
“Medivangelism”: History and Antecedents in Ghana
Issue: Vol.9 No.12 December 2023 Issue Article 1 pp. 564-572
DOI : https://doi.org/10.38159/erats.20239121 | Published online 18th December, 2023.
© 2023 The Author(s). This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
This article explored the link between medicine and sharing the message of Jesus in Ghana. It looked at how medical missions and medical evangelism have played a vital role in bringing both physical healing and spiritual hope to people in need. It also analyzed developments and progress associated with modern medicine and its usage by the church to foster the well-being of Ghanaians. By creating hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare services, churches in Ghana have made a big difference in the lives of those who are often forgotten or lacking medical care. The article focused on three main churches—the Catholic Church, the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, and the Methodist Church, Ghana—and their contributions to holistic ministry over time. The research adopted the qualitative historical approach within the framework of practical theology as the methodology for the study. Primary data was gathered through historical documentation, personal interviews and the researcher’s participation in the missions field as a volunteer. Secondary data were sourced from peer-reviewed articles and books. The research revealed how these churches have combined their faith with their desire to help others, bringing medical assistance and spreading the love of God in the process. By understanding the important role of medical missions, their connection to sharing the Gospel, and the reason why the pioneering missionaries added it to their missions, readers will gain a deeper appreciation for the efforts of churches in Ghana and the impact they have on the lives of people in their communities.
Keywords: Medical Missions, Medical Evangelism, Medivangelism, Social Action, Evangelism
Addae, Stephen. Evolution of Modern Medicine in Developing Country: Ghana 1880-1960. Durham: Durham Academic Press.
Appiah-Kubi, K. Man Cures, God Heals: Religion and Medical Practice among the Akans of Ghana. New York: Friendship Press, 1981.
Asamoah-Gyadu, Kwabena. African Charismatics: Current Developments within Independent Indigenous Pentecostalism in Ghana. Leiden: E. J. Brill, 2005.
Azumah, Joseph Azure, Cephas Richard Narh and Jacob Kwame Opata. Reaching the Unreached: The CMRF Model. Accra: CMRF, 2021.
Boafo, Paul K. “The Methodist Church Ghana,” in Christianity in Ghana: A Postcolonial History, ed. J. Kwabena Asamoah-Gyadu, Accra: Sub-Saharan Publishers, 2018,
Dawson, Catherine. Introduction to Research Methods: A Practical Guide for Anyone Undertaking Research Project. Oxford: How To Content, 2009.
Kpobi, David N. A. Missions in Ghana, the Ecumenical Heritage. Accra: Asempa Publishers, 2008.
Larbi, Kingsley E. Pentecostalism: The Eddies of Ghanaian Christianity. Accra: CPCS, 2001.
Nsiah, Alice M. “Catholicism in Postcolonial Ghana.” In Christianity in Ghana: A Postcolonial History. Edited by J. Kwabena Asamoah-Gyadu 1.0. Accra: Sub-Saharan Publishers, 2018.
Odonkor, Nathan Teye. “Seventh-day Adventism in Ghana.” In Christianity in Ghana: A Postcolonial History. Edited by J. Kwabena Asamoah-Gyadu 1.0. Accra: Sub-Saharan Publishers, 2018.
Opare-Kwakye, Nana. “The Presbyterian Church of Ghana.” In Christianity in Ghana: A Postcolonial History. Edited by J. Kwabena Asamoah-Gyadu 1.0. Accra: Sub-Saharan Publishers, 2018.
Opata, J. Kwame “Medical Evangelism in Ghana: A Holistic Approach Towards Missions.” In Voice of Missions: Your Authoritative Missions Magazine ed. Ray Mensah 2.0. Accra: GEMA, 2020.
______. Medical Evangelism in Ghana: A Holistic Approach Towards Missions. Accra: CMRF, 2019.
______. “Christian Medical Missions in Ghana: The Christian Missions Resource Foundation (CMRF) Model.” Master of Arts in Ministry Thesis. Trinity Theological Seminary, Accra, 2018.
Pobee, John S. Kwame Nkrumah and the Church in Ghana: 1949-1966. Accra: Asempa, 1988.
Saldana, John. Fundamentals of Qualitative Research: Understanding Qualitative Research. New York: Oxford University Press, 2011.
Swinton, John and Harriet Mowat. Practical Theology and Qualitative Research. London: SCM Press, 2006.
Jacob Kwame Opata is a PhD student at the Oxford Centre for Religion and Public Life (OCRPL), Oxfordshire, United Kingdom. He holds Master of Theology (MTH) and Master of Ministry (MAM) degrees from the Trinity Theological Seminary (TTS), Legon. His research interests are in missions, ethics, religion and media studies, and the relationship between religion and public life in Christianity in Africa. He has authored Medical Evangelism in Ghana: A Holistic Approach Towards Missions, Emotional Integrity: A Pastoral Approach, and some articles.
Opata, Jacob Kwame. ““Medivangelism”: History and Antecedents in Ghana, “ E-Journal of Religious and Theological Studies, 9 no.12 (2023): 564-572. https://doi.org/10.38159/erats.20239121
© 2023 The Author(s). Published and Maintained by Noyam Journals. This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Featured
Noah’s Ark to the Great Commission: Defusing Xenophobia in South Africa
The Hidden Bones Apocalypse: The Marker, Its Message, and their Hiddenness
The Accra Confession and Public Theology in African Christianity: The Ghanaian Experience
The Hidden Bones Apocalypse: The Marker, Its Message, and their Hiddenness
Others