| The Methodist Church Ghana | |
|---|---|
 The Methodist Church Ghana logo | |
| Classification | Methodist |
| Orientation | Mainline |
| Scripture | Holy Bible |
| Theology | Wesleyanism |
| Polity | Episcopal (Connexionalism)[1] |
| Associations | Christian Council of Ghana All Africa Conference of Churches World Council of Churches[2] |
| Region | Ghana |
| Founder | John Wesley[3][4] |
| Origin | 1 January 1835 189 years ago Cape Coast, Ghana |
| Separated from | Methodist Church of Great Britain |
| Official website | www |
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The Methodist Church Ghana is one of the largest and oldest mainline Protestant denominations in Ghana. It traces its roots back to the landing of the Rev. Joseph Dunwell on 1 January 1835 in Cape Coast, in the Gold Coast (now Ghana).[5] The Rev. T. B. Freeman, another missionary, took the Christian message beyond Cape Coast to the Ashanti Empire, to Nigeria, and to other parts of the region to become the father of Methodism in West Africa.[6]
For the most part, The Methodist Church Ghana follows the same Sunday worship practices as other Methodist Church branches. The Methodist Church Ghana separates itself from the mainline Methodist Church of Great Britain in approach through the addition of Charismatic elements to the worship services. This approach to worship displays a more vibrant and energetic form of praise.
The Methodist Church Ghana is responsible for a large part of its community's outreach. Like many other mainline Protestant churches, the church provides formal education through schooling for Ghanaians. This educational role for Methodist Church Ghana in particular has helped the country provide a strong educational system that can accommodate the Ghanaian population, which is pivotal because the options for university in Ghana are scarce and competitive.
The Methodist Church Ghana is a big medical care provider in its area, as well. The medical work done by The Methodist Church Ghana has served a vast part of the local community by offering important health services to Ghanaians. The Methodist Church Ghana also took initiative to remodel and reconstruct a local hospital to broaden its outreach and possibilities for medical care for its community.
Ethnic divisions plagued the administration of The Methodist Church Ghana in the past but this has been addressed. These problems arose from differences in ethnicity regarding power positions and church format. For instance, during an election for the presidency of the denomination in the 1980s, people were vouching for their own ethnic president and a conflict of interest between some ethnic groups occurred.
- ^ Sims, Kirk. “The Missional Relations with Methodist Church Ghana with Other Methodist Bodies.” Dec. 2012, pp. 1–7., www.methodistheritage.org.uk/missionary-history-sims-missional-relations-ghana-2012.pdf.
- ^ "Ghana, Methodist Church » Member Churches – World Methodist Council". 9 November 2019.
- ^ "The United Methodist Church". University of Virginia. Archived from the original on 4 August 2007. Retrieved 3 August 2007.
- ^ "What We Believe – Founder of the United Methodist Church". United Methodist Church of Whitefish Bay. Archived from the original on 25 March 2008. Retrieved 1 August 2007.
- ^ F.L.Bartels. The Roots of Ghana Methodism. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1965, pp. 12–18.
- ^ F.L.Bartels. The Roots of Ghana Methodism. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1965, pp. 28–72.