Affiliation:
1. Research Associate, Department of New Testament and Related Literature, University of Pretoria – Pretoria; Lecturer, Maranatha University College - Accra.
Abstract
Social media is inundated with grievances lodged by some members of Ghanaian megachurches who express feelings of neglect. In numerous instances, however, an analysis of the issues indicates that the complainants were either entirely oblivious to the internal mechanisms the church employs to prevent such incidents or did not utilise them. Therefore, using both empirical and secondary data, the research investigated how the Qodesh (QFC), a microcosm of Ghanaian megachurches, addresses the issue. The findings revealed that the megachurch is aware of this problem and uses its membership process and subgroups, such as the various ministries in the church and the cell system, to address it. Consequently, the study recommended that members must cooperate with the church when going through the membership process, choose active participation in the various subgroups in the church over self-isolation, and educate themselves on the QFC’s megachurch concept by reading books published by their leaders on the topic. The study contributes to the discourse on how Ghanaian megachurches address depersonalisation.
Keywords: Ghanaian Megachurches, Home Cell System, The Qodesh, Multitudes and Solitude
Reference23 articles.
1. Heward-Mills, Dag. “Apostle, Prophet, Healing Evangelist, Pastor, and Author,” 2024. https://www.daghewardmills.org/about-dag-heward-mills/.
2. Gharbin, Godibert K., and Ernest van Eck. “Solitude in the Multitude: A Christological Response to Loneliness in the Akan Community of God.” Verbum et Ecclesia 44, no. 1 (May 25, 2023). https://doi.org/10.4102/ve.v44i1.2771.
3. Gifford, Paul. Ghana’s New Christianity: Pentecostalism in a Globalising African Economy. London: C. Hurst and Co. Ltd., 2004.
4. Hartford Institute for Religion Research. “Megachurches,” 2024. http://hirr.hartsem.edu/megachurch/megachurches.html.
5. Heward-Mills, Dag. Transform Your Pastoral Ministry. Accra: Parchment House, 2001.