Evangelical Presbyterian Church, Ghana

Infobox Christian denomination
name = Evangelical Presbyterian Church, Ghana


imagewidth =
caption =
main_classification = Protestant
orientation = Presbyterianism
polity =
founder =
founded_date = 1922
founded_place =
separated_from =
parent =
merger =
separations =
associations =World Council of Churches
World Alliance of Reformed Churches
World Reformed Communion
Christian Council of Ghana
area = Ghana
congregations = 748
members = 600,000
footnotes =

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

History

It was founded by German missionaries in the mid nineteenth century. 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, there were 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. [cite web |url=http://www.reformiert-online.net/adressen/detail.php?lg=eng&id=13334 |title=Eglise évangélique presbytérienne du Togo |accessdate=2007-08-02 |work=Address data base of Reformed churches and institutions |publisher=Reformed Online] 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 the supreme governing body of the one “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 now present day Volta Region of Ghana. The church in French Togoland (now Togo) was run by the Paris Mission. This led to separate development of the two halves though both churches share the same constitution. They also hold a common synod meeting every 4 years. [cite web |url=http://www.reformiert-online.net/adressen/detail.php?lg=eng&id=12200 |title=Presbyteria Nyanyui Hame le Ghana |accessdate=2007-08-02 |work=Address data base of Reformed churches and institutions |publisher=Reformed Online]

Belief

The EP Church is a trinitarian church.

Church information

The church has its headquarters at Ho, the capital of the Volta Region of Ghana. It has over 600,000 members in nearly 750 congregations. The overall leader of the church is the moderator. [cite web |url=http://www.warc.ch/24gc/04.html |title=Our hosts |accessdate=2007-08-02 |work=Accra 2004 |publisher=World Alliance of Reformed Churches]

Education

The church is active in education and has established numerous primary and secondary schools. Some are:
*Mawuli Secondary School, Ho, set up by Mr. and Mrs. Trosts, missionaries sent by the United Church of Christ.cite web |url=http://www.globalministries.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=348&Itemid=28 |title=General Ministries |date= 2005-10-07 |accessdate=2007-08-02 |publisher=Global Ministries]

Health

The EP Church has also been active in providing health care. Its facilities include:
*Adidome Hospital

Associations

*Christian Council of Ghana - member
*World Alliance of Reformed Churches - member
*World Reformed Communion - member

Partner churches

*Eglise évangélique presbytérienne du Togo
*Church of Scotland
*Bremische Evangelische Landeskirche("on German Wikipedia")
*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 Presyterian Church and the Presbyterian Church of Ghana. [cite web |url=http://www.urc.org.uk/our_work/committees/ecumenical/news/autmn_2001.htm |title=News from the Ecumenical Committee |accessdate=2007-08-02 |publisher=United Reformed Church]

References

External links and sources

* [http://www.reformiert-online.net/adressen/detail.php?lg=eng&id=12200 Presbyteria Nyanyui Hame le Ghana]
* [http://www.reformiert-online.net/adressen/detail.php?lg=eng&id=13334 Eglise évangélique presbytérienne du Togo]
* [http://warc.jalb.de/warcajsp/church.jsp?news_id=19&navi=9&church=12200 Information about Evangelical Presbyterian Church, Ghana]
* [http://www.globalministries.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=348&Itemid=28 Global Ministries of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and the United Church of Christ]
* [http://www.urc.org.uk/our_work/committees/ecumenical/news/autmn_2001.htm News from the Ecumenical Committee (United Reformed Church)]