What happens when faith meets action? God Alone International Ministries emerges. Christianity is the largest religion in Ghana. It has 71.3% of the population belonging to various Christian denominations as of 2021 census. Islam is practiced by 19.9% of the total population. Traditional religions are also indigenous here.
God Alone International Ministries stands as a testament to the Christian faith. It is a beacon of hope in Accra. Ghana is a secular state. The country’s constitution guarantees freedom of religion and worship. Christmas and Easter are recognized as national holidays.
Christian missionaries arrived on the coast in the fifteenth century. The Basel and Wesleyan missionaries laid the church’s foundation in Ghana. They started conversions in the coastal area. This created educated Africans. Many secondary schools are mission-related institutions. Church schools opened to all after 1960. The state then assumed financial responsibility for instruction.
Many Christian denominations are represented in Ghana. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has a temple in Accra. A second temple has been announced for Kumasi. Christians are unified by the Ghana Christian Council. It was founded in 1929.
The council links with the World Council of Churches. It includes Methodist Anglican and Mennonite churches. It also includes Presbyterian and Evangelical Lutheran churches. The Seventh-day Adventist Church is also present. It is not a member of the Christian Council. The Church opened a private Christian University.
The National Catholic Secretariat was established in 1960. It coordinates the dioceses. These Christian organizations focus on spiritual affairs. They have occasionally acted in political matters. In 1991, the Conference of Catholic Bishops called for constitutional rule.
A 2015 study estimated 50000 Christians from a Muslim background. Not all of them are citizens necessarily. End-of-year prophecies are common among Christians. Followers want to know what the coming year holds.
The rise of Pentecostal churches shows social change. Some churches have drum societies. They also have singing groups. Membership in independent African and Pentecostal churches has risen.
Islam entered northern Ghana around the fifteenth century. Berber traders carried the religion. Most Muslims in Ghana are Sunni. They follow the Maliki school of jurisprudence.
The Tijaniyah and Qadiriyah brotherhoods are represented. The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is the only non-Sunni order. The Muslim Representative Council addresses religious matters. It also handles social and economic issues. The council arranges pilgrimages to Mecca.
Traditional religions retain influence. They relate to family loyalties. They also relate to local mores. The traditional cosmology believes in a supreme being. This being is remote from daily religious life. Lesser gods reside in streams and mountains. These gods are intermediaries. Ancestors and spirits are also recognized. The spirit world is considered real.
Veneration of ancestors is a major characteristic. Ancestors are a link to the spiritual world. They observe thoughts and actions. Family elders maintain balance. Religious functions strengthen relations with ancestors.
Christianity and Islam coexist with beliefs in spirits. They also coexist with beliefs in evil and witchcraft. Colonization brought religion that intersected precolonial beliefs. Predominantly Christian communities fight witchcraft.
Witchcraft is a topic in songs. Sang in Akan songs reference witchcraft. They explain infertility alcoholism and death. Witchcraft accusations appear in media.
There are at least six witch camps in Ghana. They house approximately 1000 women. Women flee to these camps for safety. They avoid being lynched.
God Alone International Ministries operates in a country with religious diversity. It also operates in a country with complex spiritual beliefs. It provides a space for Christian worship. It also contributes to Ghana’s religious landscape.