Samuel B. Adubofour | Christian Service University College (original) (raw)
Papers by Samuel B. Adubofour
He told stories, and announced hymns the congregation had not heard before, set to music in a liv... more He told stories, and announced hymns the congregation had not heard before, set to music in a lively and attractive way."12 This informal method aimed at helping children establish a personal faith in Christ, was at variance with the view that children could not understand the truths of the Christian faith sufficiently to make an intelligible response to the gospel. Hammond's revolutionary method was imitated by enthused Sunday School teachers-Josiah Spiers and Thomas Hughes in Islington (North London); and Tom Bishop with two brothers, Samuel and James Tyler in Surrey (south of the Thames).13 Spiers who attended the children's services regularly initiated a special service for children in Islington, with the largest at Surrey Chapel led by Tom Bishop. With the two men as pioneer-leaders, the "Children's Special Service Mission" was formed on 30 May 1868 as a non-denominational ministry.14 By 3 July that year, the CSSM meetings were attracting an average of "300 children connected with about 20 different Churches, Chapels and Sunday Schools".
The advent of mono-ethnic churches in Southern Ghana for migrants from the North is a new develop... more The advent of mono-ethnic churches in Southern Ghana for migrants from the North is a new development in Ghanaian Christianity. The new churches were generated by the prominent presence of migrants from Northern Ghana to the southern parts of the country. Church surveys undertaken by the Ghana Evangelism Committee revealed the mission opportunities that the phenomenon of migration from the north presented the churches in the south. The Frafra Churches have been selected for study because of their predominance in the mono-ethnic category of churches in the Ashanti region. The study establishes that the Frafra Christian Fellowship played a principal role in the planting of Frafra churches. Furthermore, the study highlights the cardinal importance of the mother-tongue in indigenous mission work. Other critical missiological issues raised for further consideration are the bane and blessing of migration, the significance of worldview in urban missions, linguistic factors in indigenizing ...
E-Journal of Religious and Theological Studies, 2020
Branded prayer programmes have taken centre stage in contemporary Ghanaian Christianity, and Meth... more Branded prayer programmes have taken centre stage in contemporary Ghanaian Christianity, and Methodism in Ghana has its fair share. The origins of these spiritual activities are nebulous. This study investigates the historical roots of the contemporary revival and renewal programmes in Methodist Church Ghana. Through historical and phenomenological research approach, the study highlights the catalytic role played by the twentieth-century prayer fellowships, which functioned as fringe groups in the Church. A re-visioning of John Wesley as a Pentecostal fore-bearer of the Christian faith constitutes an innovative attempt at situating the charismatic renewal movement in Ghana within historic Methodism. The study evinces the critical function of the laity as agents of revival and renewal of spirituality in the Church. Essentially, through the prayer fellowships, the ministry of the Methodist Church is democratised, and clericalism neutralised. The transformation of the prayer fellowship...
The study is an investigation of the effectiveness of the house church as an ecclesiastical model... more The study is an investigation of the effectiveness of the house church as an ecclesiastical model in fulfilling the Great Commission and accelerating church growth, using the home cell system of the largest Christian denomination in Ghana, Church of Pentecost (CoP), as a case study. The house churches in the New Testament played a critical role in the spread of the gospel in the Hellenistic-Roman world in the first two centuries. However, the house churches lost their relevance with the progressive institutionalization of Christianity as a public entity from the time of Constantine. They were suppressed in the Reformation times, but revived in the 20th century through the endeavours of the Church Growth Movement. With a large membership of almost three million, Ghana’s CoP has adopted the house church model by creating thousands of home cells as a supplementary or alternative system of shepherding and growing its global membership. The effectiveness of the system is, however, hampered by shortages of home cell leaders in many of the CoP areas, with some cases being very acute. It indicates a serious weakness in the home cell system that must be remedied.
