Investigating the experiences and challenges of Youth Discipleship in a selected Christian Denomination in Accra, Ghana

Desmond Appiah-Ampofo ORCID iD & Samuel Ayete-Nyampong ORCID iD

Issue: Vol. 12 No.3 2026 Issue Article 2 pp.95 – 106
DOI: https://doi.org/10.38159/erats.20261232Published online 29th April 2026.
© 2026 The Author(s). This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

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The Church of Christ, in fulfilling its missional mandate of making Christ-like disciples, has faced several challenges in the 21st century. The youth who are inexperienced in the Christian faith face challenges in discipleship. Hence, hindering their growth and maturity in Christ. The paper used a qualitative single-case study approach to examine the experiences and challenges of youth disciples in a selected Christian denomination. Qualitative data were obtained through interviews with fifteen (15) youths who were undergoing discipleship in the selected denomination within the Tema Metropolis of the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. Purposive sampling was used to select them, providing a solid basis for a deeper qualitative analysis. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the collected data, and a practical theology approach was used to respond to the challenges they face in discipleship. It further submitted four potential challenges the youth may face in discipleship: family or parental challenges, emotional challenges, peer influence, and a lack of spiritual understanding. The paper argued that the church (through disciplers), in her quest to disciple the youth, should understand their challenges and find ways to help them throughout the discipleship process. The local church should create an enabling environment where young disciples can voice their challenges to their disciplers, and discipleship programmes should also be tailored to address the needs of the youth. This study contributes to the ongoing discourse on youth ministry and its relationship with Christian discipleship.

Keywords: Disciple, Discipleship, Youth Disciple, Youth Discipleship

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Dr Desmond Appiah-Ampofo earned his doctorate at Trinity Theological Seminary, Legon, Ghana, specialising in Leadership and Practical Theology. He also holds a Master of Governance and Leadership degree, and He is of the School of Public Service and Governance, GIMPA. His research interests are in leadership and development, practical theology, public policy and governance.

Professor Samuel Ayete-Nyampong is a Professor of Pastoral Theology and Gerontology. He is the Academic Dean at Trinity Theological Seminary, Legon, Ghana. His research interests are in pastoral theology, pastoral care and counselling and ageing studies.

Appiah-Ampofo, Desmond, and Samuel Ayete-Nyampong. “Investigating the experiences and challenges of Youth Discipleship in a selected Christian Denomination in Accra, Ghana.” E-Journal of Religious and Theological Studies 12, no.3 (2026): 95 – 106. https://doi.org/10.38159/erats.20261232

© 2026 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/).

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