PDF METHODIST CHURCH GHANA: AN EVALUATION Daniel S. Ocran ABSTRACT [6] The district was divided and extended to include areas in Gold Coast and Nigeria, also a British colony at the time, by the synod, an administrative church council, in 1878, a move confirmed at the British Conference. It is a sequence of gestures inviting the people to come to the meal. 1st Sunday in Lent (Year B)(Hymns marked with an asterisk (*) are suggested for more than one reading)Genesis 9:8-17Be still and know that I am God (StF 18)Be still, for the presence of the Lord (StF 20)Best of all is God is with us (StF 610)O love t Serving one another acts out our faith that Christ is the giver of this holy meal and that we are receivers of Christ's grace. See also the Hymns of Repentance and Hymns of Pardon (UMH 351-67). [5] The Rev. Amen. There can also be a first and second service, where the difference is one service uses English and the other service uses the native language of the area. If desired, the congregation may then sing a scripture acclamation such as one of those listed in UMH 951. Essamuah, Casely B. Genuinely Ghanaian: a History of the Methodist Church, Ghana, 1961-2000. After an introductory dialogue between pastor and people, the pastor gives thanks appropriate to the occasion, remembering God's acts of salvation and the institution of the Lord's Supper, and invokes the present work of the Holy Spirit, concluding with praise to the Trinity. One prominent characteristic of historic Pentecostal praxis is lively, ecstatic music. Each candidate is baptized and receives the laying on of hands individually. If individual cups are used, the pastor should remove the lid(s) or covering at this time. They claimed or argued strongly that in the light of the more objective or scientific study of religions, ATR can no longer be justifiably characterized as stupid, since the worshippers do not worship the said material objects per se, but the Spirit of the Creator reflected in them. The congregation may sing hymns while the bread and cup are given. The acknowledgment that we are sinners saved by grace is also appropriate in opening prayers of the day or litanies. A brief prayer of thanksgiving, prayed by the pastor or in unison, may conclude the giving of the bread and cup after the people have been served (see UMBOW 39, 53). It is also traditional that the bread and cup have been covered by a white linen napkin, or by a white linen-covered card over the cup, or by metal tray lids. For the most part, The Methodist Church Ghana follows the same Sunday worship practices as other Methodist Church branches. Press, 1965. If Holy Communion is not celebrated, the service concludes with the Sending Forth. Sims, Kirk. The numbers show over five-hundred people a day in attendance at some congregations. The gestures and words used may vary widely, depending on the temperament and customs of the people and the nature of the occasion. The Sunday service. pJ_]&3+n `d[CvdZq nn=agk _P This educational role for Methodist Church Ghana in particular has helped the country provide a strong educational system that can accommodate the Ghanaian population, which is pivotal because the options for university in Ghana are scarce and competitive. Many conferences were called to sort out the power struggle and arguments about certain interpretations of the church's constitution arose. Discipleship Ministries is a work from home community. See the listing of Processionals in UMH 949-50. Another alternative is to sing a hymn or refrain such as one of the following in UMH (or others listed in UMH 951) as the Prayer for Illumination: 544 Like the Murmur of the Dove's Song (esp. From this view point, Ill begin to say that African Traditional Religion (ATR) involves the belief and worship of the Supreme Being known and revered all over Africa as Onyame in Akan, Mao in Ewe, Chineke in Igbo and Oludumare in Yoruba etc. Revised Common Lectionary - Wikipedia An example of such a prayer is found in A Service of Word and Table I (UMH 6). Almighty God have mercy on you,forgive all your sins through our Lord Jesus Christ,strengthen you in all goodness,and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep you in eternal life. At this time, many religious churches were competing for African locals as congregation members, and the adoption of charismatic Christianity was a major distinction between churches. At Orchard Grove we Accept people where they are, Believe in Jesus Christ, Continue to grow in our faith and Do good in our church, the community and the world! Children, youth, and adults should hear and respond to the Proclamation of the Word. Second Sunday in Lent, Year A - Lectionary Planning Notes, Learning to Live Inside Out United Methodist Faith community serving Walled Lake, MI, and surrounding area. Pratt. PDF Resources for Prayer and Worship - Methodist If the loaf is still wrapped or covered, the pastor should unwrap or uncover