Meet Pastor Mark Tomah
In this month’s CIM’s Ministry News Update, we introduce you to Mark Tomah, one of our supported pastors for the Evangelical Church of Ghana. Pastor Mark leads the Yapei ECG church in the Savannah region in Ghana. He also oversees a number of churches in nearby communities. He is married to Esther and has four children: Elizabeth, Mercy, Elijah and Deborah.
(Pastor Mark and family in 2022)
In 1987, Pastor Mark was traveling from Tamale to Buipe. Along the way, God prompted him to stop. He wandered the bushy and desolate land for three nights, fasting and praying. During this time, God spoke to him that he would acquire the land for His ministry. Ironically, the land is in the Yapei area, and thirty years later, ECG has assigned him to this area. When I visited him in 2022, he was beaming with joy as he showed me this land, but my relationship with Pastor Mark started many years earlier. I met Pastor Mark in 2013 when he was pastoring the ECG in a small town called Atebubu in the Bono East Region of Ghana. Right away, I could tell that he was a man whose gift was in evangelism, prayer, and prophecy. Often, he would spend all night in prayer, sleeping only two to three hours. On my visits, he would pray over me and anoint me with oil. When I am back in Canada, he would occasionally call me during his nightly prayers and pray for me. We soon became praying partners. He would also observe our STM teams and on the last night of our stay, he would share with each of the team members, what he thought our strengths were and where he would see us in ministry in the future. To minister with Pastor Mark, you need to be in shape. Be expected to walk miles in the hot afternoon sun to do door to door visitations. He has worn out many shoes doing this. I have many memories of Pastor Mark, but one of my favorites was when we had to canoe to a remote village to share the gospel. After we reached the shore, we still had to hike a fair distance to the village. It was hot and yet Pastor Mark wore a full suit. After we shared the gospel, we started our trek back to the canoe, but a massive rain storm hit and the path we were on quickly turned into a torrent. One of the STMers from Australia could not go any further and our driver had to carry her back to the canoe. While all this was going on, Pastor Mark just kept walking as it was just another day at the office. But that is the type of person he is; his goal is to share the gospel at all cost.
After being reassigned to the Yapei area, Pastor Mark has been involved in community initiatives like the distribution of clothes for outreach purposes. He is also trying to spearhead the development of his land for agricultural development, fish farming, and future church building projects.
With the support of CIM donors, over the last 2 years, we have been able to buy a motorcycle and also help pay some of his water and power bills. A motorcycle is essential for travel to some of the remote villages he preaches at and there was a time when he had no running water or power because he could not afford to pay the bills. Like many other ECG pastors, he also farms to support his family.
(Pastor Mark with CIM donated motorcycle in 2023)
Please continue to pray for Pastor Mark and his ministries.
To read our International Worker Janice’s blogs.
https://www.cimcanada.org/janice-ministry-updates
Rev. Isaac Quan
Executive Director for CIM Ministries
Olivia Luong, writes her sixth article in a series to bring awareness to simple estate planning to CIM donors. The goal is that donors will consider some or all of the strategies in addition to their regular giving.
Adding Children to Title of Principal Residence
This is a very common question posted to wills and estate lawyers. Very often, the intention is for the parents (1) to avoid probate tax, and (2) to simplify things for the estate trustee. Probate is the process where a court certifies the will is the last will of the deceased and affirms the appointment of the estate trustee. In addition, a fee is usually levied on the estate with certain exemptions. Any property (mainly real estate and bank accounts) are exempt from the probate fee. Some provinces charge a fee in proportion to the value of the estate while other provinces charge a flat fee.
There are risks associated with adding children as co-owners of any real estate. If the child experiences a marital breakdown, the house will be subject to property division in divorce proceedings. If the child and/or spouse runs into financial trouble, the creditors may demand the house be sold to cover the debt. If the deceased has more than one child, it is often difficult to ascertain the motive of the parent. Was it done as a gift to the child named on the title or was it the intention of the parent to appoint the child as the trustee of the property. In the latter case, the parent’s wish was for the child to take care of the property until it can be sold and the proceeds given to all the children.
In view of the above, it is generally recommended not to add the child/children to the title. Parents are urged to use the will and the naming of beneficiaries outside of the will to transfer wealth to the next generation. Charitable donations can be used to offset tax on the final tax return. Please remember CIM as it needs as you consider how you can support its ministries through your final giving.
August Financials 2024
1. General Fund - for general and administrative purposes, such as staff salaries
2. Designated Fund - for specific ministries in different field locations as designated (cannot be transferred between funds)
*All financial figures are in Canadian dollars and rounded to the nearest dollar
Pray With Us:
Please continue to pray for peace in Ukraine. The invasion rages on and innocent lives are lost each day. Pray for House of Mercy as they take care of refugees, physically and spiritually. The war has intensified as Ukraine has invaded Russia in the last month. Pray for Pastor Vlad as he ministers to the Romas.
Pray for guidance and direction for our next steps for our Roma Ministry. After attending the Roma Network Conference and subsequent visits to Roma communities, we have been presented with different opportunities.
Pray for the pastors and teachers that we support in Ghana and Togo. Inflation is still greatly affecting their lives. Pray for wisdom to know how to empower church members to support their churches in these economically challenging times. Pray for peace as it is an election year. Pray for rain for the farmers who are greatly affected by drought conditions. Pray for Pastor Mark and his ministries.
Pray for Pastor Isaac as he travels in Ghana and Togo this month visiting our supported sites as well as the leaders for ECG and EGCT.
Pray for Janice in Ghana as she continues with her ministry after her maternity leave. Pray for wisdom and time management in balancing ministry work, school, and family life. Pray for a smooth process and favorable outcome at Immigration for an indefinite residence permit.
Pray for the finances of CIM Ministries. Pray for new donors and a healthy general fund to run our ministries. In order to run our ministries effectively, we are currently seeking monthly donors. Click here to donate.
Pray for CIM USA as they are still looking for an Executive Director and Director of Ministry.