By Albert Allotey, GNA
Accra, May 6, GNA – The International Students Ministries Canada (ISMC) has appointed Apostle Jacob-Paul Aheto, a Ghanaian missionary and international student ministry leader as Global Ambassador of the Association of Christians Ministering among Internationals (ACMI).
The ACMI is the global umbrella body for international student ministry organisations worldwide.
The ISMC in a statement copied to the Ghana News Agency said Apostle Jacob-Paul will work to expand ACMI’s visibility among international student ministry (ISM) practitioners globally, with an initial focus on building and strengthening ISM networks across Africa.
Apostle Jacob-Paul Aheto has also been appointed as City Director for the ISMC, one of the foremost ISM organisations in North America.
The statement said Apostle Jacob-Paul’s appointments marked a new phase in his ministry career following his tenure as National Coordinator of Pan African International Students (PAIS).
The appointments span both global advocacy and localised community-level ministry delivery.
The statement said Apostle Jacob-Paul will work to bring to these roles his experience as the founding National Coordinator of PAIS, while working to coordinate outreach and discipleship efforts among African international students across multiple countries.
The statement noted that the appointments come at a moment of significant growth in global student mobility.
It said according to the UNESCO Institute for Statistics, the number of internationally mobile students surpassed 6.4 million as of the most recent global count, with Sub-Saharan Africa among the fastest-growing source regions.
“In Canada, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) data shows the country hosted over one million study permit holders for the first time in 2023, a milestone that underscored the scale of the international student population before federal policy adjustments moderated intake in 2024,” it stated.
It explained that the settled international student community across cities in Ontario, including the Durham Region, remains substantial, and represents a growing focus for faith-based organisations providing pastoral and community support.
Cam Janzen, President and Chief Executive Officer of the ISMC, welcomed the appointments and said Apostle Jacob-Paul’s background in pan-African student ministry and his familiarity with the Canadian ISM landscape made him a strong fit for the Whitby mandate.
He also expressed confidence that the new City Director would bring both the relational networks and the ministry experience necessary to establish a credible and durable presence among international students in the Durham Region.
Reflecting on the ACMI appointment, Apostle Jacob-Paul said, “International students are among the most strategically significant and yet underserved communities in the world today.
“My hope is that through ACMI, we can build the kind of cross-continental collaboration that allows the Church to meet them, not just academically or socially, but with the gospel,” he stated.
On his forthcoming role with ISMC in Whitby, he added, “Whitby is where the work becomes concrete. Every international student who arrives in a new country carries questions that go beyond the classroom.
“I am committed to building a ministry that walks alongside them through that experience and points them to Christ.”
Apostle Jacob-Paul is the Lead-Apostle of Authority Chapel International and Founder of Jacob-Paul Missions (Ghana) and has been under the mentorship of Apostle Eric Nyamekye, Chairman of The Church of Pentecost, since 2018.
He holds a B.Sc. in Psychology from the University of Cape Coast and a certificate and diploma in Missions and Disciplemaking from Christlike Disciplemakers Movement (CDM) Bible College. He is currently pursuing a Master of Divinity at Canada Christian College.
GNA
Kenneth Odeng Adade