Christianity in Ghana

Christianity in Ghana
Christianity is the religion with the largest following in Ghana. Christian denominations include Catholics, Methodists, Anglicans, Presbyterians, Lutherans, Seventh-Day Adventists, Pentecostals, Baptists, Evangelical Charismatics, Latter-day Saints, etc.
According to the census figures of the year 2000, out of Ghana's 18.8 million people, Christians made up 69 percent of the population of Ghana. The 2010 Population and Housing Census puts the figure at slightly over 71 percent of the total population of over 24 million people. A 2015 study estimated some 50,000 believers in Christ from a Muslim background.
According to the 2021 census, 71.3% of the population belonged to a Christian denomination.
History
The arrival of the Europeans in 15th century into the then Gold Coast brought Christianity to the land. There were many different cultural groups across the West African region who were practicing different forms of spirituality. As the Europeans explored and took control of parts of the country during the colonial days, so did their religion.
Denominations
Methodism in Ghana
The Methodist Church Ghana came into existence as a result of the missionary activities of the Wesleyan Methodist Church, inaugurated with the arrival of Joseph Rhodes Dunwell to the Gold Coast (Ghana) in 1835. Like the mother church, the Methodist Church in Ghana was established by people of Anglican background.
Latter-day Saints
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has 62,000 members in 207 congregations in Ghana. They also have 28 family history centers, 3 missions, and 1 temple in Ghana.
Seventh-day Adventists
Seventh-day Adventist missionaries arrived in Ghana in 1888. 60 percent of its members in Ghana are Ashanti. In 2014, were almost 400,000 members worshipping in 1,243 congregations. They have 916 schools, 13 hospitals and 12 clinics in the country.
Impact of Christianity
Various aspects of Ghanaian development and nation-building have all been impacted upon due to the role Christianity plays.
Education
At every level of education in the country, there are mission schools that exist with the purposes of:
Teaching Government of Ghana approved curricula
Imparting moral discipline into students
However, the main aim of establishing these schools is to impact the values of the various faiths or missions into the younger generation to ensure continuity. Almost all mainline churches have schools at the primary, secondary and tertiary levels of education in the country. Consistently, over 95 percent of the country's top-performing second cycle institutions are all mission schools. The most well-known church-affiliated schools amongst them are:
Aburi Girls' Secondary School - Presbyterian - Aburi
Adisadel College - Anglican - Cape Coast
Archbishop Potter Girls' School - Catholic - Takoradi
Holy Child School - Catholic- Cape Coast
Mfantsipim School - Methodist - Cape Coast
Opoku Ware School - Catholic - Kumasi
Prempeh College - Methodist/Presbyterian - Kumasi
Pope John Senior High School and Minor Seminary - Catholic - Effiduase Koforidua
Presbyterian Boys Secondary School - Presbyterian - Accra
St. Augustine's College - Catholic- Cape coast
St. Louis Secondary School - Catholic - Kumasi
St Mary's Senior High School - Catholic - Accra
St. Monica's School - Anglican - Mampong
St. Peter's Boys Senior Secondary School - Catholic - Nkwatia Kwahu
St. Roses Girls Secondary School - Catholic - Akwatia
Wesley Girls High School - Methodist - Cape Coast
Mawuli School - Evangelical Presbyterian Church Ghana (Ho)
Health care delivery
Currently, 42% of all the nation's health care needs are catered for by health establishments belonging to various Christian bodies in the country. The umbrella organization of which the various mission hospitals, clinics and facilities are members of is known as the Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG). Some of these facilities are in deprived areas of the country. CHAG serves as a link between Government and its Development Partners and CHAG Member Institutions and provides support to its members through capacity strengthening, coordination of activities, lobbying and advocacy, public relations and translation of government policies. The goal of CHAG is to improve the health status of people living in Ghana, especially the marginalized and the impoverished, in fulfillment of Christ's healing ministry. CHAG’s 183 Member Institutions are therefore predominantly located in the rural (underserved) areas. CHAG plays a complementary role to the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Ghana Health Service (GHS) and is the second largest provider of health services in the country.
Gallery
Selected individuals in Ghanaian Christianity
See also
Religion in Ghana
Catholic Church in Ghana
Evangelical Presbyterian Church, Ghana
Presbyterian Church of Ghana
Basel Mission
Bremen Mission
References