International Journal of Agricultural Research, Innovation and Technology
Concerns have been growing in Ghana about the employment of children, aged between 5-17 years, in... more Concerns have been growing in Ghana about the employment of children, aged between 5-17 years, in cocoa production activities. This concern is echoed by the International Labour Organisation in its attempt to eliminate Worst Form of Child Labour. The objectives of the study were as to: investigate whether the labour of the children are paid for; determine the extent of children's involvement; and investigate the risks they are exposed to. Using Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), participant groups made up of women, men, children and opinion leaders were purposely selected from 10 cocoa producing communities from the study area. Structured questionnaires were also administered to 50 cocoa farmers through face-to-face interviews. The study revealed that harvesting is the stage in the cocoa production process that children are directly and actively involved. The study concludes by indicating that child labour and cocoa production are inseparable in the cocoa producing areas in the study site.
E-Journal of Religious and Theological Studies, 2019
The study is an investigation of the effectiveness of the house church as an ecclesiastical model... more The study is an investigation of the effectiveness of the house church as an ecclesiastical model in fulfilling the Great Commission and accelerating church growth, using the home cell system of the largest Christian denomination in Ghana, Church of Pentecost (CoP), as a case study. The house churches in the New Testament played a critical role in the spread of the gospel in the Hellenistic-Roman world in the first two centuries. However, the house churches lost their relevance with the progressive institutionalization of Christianity as a public entity from the time of Constantine. They were suppressed in the Reformation times, but revived in the 20th century through the endeavours of the Church Growth Movement. With a large membership of almost three million, Ghana’s CoP has adopted the house church model by creating thousands of home cells as a supplementary or alternative system of shepherding and growing its global membership. The effectiveness of the system is, however, hamper...
AdubofuorSB 1994 PhD redux, 1994
The thesis examines the origins, growth and indigenization of parachurch movements, in their prim... more The thesis examines the origins, growth and indigenization of parachurch movements, in their primary and secondary forms, in the context of established Christianity in Ghana in the post-war era. The historical accounts explore the operations of primary groups, particularly, Scripture Union and kindred Christian Fellowships, stimulating the development of secondary independent evangelistic and charismatic organizations. It includes early and later movements towards independency, culminating in "church formation" a metamorphosis in the whole parachurch movement.
The indigenous and exogenous components of the parachurch phenomena - evangelical and Pentecostal, are discussed to indicate the complex multi-1ateral determinant factors involved. The very significant background factors include the traditional religion and national political and socio-economic situations to which the parachurch groups respond in diverse ways.
Church relations emerge as the immediate problem in parachurch operations. Parachurch operations are intended to complement that of the Church, but they generate issues of conflict and mistrust which are discussed as they emerge in the historical accounts. Particular international and local efforts towards resolving conflict and promoting co¬ operation are considered.
A detailed examination is made of the evangelicalism of the parachurch movements, expressed in terms of doctrinal affirmations, commitment to the Bible and evangelism, and particular modest acts of social concern.
A radical brand of evangelicalism emerges with Pentecostal influence, involving the adoption of the music and spirituality of local Pentecostal Churches. Hence the engagement in fasting and extended prayer with glossolalia, particularly in all-night prayer meetings; focus on prophecies and visions; with the ministry of healing and deliverance emerging and enduring as evangelical Pentecostal response to the supernatural realities of the African world.
The evangelical Pentecostal impact of the parachurch movements on church life is evident in the rise of growth of charismatic renewal movements within the Protestant Churches, as indicated by the case of the Methodist Church which has been selected for special treatment.
Ghana Journal of Religion and Theology, 2017
The advent of mono-ethnic churches in Southern Ghana for migrants from the North is a new develop... more The advent of mono-ethnic churches in Southern Ghana for migrants from the North is a new development in Ghanaian Christianity. The new churches were generated by the prominent presence of migrants from Northern Ghana to the southern parts of the country. Church surveys under-taken by the Ghana Evangelism Committees revealed the mission opportunities that the phenomenon of migration from the north presented the churches in the south. The Frafra Churches have been selected for study because of their predominance in the mono-ethnic category of churches in the Ashanti region. The study establishes that the Frafra Christian Fellowship played a principal role in the planting of Frafra churches. Furthermore, the study highlights the cardinal importance of the mother-tongue in indigenous mission work. Other critical missiological issues raised for further consideration are the bane and blessing of migration, the significance of worldview in urban missions, linguistic factors in indigenizing mission and discipleship, and the imperative of a sense of community in urban churches.
