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University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh UNIVERSITY OF GHANA DEPARTMENT FOR THE STUDY OF RELIGIONS ORDAINED WOMEN MINISTERS IN THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF GHANA: ROLES AND CHALLENGES BY GRACE SINTIM ADASI THIS THESIS IS SUBMITTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF GHANA, LEGON IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE AWARD OF PhD RELIGIONS DEGREE DECEMBER, 2012 University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh DECLARATION I hereby declare that this thesis is the result of my own work carried out at the Department of Religions, University of Ghana, Legon, under the supervision of Prof. Elizabeth Amoah, Rev. Dr. Benhardt Yemo Quarshie and Rev. Dr. George Ossom Batsa. Signature ………………………………… Date ………………… GRACE SINTIM ADASI (10016643) Signature …………………………………. Date ………………… PROF. ELIZABETH AMOAH Signature …………………………………. Date ………………… REV. DR. BENHARDT YEMO QUARSHIE Signature ………………………………….. Date…………………… REV. DR. GEORGE OSSOM- BATSA i University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh DEDICATION To my beloved parents, Nicholas Yaw Sintim-Ofosuhene and Grace Yaa Dufie Sintim-Ofosuhene, my husband Willam Yaw Adasi and my three daughters, Samuella, Ernestine and Solace Adasi for helping me attain the education I yearned for. ii University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh ABSTRACT After several debates on whether or not women should be ordained in the Presbyterian Church Ghana (PCG), the church eventually ordained women into the clergy and assigned them roles. However, in performing their roles the ordained women ministers are faced with some challenges which are based on socio-cultural, theological and psychological factors. This thesis sets out to investigate the reasons for the scarcity of information about the post ordination activities of women as clergy into the PCG. Within the Ghanaian context there is not much detailed and systematic study of the activities of women after their ordination. This research investigates the roles of ordained women ministers in the PCG and the challenges that confront them. The thesis provides detailed information on the post ordination experiences of ordained women ministers. This study examines the theory of feminism as a theoretical frame using historical analysis. The existing structures within both the church and society are patriarchal and the structures turn to focus more on men than on women in the various sectors of life. To examine the issues, data was collected through primary and secondary sources for analysis. The researcher conducted her research through personal observation, administration of questionnaires and personal interviews. The secondary sources involved examination and synthesis of documentary evidence, letters and personal files. The researcher came to the conclusion that though the women ministers are effectively performing their roles some of the negative perceptions that were used earlier to keep them from the ordained ministry still persist. In some cases the women ministers were prevented from fully performing their roles. This is because some members (especially older men) in the PCG continue to have cultural perceptions on the roles of women as assigned mainly to the domestic domain. Some members also find it difficult to work with the ordained women ministers as congregational leaders because they are women. It is therefore concluded that the ordained women ministers in the PCG will continue to face challenges in performing their roles so long as the socio-cultural, religious and psychological perceptions persist about female ministers. iii University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This thesis is the result of the support I have received from many people, my parents, husband, three daughters, supervisors, mentors, Reverend Ministers and friends who have helped to make it possible. My sincere gratitude goes to my three supervisors, Prof. Elizabeth Amoah, Rev. Dr. Benhardt Quarshie and Rev. Dr. George Ossom-Batsa, who tirelessly reviewed the work, provided direction and useful comments to bring the work to its present state. My sincere thanks go to Dr. Kwadwo Kwabia (formerly of the School of Graduate Studies, University of Ghana) I also wish to express my appreciation to Dr Rose Mary Amenga-Etego of the Department of the study of Religions; Dr Kwaku Mensah Ganu (formerly of Ghana Universities Press) for his advice and patience in reading through all the chapters of this thesis, and to Reverends Professor David N. A. Kpobi, Professor Ntreh, Dr Samuel Prempeh, Dr. Branford Yeboah, all of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, for providing useful comments on various aspects of the topic. My Special thanks go to Reverends Dora Ofori Owusu, (the first woman to be commissioned in the PCG), Alice Kyei-Anti (who was present at the time of the debate against women’s ordination) and Rose Teteki Abbey for their assistance and permission to take their photographs. I thank all the Presidents of the women’s fellowships in the various presbyteries of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana for taking their time to respond to my questionnaire. iv University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh My special appreciation goes to the numerous Presbyterian Reverend Ministers and workers for giving me access to women’s activities from PCG archives. My thanks go to the past and present Directors of the Presbyterian Women’s Centre, Abokobi, Reverends Felicia Adu Kumi, Esther Abam Adjetey and the deputy director Cynthia Boama for their support in sourcing information about the PCG’s women’s centre at Abokobi. Finally, I wish to acknowledge the contribution and support of my friends and colleagues Mathew Alidza of the University of Cape Coast and Raymond K. Awadzi for taking the pain to read through some of my chapters. v University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS CEDAW Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women CLAN Church Life and Nurture EAWM EvangelischerArbeitskreisfϋrWeltmission in Österreich EMS Evangelical Mission of South Western Germany J. Y. Junior Youth NUPSG National Union of Presbyterian Students of Ghana PCG Presbyterian Church of Ghana PWC Presbyterian Women’s Centre PWTC Presbyterian Women Training College RTC Ramsayer Training Centre WMC Women’s Mission Committee WWCC Women’s Work Central Committee vi University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh TABLE OF CONTENTS Content Page DECLARATION ................................................................................................................. i DEDICATION .................................................................................................................... ii ABSTRACT ....................................................................................................................... iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................... iv LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS .......................................................................................... vi TABLE OF CONTENTS .................................................................................................. vii CHAPTER ONE ..................................................................................................................1 INTRODUCTION ...............................................................................................................1 1.1 Background to the Study ................................................................................................1 1.2 Statement of the Problem ...............................................................................................2 1.3 Theoretical Framework and Methodology.....................................................................3 1.3.1 Methodology ...........................................................................................................5 1.3.2 Primary Sources ......................................................................................................5 1.3.3 Secondary Sources ..................................................................................................9 1.3.4 Data Analysis ........................................................................................................10 1.4 Research Question .......................................................................................................10 1.5 Objective of the Study .................................................................................................11 vii University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh 1.6 Literature Review.........................................................................................................11 1.6.1 Emerging Women Clergy and Resistance .............................................................12 1.6.2 Women Leadership Positions in the Church .........................................................16 1.7 Scope of the Study .......................................................................................................18 1.8 Limitations ...................................................................................................................19 1.9 Relevance of the Study ................................................................................................19 1.10 Organization of Chapters ...........................................................................................20 CHAPTER TWO ...............................................................................................................22 THE MISSION OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF GHANA (PCG)