The effects of the strategies of evangelisation on community development: The case of the Akuapem Presbyterian church of Ghana, 1980-2005

Abstract

This study was an historical appraisal of the strategies of evangelisation adopted by the Akuapem Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana (PCG) in the Eastern region of Ghana from 1980-2005. The purpose was to investigate the linkage between the strategies of evangelisation and community development. The study was conducted in seven Church Districts using a sample size of 515 respondents, interviewees and discussants comprising members in leadership positions, ordinary members, Directors of Mission and Evangelism and Development and Social Services of the PCG. Members of the Grace Evangelistic and Deliverance Ministry and community members were also interviewed. Both the simple random and the purposive sampling techniques were employed to select respondents and interviewees respectively. A descriptive survey design was used since the research was a qualitative one. Six research questions were formulated to guide the study. Questionnaires and semi-structured interview guides were prepared for the study because “most research methods [techniques] can be used in either qualitative or quantitative studies” (Silverman, 2004, p. 89). The key findings of the study showed that Presbyterians in the Akuapem Presbytery perceived evangelisation as the main task of the Church with two main dimensions namely, internal and external. About twenty different strategies of evangelisation were identified to have been used during the period 1980-2005. The study also showed that there is a direct linkage between evangelisation and community development. There was co-operation between the Presbytery and the larger community to promote evangelisation and community development.