E-Journal of Religious and Theological Studies (ERATS), 2020
Branded prayer programmes have taken centre stage in contemporary Ghanaian Christianity, and Meth... more Branded prayer programmes have taken centre stage in contemporary Ghanaian Christianity, and Methodism in Ghana has its fair share. The origins of these spiritual activities are nebulous. This study investigates the historical roots of the contemporary revival and renewal programmes in Methodist Church Ghana. Through historical and phenomenological research approach, the study highlights the catalytic role played by the twentieth-century prayer fellowships, which functioned as fringe groups in the Church. A re-visioning of John Wesley as a Pentecostal fore-bearer of the Christian faith constitutes an innovative attempt at situating the charismatic renewal movement in Ghana within historic Methodism. The study evinces the critical function of the laity as agents of revival and renewal of spirituality in the Church. Essentially, through the prayer fellowships, the ministry of the Methodist Church is democratized, and clericalism neutralized. The transformation of the prayer fellowship movement into the Methodist Prayer and Renewal Programme (M.P.R.P.) facilitated the formalization, institutionalization and regulation of the emergent charismatic movement into a "Connexional" (i.e. nationwide) Methodist activity. What makes the M.P.R.P. relevant is its dynamic response to the African worldview and existential realities of the participants.
E-Journal of Religious and Theological Studies, 2019
The study is an investigation of the effectiveness of the house church as an ecclesiastical model... more The study is an investigation of the effectiveness of the house church as an ecclesiastical model in fulfilling the Great Commission and accelerating church growth, using the home cell system of the largest Christian denomination in Ghana, Church of Pentecost (CoP), as
a case study. The house churches in the New Testament played a critical role in the spread of the gospel in the Hellenistic-Roman world in the first two centuries. However, the house churches lost their relevance with the progressive institutionalization of Christianity as a public entity from the time of Constantine. They were suppressed in the Reformation times,
but revived in the 20th century through the endeavours of the Church Growth Movement. With a large membership of almost three million, Ghana’s CoP has adopted the house church model by creating thousands of home cells as a supplementary or alternative system
of shepherding and growing its global membership. The effectiveness of the system is, however, hampered by shortages of home cell leaders in many of the CoP areas, with some cases being very acute. It indicates a serious weakness in the home cell system that must be remedied.
The study is an investigation of the effectiveness of the house church as an ecclesiastical model... more The study is an investigation of the effectiveness of the house church as an ecclesiastical model in fulfilling the Great Commission and accelerating church growth, using the home cell system of the largest Christian denomination in Ghana, Church of Pentecost (CoP), as a case study. The house churches in the New Testament played a critical role in the spread of the gospel in the Hellenistic-Roman world in the first two centuries. However, the house churches lost their relevance with the progressive institutionalization of Christianity as a public entity from the time of Constantine. They were suppressed in the Reformation times, but revived in the 20 th century through the endeavours of the Church Growth Movement. With a large membership of almost three million, Ghana's CoP has adopted the house church model by creating thousands of home cells as a supplementary or alternative system of shepherding and growing its global membership. The effectiveness of the system is, however, hampered by shortages of home cell leaders in many of the CoP areas, with some cases being very acute. It indicates a serious weakness in the home cell system that must be remedied.
