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Copyright © 2005 James Gbadzine Aluong All Rights Reserved. The Copyright © 2005 James Gbadzine Aluong All rights reserved. The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary has permission to reproduce and disseminate this document in any form by any means for purposes chosen by the Seminary, including, without limitation, preservation or instruction. AN ANALYSIS OF THE CHURCH PLANTING STRATEGIES AND METHODS OF THE GHANA BAPTIST CONVENTION AND MISSION FROM 1960-2000 A Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy by James Gbadzine Akrong May 2005 UMI Number: 3173104 Copyright 2005 by Akrong, James Gbadzine All rights reserved. INFORMATION TO USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. Broken or indistinct print, colored or poor quality illustrations and photographs, print bleed-through, substandard margins, and improper alignment can adversely affect reproduction. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if unauthorized copyright material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. ® UMI UMI Microform 3173104 Copyright 2005 by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. ProQuest Information and Learning Company 300 North Zeeb Road P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, M148106-1346 APPROV AL SHEET AN ANALYSIS OF THE CHURCH PLANTING STRATEGIES AND METHODS OF THE GHANA BAPTIST CONVENTION AND MISSION FROM 1960-2000 James Gbadzine Akrong Read and THESES Ph.D. .Ak73a 0199701934903 To Gladys, my dear lovely wife and best friend and to our children, Edem (Edwin), Efakomam (Michael) and Eyram (Abigail) TABLE OF CONTENTS Page PREFACE........................................................... VI Chapter 1. INTRODUCTION 1 Statement of the Problem ...................................... 3 Background Information . .. 11 Limitations . .. 15 Methodology . .. 15 2. INTRODUCTION TO GHANA . 18 Location and Geography of Ghana . .. 18 History and Culture of Ghana . .. 24 The Social, Political, and Economic Situation in Ghana ................ 46 The Religious Situation in Ghana . .. 65 3. BAPTIST WORK IN GHANA .................................... 75 History of Christianity in Ghana .................................. 75 Y oruba traders and the Genesis of the Baptist work in Ghana . .. 81 The Y oruba Baptist Association . .. 85 The Aliens Compliance Order . 92 Early Signs of Growth . .. 92 Period of Division and Growth ................................... 93 Reunification and Further growth . .. 99 Current Status of the Ghana Baptist Convention . .. 107 4. STRATEGIES AND METHODS OF CHURCH PLANTING USED BY THE IV CONVENTION AND THE MISSION .............................. 108 Models, Strategies, and Methods of Church Planting Employed by Evangelicals . 108 Strategies and Methods of Church Planting Used in the Pioneering Era .... 139 Strategies and Methods Used in the Early Growth Era ................. 156 Strategies and Methods of the Division Era . .. .................... 163 Strategies and Methods of the Unification Era: Operation 2000 by 2000 .. 169 5. EVALUATION AND CRITIQUE OF THE CHURCH PLANTING STRATEGIES AND METHODS ................................... 179 Criteria for Analyzing Health Indigenous Church Planting in Ghana ...... 179 Healthy Indigenous Church Planting Strategies and Methods that have Worked in Ghana. 184 Strengths and Weaknesses of the Strategies and Methods Employed by the Ghana Baptist Convention and the Ghana Baptist Mission . 224 6. RECOMMENDATIONA AND CONCLUSION ....................... 249 Appendix 1. APPLICATION OF MODELS USED BY EVANGELICAS TO GHANA 258 2. STRATEGIES, METHODS AND MODELS USED BY CONVENTION AND MISSION . 262 3. SAMPLE QUESTIONAIRE FOR CHURCH PLANTERS OF THE CONVENTIONION ............................................ 265 BIBLIOGRAPHY ...................................................... 266 v PREFACE As the dream of completing this dissertation finally materializes it is important to acknowledge the contribution of all the people who made it possible. First of all I thank my Lord and King for all his grace, mercies and love that has brought me thus far. Truly "if it had not been the Lord who has been on our side," the story would have been very different. Thank you Lord. I recognize with great gratitude the immense contribution of my committee of instruction especially my supervising professor Dr. Mark Terry. Dr Terry offered me guidance during the admission process and has ever remained a true friend and mentor. Throughout my doctoral studies Dr. Terry has offered guidance and encouragement. I am particularly grateful for all his help at the writing stage. Chapters four and five were submitted when Dr. Terry was