Evangelical Presbyterian Church, Ghana Explained

Evangelical Presbyterian Church, Ghana
Imagewidth:	180px
Main Classification:	Protestant
Orientation:	Calvinist
Theology:	Liberal Reformed
Polity:	Presbyterian
Website:	www.epchurchghana.org
Area:	Ghana
Congregations:	748
Members:	600,000

The Evangelical Presbyterian Church, Ghana (Ewe: Presbyteria Nyanyui Hame le Ghana) is a mainline Protestant Christian denomination in Ghana. It is popularly referred to as the "EP Church". It has strong roots in the Evangelical and Reformed traditions. The denomination's Presbyterian sister church is the Presbyterian Church of Ghana.

History

The Evangelical Presbyterian Church Ghana was founded by German missionaries on 14 November 1847 in Peki.^[1] These missionaries from the North German Mission Society (Norddeutsche Mission, Bremen), together with the Basel Mission in 1847, started work among the Ewe people in what is now the Volta Region of Ghana. By the beginning of World War I, they had established two mission stations in the British colony of the Gold Coast and seven in the German territory of Togoland. The first of the mission stations was (Mission-Tove) in present-day Togo.^[2]

After the war, Togoland was divided into two territories, the western one under British rule and the eastern one under French rule. The first synod of the mission stations in May 1922, despite the division of Togoland, declared itself to be the supreme governing body of the "Ewe Church". The church adopted the congregational order of the Bremen Mission. In 1923, Scottish missionaries began working in British Togo (Transvolta Togoland), which is the present-day Volta Region of Ghana. The church in French Togoland (now Togo) was run by the Paris Mission.

As a result, development proceeded separately in the two territories, although both churches share the same constitution. They hold a common synod meeting every 4 years.^[3]

Church information

Moderator of the General Assembly

The overall leader of the church is known as the Moderator of the General Assembly.^[4] The current Moderator of the General Assembly of the church is Reverend Lt. Colonel Bliss Divine Kofi Agbeko. He was inducted in January 2021 at the Dela Chapel of the church at Ho.^[5]

Past Moderators of the General Synod

The previous gathering of the churches was known as the General Synod. The first Moderator was elected in 1922, when the Togo and Gold Coast branches of the church held their first Joint Synod.^[6] The last Moderator of the General Synod was Rt. Rev. Dr. L.K Buama, whose term ended in 2009.^[7]

• Very Rev. Andreas Aku - (1922)
• Very Rev. David Bensah (1923  - 1926)
• Very Rev. E. Awuma (1927  - 1939)
• Very Rev. B.S. Amegashie (1940  - 1951)
• Very Rev. M.W. Akama (1952  - 1956)
• Very Rev. E.K. Galevo (1957  - 1968)
• Very Rev. A.K. Abutiate (1969  - 1972)
• Very Rev. C.K. Dovlo (1969  - 1972)
• Very Rev. Noah Komla Dzobo (1981  - 1993)
• Very Rev. Japhet Ledo (1993  - 2001)
• Very Rev. Livingstone Komla Buama (2001  - 2009)

Past Moderators of the General Assembly

Since 23 August 2008, the church changed from Synod status to General Assembly status. Since then, the Moderator is now officially known as 'The Moderator of the General Assembly'. The first Moderator since this change was the Very Reverend Francis Amenu.^[8] Rev. Seth Agidi, who succeeded him, died in office after a short illness at the Ho Teaching Hospital on 10 October 2020.^[9]

• Very Rev. Francis Amenu (2009^[8]  - 2015^[10])
• Very Rev. Seth Senyo Agidi (2015^[11]  - 2020^[9]) Rev. Emmanuel Attu acted as the Moderator for the last two months of Rev. Agidi's term.^[12]

Past Synod Clerks

• Rev. Prof. Christian Gonçalves Kwami Baëta (1945–1949)
• Rev. E.Y. Forson (1960 - 1980)

Education

The church is active in education and has established numerous primary and secondary schools, and a university college.^{[13] [14]} They include:

• Evangelical Presbyterian University College established in 2008^{[13] [15]}

Central Municipal Campus, Ho and the Greenhills Campus at Peki, both in the Volta Region^[16]

• E. P. Church Seminary, Peki was the first institution established by the church in 1864.^[14]
• E. P. College of Education, Amedzofe, the first teacher training college to be established in 1946^[14]
• E.P. College of Education, Bimbilla
• E.P. College of Education, Dzodze
• Mawuli School, Ho, set up by Mr. and Mrs. Trosts, missionaries sent by the United Church of Christ.^[17]
• Mawuko Girls Senior High School also at Ho.
• E. P. Senior High School at Hohoe.
• E. P. Senior High School, Saboba
• E. P. Agric. Senior High School, Tatale
• E. P. Technical Vocational Institute, Alavanyo
• E. P. Church Activity Centre, Ho

Health

The EP Church has also been active in providing health care.^[14] Its facilities include:

• E. P. Church Hospital, Adidome^[17]
• E. P. Church Hospital, Worawora
• E. P. Church Clinic, Wapuli
• E. P. Static Clinic, Ho
• Dan Moser Memorial Clinic, Dambai
• E. P. Church Clinic, Hatorgodo
• E. P. Church Clinic, Dzemeni
• E. P. Church Clinic, Bladjai
• E. P. Church Clinic, Kpalba-Saboba
• E. P. Church Pharmacy, Ho
• E. P. Church IHDN Hospital, Agbozume
• E. P. Church Nazareth Healing Complex, Vane, Avatime

