From nun to missionary – Dr. Margaret Mensah

By Rhoda Oluwakemi Appiah

Margaret Mensah, a medical doctor by profession, served as nun for 37 years before becoming born again. Then, she served in the rocky field of Mauritania as a medical missionary, moving on to work in Banda Ayekro in Ghana before partnering with Theovision.

Born into a polygamous but very religious Roman Catholic family, Dr. Mensah joined a convent at a young age, through which she received all of her medical training, graduating from Ghana Medical School. She has found that the training in selflessness which she also got at the convent has been very useful over the years. “We were expected to be rich in good works. I was trained for selfless dedication to mankind and the need to show compassion,” she remembers.

Her professional training as a community health specialist prepared her for the work of ministering to AIDS/HIV patients back in the years when it was first appearing in Ghana. This work in community health went on for many years until she became born again in 1999! Soon after, she joined her brother Apostle J.F.K. Mensah together with his family in Mauritania for 4 years under Pioneers Africa. After that, she spent another 5 years serving with Pioneers Ghana as a medical missionary at Banda Ayekro, in the Southern part of Suryani.

Dr. Mensah found that life as a born-again Christian was different from life under the Catholic church: “When I was working as a Nun, I experienced a lot of burn outs but working as missionary is different, because of the privilege of laying every burden at the feet of the cross.”

Dr. Helen Roseveare, who served as a single missionary in Congo for many years, is one of Dr. Mensah’s role models. She says, “I consider my love for rural areas and desire to lift people up as my strength. But, I am too rash in making decisions; often I don’t think or pray through before making decisions. I am like Peter: ‘Lord, I will die with you!’”

She finds a great deal of joy in medical missions; she sees the sick and vulnerable being healed, but she knows it is not her medicine that heals, but God’s. One of her most treasured memories: “I remember a Muslim man in Mauritania who gave his life to Christ and was going about with Jesus Film cassette even to the point of playing it at the mosque before he was driven out.”

Currently serving in partnership with Theovision in Ghana as a medical missionary, Dr. Mensah advises aspiring missionaries “not to be rash in making decisions. They should seek training. Know themselves very well, as in their individual strengths and weaknesses, as well as their breaking point. They should seek to know the culture of the people group they want to reach. They should be matured Christians, who observe regular quiet time and know the Bible. They should work on character development before venturing into the missionary field.”

Her favourite scripture is Psalm 121, which the Lord used to raise her up at a very low moment, after which she received a miracle. The last part of the Psalm says: The LORD will keep you from all harm – he will watch over your life; the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.

Taken from an interview by Rhoda Oluwakemi Appiah. She is married with three children. She is a pioneering missionary of Fullstature Missions International together with her husband, Rev. Daniel Hyde Appiah. She is a lover of God and His word, with an overwhelming desire to see God’s kingdom advance in every sphere of society. Contact her at kemiappiah@gmail.com.