International Journal of Agricultural Research, Innovation and Technology, 2018
Concerns have been growing in Ghana about the employment of children, aged between 5-17 years, in... more Concerns have been growing in Ghana about the employment of children, aged between 5-17 years, in cocoa production activities. This concern is echoed by the International Labour Organisation in its attempt to eliminate Worst Form of Child Labour. The objectives of the study were as to: investigate whether the labour of the children are paid for; determine the extent of children’s involvement; and investigate the risks they are exposed to. Using Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), participant groups made up of women, men, children and opinion leaders were purposely selected from 10 cocoa producing communities from the study area. Structured questionnaires were also administered to 50 cocoa farmers through face-to-face interviews. The study revealed that harvesting is the stage in the cocoa production process that children are directly and actively involved. The study concludes by indicating that child labour and cocoa production are inseparable in the cocoa producing areas in the study site
He told stories, and announced hymns the congregation had not heard before, set to music in a liv... more He told stories, and announced hymns the congregation had not heard before, set to music in a lively and attractive way."12 This informal method aimed at helping children establish a personal faith in Christ, was at variance with the view that children could not understand the truths of the Christian faith sufficiently to make an intelligible response to the gospel. Hammond's revolutionary method was imitated by enthused Sunday School teachers-Josiah Spiers and Thomas Hughes in Islington (North London); and Tom Bishop with two brothers, Samuel and James Tyler in Surrey (south of the Thames).13 Spiers who attended the children's services regularly initiated a special service for children in Islington, with the largest at Surrey Chapel led by Tom Bishop. With the two men as pioneer-leaders, the "Children's Special Service Mission" was formed on 30 May 1868 as a non-denominational ministry.14 By 3 July that year, the CSSM meetings were attracting an average of "300 children connected with about 20 different Churches, Chapels and Sunday Schools".
The advent of mono-ethnic churches in Southern Ghana for migrants from the North is a new develop... more The advent of mono-ethnic churches in Southern Ghana for migrants from the North is a new development in Ghanaian Christianity. The new churches were generated by the prominent presence of migrants from Northern Ghana to the southern parts of the country. Church surveys undertaken by the Ghana Evangelism Committee revealed the mission opportunities that the phenomenon of migration from the north presented the churches in the south. The Frafra Churches have been selected for study because of their predominance in the mono-ethnic category of churches in the Ashanti region. The study establishes that the Frafra Christian Fellowship played a principal role in the planting of Frafra churches. Furthermore, the study highlights the cardinal importance of the mother-tongue in indigenous mission work. Other critical missiological issues raised for further consideration are the bane and blessing of migration, the significance of worldview in urban missions, linguistic factors in indigenizing ...
E-Journal of Religious and Theological Studies, 2020
Branded prayer programmes have taken centre stage in contemporary Ghanaian Christianity, and Meth... more Branded prayer programmes have taken centre stage in contemporary Ghanaian Christianity, and Methodism in Ghana has its fair share. The origins of these spiritual activities are nebulous. This study investigates the historical roots of the contemporary revival and renewal programmes in Methodist Church Ghana. Through historical and phenomenological research approach, the study highlights the catalytic role played by the twentieth-century prayer fellowships, which functioned as fringe groups in the Church. A re-visioning of John Wesley as a Pentecostal fore-bearer of the Christian faith constitutes an innovative attempt at situating the charismatic renewal movement in Ghana within historic Methodism. The study evinces the critical function of the laity as agents of revival and renewal of spirituality in the Church. Essentially, through the prayer fellowships, the ministry of the Methodist Church is democratised, and clericalism neutralised. The transformation of the prayer fellowship...
The study is an investigation of the effectiveness of the house church as an ecclesiastical model... more The study is an investigation of the effectiveness of the house church as an ecclesiastical model in fulfilling the Great Commission and accelerating church growth, using the home cell system of the largest Christian denomination in Ghana, Church of Pentecost (CoP), as a case study. The house churches in the New Testament played a critical role in the spread of the gospel in the Hellenistic-Roman world in the first two centuries. However, the house churches lost their relevance with the progressive institutionalization of Christianity as a public entity from the time of Constantine. They were suppressed in the Reformation times, but revived in the 20th century through the endeavours of the Church Growth Movement. With a large membership of almost three million, Ghana’s CoP has adopted the house church model by creating thousands of home cells as a supplementary or alternative system of shepherding and growing its global membership. The effectiveness of the system is, however, hampered by shortages of home cell leaders in many of the CoP areas, with some cases being very acute. It indicates a serious weakness in the home cell system that must be remedied.