it before proceeding with the Great Thanksgiving but should not cut or break the bread. The bread may be either leavened or unleavened. [15], Another important school that the Methodist Church Ghana constructed was Cape Coast's Mfantsipim. Search for hymns or songs by one or more categories: This page features liturgies, produced by the Worship and Liturgy Resources Group of the Faith and Order Committee, which have been produced since the Methodist Worship Book was published. After the first reading, a psalm or psalm portions may be sung or spoken as an Act of Praise, the people standing. This paper explores the changes that have taken place in the musical liturgy of the Methodist Church, Ghana. Other acts may also be appropriate during the Gathering. This approach to worship displays a more vibrant and energetic form of praise. Search for '236' Forty days and forty nights (StF 236) Forty days and forty nights. The first Methodist churches in the United States were given a lectionary to use by John Wesley, based on the one-year lectionary found in the 1662 Book of Common Prayer of the Church of England. Informal prayer, singing, and testimony may take place as the people are gathering, or with a group such as the worship leaders and choir gathered in a separate room. [Name, ] the blood of Christ, given for you. 5th/43rd Conference of the Methodist Church Ghana, Board of Ministries Report, Winneba, Ghana, 2008. (PSALM 118:24). These influences give the contemporary Gospel music scene new impulses which are crucial for its future development. Ethnic divisions have plagued the administration of The Methodist Church Ghana. A hymn that is a call to praise may be sung. Many Sunday schools used Fante-Akan as the primary language for service, so Ga people had to accommodate themselves to Fante preferences. The people may be called to pray the Lord's Prayer with this invitation: "And now, with the confidence of children of God, let us pray: .". WTV; GHAMSU; Minister's Diary; Evangelism; Book Store; Freeman Center; AlPha Royal; Recent News. Like many other mainline Protestant churches, the church provides formal education through schooling for Ghanaians. The Greeting may be a scripture sentence, such as: This is the day which the Lord has made;let us rejoice and be glad in it. A few years after its first national assembly, the Methodist Church Ghana wanted to replicate this charismatic worship service. (2011). It assumes that worship leaders and congregation are to be in constant prayer. A prayer of confession and declaration of pardon belong together; neither should be used without the other. Available at all . United Methodist Church - Worship and Liturgy - LiquiSearch The common pattern of worship is found in the official liturgies of the church, while the practices of congregations across the denomination are quite diverse. PDF With Reference to Historic Practice, - University of Birmingham Staff is centered in Nashville, Tennessee, but we also have staff at locations across the United States. We do not know how well early Methodist elders in the United States followed the lectionary. By presenting some Gospel songs in Akan, the present researcher has tried to show that there are two main strings of influences in these songs. Methodist Church Ghana - Wikipedia The blessing of the Holy Spirit is invoked upon the reading, preaching, hearing, and doing of the Word. In 1974, Dr. John Kofi Agbeti, the first Ghanaian Methodist minister to earn a Ph.D, wanted to create a higher educational establishment that would accept and support all variations of Christianity. As Jesus gave thanks over (blessed) the bread and cup, so do the pastor and people. See also in UMBOW: Call to Prayer (Hymn 196); Jesus, We Are Praying (Hymn 192); Where Two or Three Are Gathered (Hymn 202). The people's responses may be sung, using the musical settings in UMH 17-25. This hymn is most appropriately corporate praise to God, centering on attributes and deeds of God that call forth gratitude and praise. 2) They may be reverently consumed by the pastor and others while the table is being set in order or following the service. Seventh, to spread Christianity and endorse the giving of the student's life to God. This time is both an outward and visible gathering of the people and an inward and spiritual gathering--a focusing of awareness that they are a people gathered in the presence of the God known to us through Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit. The congregation may sing Amen (see UMH 897-904), or a prayer response such as one of those listed in UMH 952, Heleluyan (UMH 78), or Remember Me (UMH 491). Opening prayers, together with opening hymns, establish that our worship is communion with God as well as with one another. This renewing of community is a part of our entrance into congregational worship and should not be discouraged. "From the Fringes to the Centre: Pentecostalization of the Mainline