After hours of prayers and waiting, the Methodist Church Ghana on Saturday elected a new Presiding Bishop at the 10th Biennial and 48th Delegates Conference at Sekondi in the Western region.
The Administrative Bishop of the Methodist Church Ghana, The Rt. Rev. Dr. Paul Kwabena Boafo was elected with 223 votes out of the 353 votes cast.
The Very Rev. Prof. Asamoah Gyedu polled 104 votes and all other nominees had 26 votes combined.
Paul Kwabena Boafo was born at Asankrangwa in the Western Region of Ghana to a Roman Catholic couple Opanin Paul Kwaw Boafo of blessed memory and Madam Agatha Ama Asamoah Boafo.
Education and Work Life
Paul started school at the Asankrangwa Roman Catholic Primary in 1963. After the first year he moved to live with his maternal uncle, the late Rev. John Bennet Nsowah Quasie, then a Teacher Catechist of the Methodist Church at Ankonsia near Bawdie in the Western region. When Uncle John completed his Catechist training at Freeman College in Kumasi he was posted to Wa, in the Upper West region.
Paul was enrolled in the Wa Experimental Primary School and later moved to other schools in Mangu, Kenyasi No 2, Sefwi Wiawso, and Sefwi Bekwai according to the itinerant ministry of his uncle.
It was from the Sefwi Bekwai Methodist Middle School that Paul entered the Wenchi Methodist Secondary School from 1972 – 1977 for his General Certificate of Education Ordinary Level Examination.
He then proceeded to Wesley College, Kumasi, to train as a teacher from 1978 to 1981. In 1977, while waiting to enter Wesley College, Paul had served as a pupil teacher at the St. Peter and Paul Anglican Primary School in Saltpond.
At Wesley College, Paul was a member of the College Choir, Preaching Band, and the Scripture Union. In the final year at Wesley College he served as the Men’s Secretary (MENSEC) and also won the Men’s Prize for the 1980/81 academic year. After his professional training he was posted to the Mpasatia Methodist Primary School in the Ashanti region.
Calling, Ministerial Training
Paul became an accredited Local Preacher after his training at Wesley College. His call into the ordained ministry came as no surprise to his Catholic parents because they saw him very often as a little boy imitating the priests in the house and they thought that he would grow up to become a Catholic priest.
Paul was accepted into the Methodist ministry in 1983. From 1983 to 1986 he studied at Trinity Theological Seminary Legon, Accra and obtained a Diploma in Theology. He served as the Missionary Harvest Secretary in the final year of his studies. He was commissioned as a minister on Sunday 8th June 1986 at the Wesley Cathedral, Accra.
Paul was posted to Akyem Otwereso in the Akyem Oda Circuit as the first resident minister.
He was ordained on Sunday 27th August 1989 at the Wesley Cathedral, Sunyani. Paul was then posted to the Osei Tutu Secondary at Akropong Ashanti as the School Chaplain after his first degree from the University of Ghana. While working as chaplain at Osei Tutu he served as adjunct minister at Ebenezer Methodist, Pankrono, then in the Old Tafo Circuit, Mt. Zion Methodist, Ahensan and Emmanuel Methodist, Atonsu which were all part of the Amakom circuit.
Further Studies and Vocational Experience
From 1989 to 1992 he entered University of Ghana to read for his first degree in the study of Religions with Philosophy. In 1996 Paul was offered a World Church Office Scholarship to study for his Master in Theology Degree (MTh) in Queen’s University, Belfast, United Kingdom.
After a year of brilliant course work his supervisor wrote to the Methodist Church in Ireland, his sponsors and the Methodist Church Ghana, to permit him upgrade his programme to PhD in Wesleyan Studies. The request was granted and Paul completed his doctoral degree in 1999.
From 200 to date Paul has been teaching in many institutions. These include:
Trinity Theological Seminary, Legon, as adjunct lecturer in the Wesleyan Studies
Theological Education by Extension for Ministerial formation in Wesleyan Studies
Methodist Church Ghana probationer’s studies as facilitator for Methodist Studies
Methodist University College, Dansoman as adjunct lecturer in Christian Ethics, Professional Ethics, and Wesleyan Studies
Freeman Centre for Leadership and Development as facilitator for Evangelist Training
Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) as a Senior Lecturer in Historical Theology and Professional Ethics in the Department of Religions Studies.
Paul was the foundation Superintendent Minister of the New Achimota Circuit in the Accra Diocese (1999-2001) and also served as Superintendent Minister of the Accra North Circuit, Adabraka (2001-2005).
KNUST Chaplaincy and other Ministries
It was from the Accra North Circuit that Paul was nominated by the Methodist Church Ghana to serve as the president Chaplain of KNUST. In addition to his primary work as chaplain, he has also been teaching at the Religious Studies Department of the University.
Paul has served either as chairman, secretary or member of a number of committees in the Church and at the KNUST. These include: the University Syllabus Review Committee of the Methodist University College Ghana; Health Services Management Board of KNUST; Queen Elizabeth II Hall Council – KNUST; Committee of University Ecumenical Chaplaincy Board KNUST Local Council of Churches, Kumasi.
Paul has served in the position of Protestant Chaplain with distinction for the past ten years during which period he also made his experience and services available to KNUST and the Methodist Church Ghana in several other capacities.
During the period of his work as Protestant Chaplain of KNUST, Paul also served as an adjunct minister to the Christ the King Methodist Church, Asokwa, St. Paul Methodist, Kentinkromo, Aldersgate Methodist Ayigya Annex and the Bethel Methodist Church, Ayigya. He has served as an Attester to the Kumasi Synod and Methodist Conferences, Diocesan Chaplain to the Association of Metjodist Men’s Fellowships, Kumasi, and has been a member of the Methodist Conference since 2000.
Scholarship and Academic Engagements
Paul has worked both as a minister of the Gospel and also as a theologian. He has attended a number of local and international conferences at which he has also made presentations. Paul has a number of publications to his credit including books – books academic and devotional, book chapters and articles. He has numerous entries on Methodist in the Christian Sentinel and also a number of conference papers in his fields of teaching and research especially Wesleyan Studies.
Paul is a registered member of the Wesleyan Theological and Wesleyan Philosophical Societies based in the USA. Between 2000 and 2016, Paul has also served as editor of the Methodist Times and a co-editor of the Weekly Bible Lesson Produced by the Methodist Church Ghana.
Source: Ghana/Starrfmonline.com/103.5FM