Associations

• Christian Council of Ghana - member
• World Communion of Reformed Churches - member

Missionaries

One of the last missionaries to work with the Presbyterian church was Ian Strachan of the Church of Scotland. He was also the first headmaster of the E. P. Senior High School at Hohoe.^[18]

Partner churches

• Eglise Évangélique Presbytérienne du Togo
• Church of Scotland
• Evangelical Church of Bremen
• United Reformed Church - A Ghanaian minister for London (formerly Ghanaian chaplain) works with the URC over four-year term and the church of origin alternates between the Evangelical Presbyterian Church and the Presbyterian Church of Ghana.^[19]

See also

• Religion in Ghana
• Christianity in Ghana
• Presbyterian Church of Ghana
• North German Missionary Society (Bremen Mission)

External links and sources

• Official Website
• Presbyteria Nyanyui Hame le Ghana
• Eglise évangélique presbytérienne du Togo
• Information about Evangelical Presbyterian Church, Ghana
• Global Ministries of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and the United Church of Christ
• News from the Ecumenical Committee (United Reformed Church)

Notes and References

1. Web site: Peki Citizens to celebrate the exploits of Bremen Missionary work in Ghana. 30 November 2001 . Ghanaweb. 4 April 2014. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20140407075452/http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/artikel.php?ID=202787. 7 April 2014.
2. Web site: Eglise évangélique presbytérienne du Togo . 2007-08-02 . Address data base of Reformed churches and institutions . Reformed Online.
3. Web site: Presbyteria Nyanyui Hame le Ghana . 2007-08-02 . Address data base of Reformed churches and institutions . Reformed Online.
4. Web site: Our hosts . 2007-08-02 . Accra 2004 . . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20070814021931/http://www.warc.ch/24gc/04.html . 2007-08-14 .
5. Web site: Quaye . Samuel . EP Church Ghana inducts Rev. Dr Agbeko as Moderator . www.gna.org.gh . 11 January 2021 . en . 10 January 2020.
6. Web site: Brief History. Official website. Evangelical Presbyterian Church, Ghana. 9 June 2012. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20120309124521/http://www.epchurchghana.org/subcat_select.php?catID=177&linkID=6. 9 March 2012.
7. Web site: Forewood. 2008-10-23 . Official website . Evangelical Presbyterian Church, Ghana . https://web.archive.org/web/20170419191818/http://www.epchurchghana.org/main/ . 19 April 2017 . dead .
8. Web site: E.P. Church Elects New Moderator . 2009-02-07 . Ghana government . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20081008034905/http://www.ghana.gov.gh/ghana/e_p_church_elects_new_moderator.jsp . 8 October 2008 .
9. Web site: EP Church Moderator is dead . ghanaweb.com . GhanaWeb . 14 October 2020 . 11 October 2020.
10. Web site: Evangelical Presbyterian Church inducts new moderator. www.ghanaweb.com. 13 January 2015 . 2015-09-09. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20160121064347/http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/religion/Evangelical-Presbyterian-Church-inducts-new-moderator-342487. 2016-01-21.
11. Web site: EP Church gets new Moderator. www.ghanaweb.com. 14 January 2015 . 2015-09-09. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20160121064347/http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/religion/EP-Church-gets-new-Moderator-342508. 2016-01-21.
12. Web site: EP Church in serious crisis - Ag Moderator . www.ghanaweb.com . 11 January 2021 . en . 10 January 2021.
13. Web site: Evangelical Presbyterian University College ready for opening. 30 November 2001 . Ghanaweb.com. 25 September 2013. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20130928054941/http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/religion/artikel.php?ID=139452. 28 September 2013.
14. Web site: Educational And Health Institutions . epcgh.org . Evangelical Presbyterian Church, Ghana . 20 June 2020 . 21 June 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200621101822/https://www.epcgh.org/institutions_of_the_church.php . dead .
15. Web site: Evangelical Presbyterian University College . epuc.edu.gh . Evangelical Presbyterian University College . 19 June 2020.
16. Web site: The University has two campuses to start with . epuc.edu.gh . Evangelical Presbyterian University College . 19 June 2020.
17. Web site: General Ministries . 2005-10-07 . 2007-08-02 . Global Ministries . https://web.archive.org/web/20070928064348/http://www.globalministries.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=348&Itemid=28 . 2007-09-28 . dead .
18. Web site: Brief History Of The Church: History from 1951-1980 . epcgh.org . Evangelical Presbyterian Church, Ghana . 19 June 2020 . In that same year, Rev. Ian Strachan and his wife, Moyer, arrived from the Church of Scotland as a Youth Worker and it was in that same year that the Christian Youth Builders (CYB) began to develop. A Secondary School at Hohoe was established on 28 September 1961 with Rev. Ian Strachan as the first Headmaster..
19. Web site: News from the Ecumenical Committee . 2007-08-02 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20070626224510/http://www.urc.org.uk/our_work/committees/ecumenical/news/autmn_2001.htm . 2007-06-26 . dead .