churches in Ghana." For use at any time when a district wishes to hold a celebration of Holy Communion, such as at a representative session of the synod. This is one of the most amazing opportunities l have to speak or write in the hope of bringing freedom, to show the value of every human life, and to help girls who are in immense suffering. The people, having been greeted in the Lord's name, may return the greeting to God with a hymn of praise. hbbZ8fKZ _& [7], By 1854, the church was organized into circuits, a collection of ambient Methodist churches that formed an administrative coalition, forming a district, or an area with Methodist control; T. B. Freeman served as chairman. With the help of the government, for multiple decades The Methodist Church Ghana has contributed health-care services. ISBN-13 : 978-1014814470. Item Weight : 10.1 ounces. endobj The hymn may precede or follow the Greeting. So that the people may know when to sing or speak their Amen, the pastor may regularly end the prayer with words such as, "through (in the name of ) Jesus Christ our Lord.". Anthems that give the whole congregation a familiar or easily learned part to sing are increasingly common and especially recommended. This is the first of the four actions of Holy Communion, based on the actions of Jesus in the upper room. Challenges like these have led to dismissals and resignations of ministers, and even the creation of new churches and circuits. 6nq$Fvtf7Cb9 ach@[l282]e2=S>`XPE]uFF< 5Ue?%FlE Major Revisions of the General Services of the Church Baptism, Lord's Supper, Marriage, Burial, and the Ordinal within the Methodist & United Methodist Traditions . This paper explores the changes that have taken place in the musical liturgy of the Methodist Church, Ghana. Worship is a sacred time when the people are led by the Holy Spirit to pray (Romans 8:22-26) and to worship God (1 Corinthians 14:25). Many of these congregation members were of the Ga ethnicity, followed in population by Fante people. This new and more charismatic liturgy was intended to allow the worshipers to add a more vibrant and jubilant interpretation of praise, intended to make a more spiritual presence for services. <>/XObject<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text/ImageB/ImageC/ImageI] >>/MediaBox[ 0 0 612 792] /Contents 4 0 R/Group<>/Tabs/S/StructParents 0>> Other Links. This influence spread throughout the country, and as a result the British claimed Gold Coast as a colony in 1867. Hoondert, Marcel Barnard, Hanna Rijken, Pneuma: The Journal for the Society of Pentecostal Studies, Making Congregational Music Local in Christian Communities Worldwide, Monique Ingalls, Dr M E E Swijghuisen Reigersberg, Dr M E E Swijghuisen Reigersberg, Monique Ingalls, Wiley-Blackwell Companion to World Christianity, Gina A . CHOIR | mcgnamd qTh@_ZS=cyIuYu^RRT*aPXHeup?}#(C8TJiwD;,qhYQL%I]rUM@Y(R+T)A8 @]+)~.lgp^^};):`\pZn&\jQJ )IXe4^/S&;t(>$h`_unB=6\zeHM%.kBqsFmY{nYYKm. The Missional Relations with Methodist Church Ghana with Other Methodist Bodies. Dec. 2012, pp. Exchange 34.1 (2005): 39-60. Or it may be a responsive act between leader and people, such as:Leader: The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you.People: And also with you.Leader: The risen Christ is with us.People: Praise the Lord! [citation needed], Most charismatic meetings were promoted through media advertisements, breaking news reports, the creation of artistic banners, guest shout outs and advertisements on radio stations, the handing out of flyers and pamphlets, and most effectively through word of mouth. The Methodist Church Ghana is one of the largest and oldest mainline Protestant denominations in Ghana. These are called Taboos. A collection of such greetings is found on 448-58 and in The Christian Year, 239-421. The following hymns and stanzas in UMH are suggested: Whether or not Holy Communion has been celebrated, the service concludes with a series of acts in which the congregation stands and is sent forth to active ministry in the world. Many traditional collects can serve this double purpose and enable the service to move directly from the Opening Prayer to the reading of the Scriptures. See 31-32. Although the historic and ecumenical Christian practice has been to use wine, the use of unfermented grape juice by The United Methodist Church and its predecessors since the late nineteenth century expresses pastoral concern for recovering alcoholics, enables the participation of children and youth, and supports the church's witness of abstinence. Methodist worship - The Christian Church: Worship and buildings - CCEA Traditional theologians explained that one could not worship the Supreme Being formally, without the agency of the divinities or ancestors. An Order of Sunday Worship Using the Basic Pattern Amen.Jesus Christ, the cup of salvation. These events have resulted in a boost in attendance, which has contributed to member participation.