A HISTORY OF PUBLIC RELATIONS PRACTICE IN THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF GHANA

ABSTRACT

This study focused on the trend of Public Relations practice in a non-profit organisation, the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, using the Grunig & Hunt Model of Public Relations. Utilising the purposive sampling technique, a sample of twenty-five (25) people was drawn from the Clergy and Laity of the Presbyterian Church and other para-church groups. An in-depth interview was conducted and relevant Public Relations documents on the Church were also analysed. The findings indicated that the practice of Public Relations in the Church compared favourably with the Grunig & Hunt Model though two eras, the Missionary 10 and African Leadership eras overlapped. Key personalities such as Andreas Riis, Rt. Rev. Sam Prempeh and Mr. G. B. K. Owusu contributed significantly to the practice of Public Relations in the Church. The social value of Public Relations practice had been of immense importance to both the Church and society in general. As a result of the overlaps in the historical eras in the Church, the study proposed that a replication of the study in another Christian-based organisation is undertaken to ascertain any similarities or differences in the history of Public Relations practice using the Grunig & Hunt Model.