getting ready to go back to the mission field and the conclusion while he was in orientation. Yet he offered the same help as before if not more. I am indebted to Drs. Thorn Rainer and James Chancellor, the other members of my committee of instruction, who read through my work and offered suggestions at various stages. I am indebted to Dr. Tim Beougher for stepping in for Dr. Rainer (who had to attend to an urgent family call) at my oral examination and for arranging for the examination. I am equally indebted to other professors ofthe Billy Graham School: Drs. Don Cox, John Dever, Bryant Hicks, and Charles Lawless for all their contributions in shaping up my thoughts and life. I deeply appreciate Miss Reba Pendleton's great contribution of typing the greater part of this dissertation. I am also grateful to Dr. Ed Stetzer, my friend, colleague, and supervisor for rekindling my interest in church planting and offering me a lot of guidance when I served under him at the VI Church Planting Center as the director ofthe Nehemiah School of Ministry. I thank Drs. Hughes and Ewart, who served as my supervisors after Dr. Stetzer. lowe Dr. Daniel Hatfield, who provided care and direction at a very difficult time during the writing of this dissertation and Dr. Wade Rowatt who has been a counselor, and encourager, a debt of gratitude. The same goes to Dr. T Vaughn Walker and the First Gethsemane Baptist Church for providing fellowship, encouragement and spiritual nurture. Westport Road Baptist Church particularly the "Rejoicers" Sunday School Class likewise have been a place of fellowship and encouragement. Pastor Bill Johnson and the Christian Mission Fellowship Baptist Church allowed me to do my practical training with them and thereafter served two years there as an interim Pastor. Manoa Presbyterian Church and their former Mission director Jack Cleland sponsored my family to join me in the United States after three years of separation and were very helpful to us when our daughter, Abigail, was born. To these God's people lowe a debt of gratitude. The General Secretary of the Ghana Baptist Convention, Reverend Amo and his staff provided all the materials I needed from them, especially the minutes and report books. The General Secretary also provided a write-up on the strategies and methods he used as home missionary and as senior pastor. He also distributed my questionnaires to church planters in our convention. Reverend Yaw Ofori, the director of the Evangelism and Mission Board granted me an interview on the status of evangelism and mission in the Ghana Baptist convention. Deacon Mike Walker, the 1MB representative in a like manner provided the materials that I needed from the Ghana Baptist Mission. Dr. Joshua Boadi, retired principal of the Ghana Baptist Seminary and former President and General Secretary of our convention, gave hand written materials on the topic. Dr. Fred Deegbe granted me an interview on his successful application of the satellite Vll type of daughter church planting. Right Reverend Hope Gbewonyo, former moderator of the Gobal Evangelical Church (formerly EP Church of Ghana) granted me an interview on the church planting program of the church. He and his wife (my aunt) have been supportive of my walk with the Lord and call to the ministry. Reverend Jim Annis and Dr. Jim Haney, former missionaries to Ghana each granted me an interview on their work in Ghana. Reverend Steve Asante, the Vice President of our convention (then Pastor of my home church) took me round to head offices of the PCG and the COP and also to the one of the NOP leaders in Accra. Bernard Ofori Atta of COF and my friend Deacon Yaw Achampong both gave me write ups on their organization. My good friends, Reverends Yaw Asamoah and Yelbert Tandoh collected materials from the Convention and the mission in Ghana respectively and mailed them to me. I am very grateful to you all. My good friends John Baiden Amissah, Reverend Drs. Obeng Appau and Yeboah Awusi, and their families helped in diverse ways for me to transfer from the Baptist Seminary in Ruschlikon, Switzerland to Eastern Seminary in Pennsylvania. All three and also my friend Emmanuel Itapson and their families offered a lot of prayers and encouragement, spending hours on the phone and visited us in Louisville during difficult periods of writing this dissertation. My uncle Mawuena Gardesey picked up from where they left off by visiting, praying and challenging us in ways that helped and healed. I am grateful to friends Baffour Adu-Gyamfi, Isaiah Olatoyan, their families, and Haggai Habila for their prayers, care and encouragement. My friends Sam Winful, Dr. Owusu, Reverend
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