International Journal of Agricultural Research, Innovation and Technology
Concerns have been growing in Ghana about the employment of children, aged between 5-17 years, in... more Concerns have been growing in Ghana about the employment of children, aged between 5-17 years, in cocoa production activities. This concern is echoed by the International Labour Organisation in its attempt to eliminate Worst Form of Child Labour. The objectives of the study were as to: investigate whether the labour of the children are paid for; determine the extent of children's involvement; and investigate the risks they are exposed to. Using Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), participant groups made up of women, men, children and opinion leaders were purposely selected from 10 cocoa producing communities from the study area. Structured questionnaires were also administered to 50 cocoa farmers through face-to-face interviews. The study revealed that harvesting is the stage in the cocoa production process that children are directly and actively involved. The study concludes by indicating that child labour and cocoa production are inseparable in the cocoa producing areas in the study site.
E-Journal of Religious and Theological Studies, 2019
The study is an investigation of the effectiveness of the house church as an ecclesiastical model... more The study is an investigation of the effectiveness of the house church as an ecclesiastical model in fulfilling the Great Commission and accelerating church growth, using the home cell system of the largest Christian denomination in Ghana, Church of Pentecost (CoP), as a case study. The house churches in the New Testament played a critical role in the spread of the gospel in the Hellenistic-Roman world in the first two centuries. However, the house churches lost their relevance with the progressive institutionalization of Christianity as a public entity from the time of Constantine. They were suppressed in the Reformation times, but revived in the 20th century through the endeavours of the Church Growth Movement. With a large membership of almost three million, Ghana’s CoP has adopted the house church model by creating thousands of home cells as a supplementary or alternative system of shepherding and growing its global membership. The effectiveness of the system is, however, hamper...
AdubofuorSB 1994 PhD redux, 1994
The thesis examines the origins, growth and indigenization of parachurch movements, in their prim... more The thesis examines the origins, growth and indigenization of parachurch movements, in their primary and secondary forms, in the context of established Christianity in Ghana in the post-war era. The historical accounts explore the operations of primary groups, particularly, Scripture Union and kindred Christian Fellowships, stimulating the development of secondary independent evangelistic and charismatic organizations. It includes early and later movements towards independency, culminating in "church formation" a metamorphosis in the whole parachurch movement.
The indigenous and exogenous components of the parachurch phenomena - evangelical and Pentecostal, are discussed to indicate the complex multi-1ateral determinant factors involved. The very significant background factors include the traditional religion and national political and socio-economic situations to which the parachurch groups respond in diverse ways.
Church relations emerge as the immediate problem in parachurch operations. Parachurch operations are intended to complement that of the Church, but they generate issues of conflict and mistrust which are discussed as they emerge in the historical accounts. Particular international and local efforts towards resolving conflict and promoting co¬ operation are considered.
A detailed examination is made of the evangelicalism of the parachurch movements, expressed in terms of doctrinal affirmations, commitment to the Bible and evangelism, and particular modest acts of social concern.
A radical brand of evangelicalism emerges with Pentecostal influence, involving the adoption of the music and spirituality of local Pentecostal Churches. Hence the engagement in fasting and extended prayer with glossolalia, particularly in all-night prayer meetings; focus on prophecies and visions; with the ministry of healing and deliverance emerging and enduring as evangelical Pentecostal response to the supernatural realities of the African world.
The evangelical Pentecostal impact of the parachurch movements on church life is evident in the rise of growth of charismatic renewal movements within the Protestant Churches, as indicated by the case of the Methodist Church which has been selected for special treatment.
Ghana Journal of Religion and Theology, 2017
The advent of mono-ethnic churches in Southern Ghana for migrants from the North is a new develop... more The advent of mono-ethnic churches in Southern Ghana for migrants from the North is a new development in Ghanaian Christianity. The new churches were generated by the prominent presence of migrants from Northern Ghana to the southern parts of the country. Church surveys under-taken by the Ghana Evangelism Committees revealed the mission opportunities that the phenomenon of migration from the north presented the churches in the south. The Frafra Churches have been selected for study because of their predominance in the mono-ethnic category of churches in the Ashanti region. The study establishes that the Frafra Christian Fellowship played a principal role in the planting of Frafra churches. Furthermore, the study highlights the cardinal importance of the mother-tongue in indigenous mission work. Other critical missiological issues raised for further consideration are the bane and blessing of migration, the significance of worldview in urban missions, linguistic factors in indigenizing mission and discipleship, and the imperative of a sense of community in urban churches.
