A house of prayer. A beacon of hope. Bethel Methodist Church stands here. But its story stretches far beyond these walls.
The tale of Bethel Methodist Church begins with Rev. Thomas Birch Freeman. He was a determined Wesleyan Methodist missionary. It was 1839. Rev. Freeman spearheaded missionary efforts in Ashanti.
However before him James Hayford had already started a Methodist Fellowship. Hayford was a representative of the British Merchant Company in Kumasi. His good relationship with the locals allowed him to conduct a divine service in the King’s palace. News of this reached the church in Cape Coast. They decided to send Rev. Freeman to Kumasi.
They raised sixty pounds to fund this mission. Their goal was to spread the gospel in Ashanti. Rev. Freeman faced challenges on his first trip. He experienced confusion and delays in Kusa and Fomena. He waited 48 days before meeting King Nana Kwaku Duah. Finally on April 1 1839 the King welcomed him into Kumasi. Rev. Freeman and his crew received a warm reception. They preached in the streets. They conducted two divine services. The seeds of Methodism in Ashanti were sown. The Kumasi Diocese began to blossom.
Rev. Freeman returned in December 1841 with gifts for the Asantehene. These included a carriage table chairs and dinnerware. He also brought back two Asante princes. They were John Owusu Ansah and William Owusu Kwantabisa. They had been sent to England as a sign of Asante’s commitment to a treaty.
By 1842 the Asantehene allowed Rev. Freeman to establish the first mission post in Kumasi. He granted them land in Krobo Odumase. Today this land houses properties of the Methodist Church Ghana. Nana Kwaku Duah I Methodist House is here. It serves as the diocesan headquarters.
In July 1961 the Methodist Church Ghana achieved autonomy. Five new districts were created. The Kumasi District was among them. In 1999 the church adopted the biblical pattern of Episcopacy. The Kumasi District transformed into the Kumasi Diocese.
Rev. Brooking was the first Resident Minister stationed in Kumasi. Many missionaries and ministers have served this diocese. Today the Kumasi Diocese has about 160 active ministers. They are supported by 23 lay staff.
The Kumasi Diocese has played a vital role in the religious economic and social development of the area. In 1844 the Wesleyan Methodist Primary School was established in Kumasi. It is now the K.O. Methodist Schools. Many basic second cycle and tertiary institutions followed. Wesley College of Education and Kumasi Wesley Girls’ High School are among them. The church also established the Methodist Faith Healing Hospital at Ankaase. Clinics serve the health needs of the people.
The Kumasi Methodist Diocesan Co-operative Credit Union aims to improve the financial lives of people in the Diocese. The Diocese is headed by the Diocesan Bishop.
The Kumasi Diocese currently has the highest number of circuits within the Connexion. It has an estimated total membership of 53886. In 1997 Obuasi and Effiduase were carved out of the Kumasi District to form new Dioceses.
Since 1961 the Kumasi Diocese has been committed to evangelization. The Diocese has won the Connexional evangelization award repeatedly.
The missionaries who planted the seeds of Methodism in Asante did not labor in vain. The Kumasi Diocese stands as a giant and influential tree today. Bethel Methodist Church is part of this story. It is a testament to faith resilience and community spirit.