Church Government In The Anglican Church In Ghana And The Methodist Church Ghana In A New Testament Perspective

ABSTRACT

This work is concerned with the divergent opinions on church government in the Anglican and Methodist Churches. At the 1999 Methodist Church Conference, at which there was a resolution to adopt the episcopal system of church government, the ‘laity’ admitted that they lacked adequate understanding about the systems of church government. Also, a claim that was made by the Methodist Church Ghana during and after the discussions to adopt episcopacy was that her episcopacy is more biblical. Despite this claim, a former presiding bishop appealed at the 2002 Methodist Church Conference that the church considers the Anglican system where the bishop serves until retirement at the age of seventy. In the choice of titles, both denominations call their pastors Rev. Minister. In addition, the Anglican Church uses deacon, priest and bishop whereas the Methodist Church Ghana uses deacon, presbyter and bishop. Furthermore, the phrase ‘lord bishop’ is erroneously used in the Methodist Church Ghana. Also, after 2002, discussions seem to suggest that some people in the Methodist Church Ghana prefer the federal system. It is obvious that the Methodist Church is not certain of the system of church government to practice. This uncertainty and lack of adequate knowledge about the systems of church government make it necessary for a study to be conducted to find out the nature and origins of the organisational structure of the church. The study involves a survey of the New Testament and Church History for the origins, nature and development of church government. The exegetical method is used to find out the nature and origins of church government. A survey of church tradition is also made to find out the development of church government through the ages. Findings from the study show that people in decision-making bodies lack adequate knowledge of the nature of church gov- iii ernment. Also, the NT does not prescribe a particular pattern of church government. Proponents of the various types of church government give biblical basis to their type of church government. The pattern of church government in the Methodist Church Ghana is biblical but not more biblical than that of other denominations. The bishop in the New Testament is head of a congregation. Evidence even points to a college of presbyters, and the word ‘presbyter’ was sometimes used synonymously for bishop. There was no record of a bishop serving a term of office. This may be due to the fact that the bishop in the New Testament may well be the equivalent of a pastor of a congregation today. From the traditions of the two churches, the title bishop came to be applied to the head of a cluster of churches (diocese). The priest in the Anglican Church is the same as the presbyter in the Methodist Church. The title Reverend originated in the 18th century for people worthy of honour. The title lord bishop is not used for every bishop of the Anglican Church and cannot be applied to Methodists bishops.