E-Journal of Religious and Theological Studies (ERATS), 2020
Branded prayer programmes have taken centre stage in contemporary Ghanaian Christianity, and Meth... more Branded prayer programmes have taken centre stage in contemporary Ghanaian Christianity, and Methodism in Ghana has its fair share. The origins of these spiritual activities are nebulous. This study investigates the historical roots of the contemporary revival and renewal programmes in Methodist Church Ghana. Through historical and phenomenological research approach, the study highlights the catalytic role played by the twentieth-century prayer fellowships, which functioned as fringe groups in the Church. A re-visioning of John Wesley as a Pentecostal fore-bearer of the Christian faith constitutes an innovative attempt at situating the charismatic renewal movement in Ghana within historic Methodism. The study evinces the critical function of the laity as agents of revival and renewal of spirituality in the Church. Essentially, through the prayer fellowships, the ministry of the Methodist Church is democratized, and clericalism neutralized. The transformation of the prayer fellowship movement into the Methodist Prayer and Renewal Programme (M.P.R.P.) facilitated the formalization, institutionalization and regulation of the emergent charismatic movement into a "Connexional" (i.e. nationwide) Methodist activity. What makes the M.P.R.P. relevant is its dynamic response to the African worldview and existential realities of the participants.
E-Journal of Religious and Theological Studies, 2019
The study is an investigation of the effectiveness of the house church as an ecclesiastical model... more The study is an investigation of the effectiveness of the house church as an ecclesiastical model in fulfilling the Great Commission and accelerating church growth, using the home cell system of the largest Christian denomination in Ghana, Church of Pentecost (CoP), as
a case study. The house churches in the New Testament played a critical role in the spread of the gospel in the Hellenistic-Roman world in the first two centuries. However, the house churches lost their relevance with the progressive institutionalization of Christianity as a public entity from the time of Constantine. They were suppressed in the Reformation times,
but revived in the 20th century through the endeavours of the Church Growth Movement. With a large membership of almost three million, Ghana’s CoP has adopted the house church model by creating thousands of home cells as a supplementary or alternative system
of shepherding and growing its global membership. The effectiveness of the system is, however, hampered by shortages of home cell leaders in many of the CoP areas, with some cases being very acute. It indicates a serious weakness in the home cell system that must be remedied.
The study is an investigation of the effectiveness of the house church as an ecclesiastical model... more The study is an investigation of the effectiveness of the house church as an ecclesiastical model in fulfilling the Great Commission and accelerating church growth, using the home cell system of the largest Christian denomination in Ghana, Church of Pentecost (CoP), as a case study. The house churches in the New Testament played a critical role in the spread of the gospel in the Hellenistic-Roman world in the first two centuries. However, the house churches lost their relevance with the progressive institutionalization of Christianity as a public entity from the time of Constantine. They were suppressed in the Reformation times, but revived in the 20 th century through the endeavours of the Church Growth Movement. With a large membership of almost three million, Ghana's CoP has adopted the house church model by creating thousands of home cells as a supplementary or alternative system of shepherding and growing its global membership. The effectiveness of the system is, however, hampered by shortages of home cell leaders in many of the CoP areas, with some cases being very acute. It indicates a serious weakness in the home cell system that must be remedied.
International Journal of Agricultural Research, Innovation and Technology, 2018
Concerns have been growing in Ghana about the employment of children, aged between 5-17 years, in... more Concerns have been growing in Ghana about the employment of children, aged between 5-17 years, in cocoa production activities. This concern is echoed by the International Labour Organisation in its attempt to eliminate Worst Form of Child Labour. The objectives of the study were as to: investigate whether the labour of the children are paid for; determine the extent of children’s involvement; and investigate the risks they are exposed to. Using Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), participant groups made up of women, men, children and opinion leaders were purposely selected from 10 cocoa producing communities from the study area. Structured questionnaires were also administered to 50 cocoa farmers through face-to-face interviews. The study revealed that harvesting is the stage in the cocoa production process that children are directly and actively involved. The study concludes by indicating that child labour and cocoa production are inseparable in the cocoa producing areas in the study site