being not only our pastor but our father too. Though you preached some truly great sermons, your life and great example preached so powerfully to lots of us. Rest well servant of the most High God. You truly labored in your master’s vineyard. You spent and was truly spent. We will miss you. Love you Loads.

I’m eternally grateful to you, Uncle TB for your mentoring and guidance over the years. My family and I are most grateful. May you rest peacefully in the bosom of Abraham.

My deepest condolences to Aunti Virginia, the children and family. Uncle T. B was a father through and through. I will miss him terribly but I am comforted that we will meet one day in Glory

I will never forget the ever present pleasant smile of Beloved T. B.

Thanks for your good counsel. I’ll forever appreciate the time you spent with me guiding me through the downtimes and checking up on me as often as you could. God richly bless you grandpa. Until we meet again, Rest well in the bosom of the almighty. Amen. 🙏

Thanks for part of my life. Uncle I’ll  forever be grateful for your love. Till we meet again 🙏🏽

Rev. TB Dankwa was such an encouragement to us in Capro Missionary Movement, Ghana.  Even against all odds, he supported us with his presence at our programmes , his prayer and financial support. With an emoji, he  always let me know he was praying whenever he received the prayer points I post daily on Whatsapp, and was quick to point out to me the mistakes I make with dates. I missed the emoji when he took seriously ill. Anytime Rev. Dankwa saw me, he would say, ” Ada, Kedu?”, which in my native language means ” How are you?’. Rest on Reverend, till we meet again!

Sunday, 20th February, 2022 marked the 78th birthday of Uncle TB. Beth & I had the privilege to join in fellowship at his hospital bedside along with Isaac Newton(National Director, GHAFES), John Ansah(National Director, Navigators) and Rev. Julius Coomson(Pastor, Legon Interdenominational Church). We were representing the Lausanne Ghana Issachar Initiative of younger leaders. As we shared in singing choruses and prayer with Uncle TB, Mama Virginia, family & friends, my heart was deeply stirred by the impact the life and leadership of Uncle TB had made on generations – across the Church  and continent in God’s mission! As we entered we met a generation of evangeical leaders older than us, and also mentored by Uncle TB: Rev. Emmanuel Ahlijah, Auntie Affy Adeleye and Apostle Jude. Uncle TB was sick and weak, but everyone shared the spirit of gratitude, and evident sense of joyful hope in Christ! I personally worship at Uncle TB’s homecall, and not weep. I rejoice over his life of witness and not weakness. His testing is ended, his testimonies abound! His life was a silent one, why are so many shouting their stories of impact? His simple Christ-following servant life and leadership etched the deep marks of Christ on each of us! Uncle TBs homecall is a fresh calling to us all in faithful Christian love, living and leadership. From a Lausanne perspective, I’ve always looked to him as “Ghana’s Uncle John Stott”. He was at Lausanne ’74, he was the lead mentor along with Rev. Kofi Owusu and Rev.Dr. Steve Asante who took us as younger leaders to the Lausanne West Africa Gathering, Abuja 2008. Even till when the Lord called him, he served as the Senior mentor for the Lausanne Ghana Issachar Initiative. He lived H.I.S Lifestyle…in humility, integrity and simplicity….here is Uncle TB – servant of Christ, faithful to the gospel! @NYOA, tribute on behalf of Lausanne Ghana Younger Leaders| Issachar Initiative