The Role of the Penteco/Charismatic Clergy in the Political Health Development in Ghana

Abstract

Several countries in Africa are perpetually linked to an inexpungable history of cyclical ethnic conflicts, violence and coup d'état which culminated in the untimely death of many, others severely wounded and many left in a hopeless situation. The paper discusses in-depth, the role and functions of the clergy (ministers of religion) in the political health development in Ghana. The rationale is that the clergy's esteemed status among the church members and the society as a whole could impact positively on the lives of the people in the society, and for that matter, they are expected to speak to national issues. Twenty-one clergy participated in one-on-one in-depth interviews for this study. It was found out that a number of the ministers of religion were not interested in political health development issues, and therefore, their roles in politics were woefully inadequate. It is recommended that the clergy boldly take up their leadership responsibilities and provide a framework for collaboration and reconciliation in the peace-building process and also be models of a peaceful disposition. The clergy are to continue to pray fervently, advise politicians and educate their church members for a sound political health development in Ghana.

‘The threads in his mind have torn’: conceptualization and treatment of mental disorders by neo-prophetic Christian healers in Accra, Ghana

“…Like our participants, their findings suggested a strong belief in supernatural causes of mental illness, as well as the role that they needed to play in healing the mentally ill. Therefore, the dominant perception of Ghanaian clergy appears to be that mental disorders result from diabolical intentions [ 1 , 17 , 20 ].…”

“…Therefore, much of the healing provided by charismatic Christian organizations focuses on re-establishing a balance between the individual’s corporeal life and their spiritual life in order to achieve the desired prosperity [ 17 ]. According to Asamoah [ 20 ], the neo-Pentecostal Christian doctrine differs from the doctrine of initial African Indigenous Churches (AICs) in that, the latter’s doctrine overtly incorporates elements and practices of indigenous African religious belief whereas the former rejects indigenous cultural practices as demonic, but is built on the framework of an African worldview.…”

“…However, instead of ancestral spirits and deities working in them (as is common in African traditional religion), the charismatic healers believe the healing is done through the Holy Spirit working through them [ 22 ]. Thus, the neo-prophetic churches have elements of African beliefs in their doctrine [ 19 , 20 ], yet are different from the AICs’ syncretic fusion of traditional religious practices into their mode of worship. This influence is reflected in beliefs about the causes and impacts of illness and disorders, as well as their approach to healing.…”

Influence of Church Political Activities on Congregation Socioeconomic Development: A Case of P.C.E.A. Molo Parish, Nakuru county-Kenya

“…They should also provide a platform for collaboration and reconciliation of communities. The study of Asamoah (2017) was, however, conducted in Ghana and thus, findings may not reflect the situation in Kenyan with regarding the church involvement in political issues.…”

“…In Ghana, Asamoah (2017) examined the role played by Charismatic Clergy in political development in Ghana. Results showed that the majority of the clergy did not show interest in the political development of the country, and this their contributions were inadequate.…”