A New Proposal forA Biblically Grounded Christian Social Welfare Provision Among the Ghana Baptist Convention Member Churches inAshanti Region, Ghana
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South African Theological Seminary
Johannesburg South Africa
Abstract
This study was conducted against a background of severe challenges of urbanization on the traditional social protective systems. The absence of formal social support, amidst severe social welfare challenge has led to the springing up of several mutual, self-help societies providing social welfare services to their members on their own terms. One of such groups providing social welfare services to its poor members is the Ghana Baptist Convention churches in the Ashanti Region. As a church group, its methods and approaches to organizing social welfare was expected to be distinctly different from the others but was found to be using similar methods as the mutual self-help groups. The aim of the study was to seek for a theologically sound, biblically grounded and sociologically appropriate means of organizing social care in these churches. Using the Zebrass (1974) practical theological model as a primary tool for the study, data was collected from twenty churches to give a thick description of the current situation. The research showed that the current system of the church lacks distinctive Christian identity. It relies on social insurance principles to guide its operations just like most other mutual support groups. Relying on an exegesis of four anchor texts (Lev. 25:35-39;Matt. 25: 31-46; Acts 2:42-47and4:32-37) to discover the standards of God, the study made proposals to address the identified deficiencies of social welfare in the churches. The proposal, a synthesis of ideas and examples from the teachings of Jesus and the best practices of both biblical Israel and the New Testament Church, are practical steps to primarily, give the social welfare system of the church a biblical character. It seeks to enhance the pro-poor nature of the church’s social welfare system and highlight the key role spiritually matured managers could play in shaping the outcome of social welfare provision in the churches. It also recommends steps to secure the needed funding and involvement of all church members to make the benefits of the system relevant and appropriate to the needs of its members. vi Implementing the new proposal, will not only ensure that the church’s social welfare system is in tune with sociologically accepted best practice of social care but crucially meets God’s standards of care for the poor among His people.
This study was conducted against a background of severe challenges of urbanization on the traditional social protective systems. The absence of formal social support, amidst severe social welfare challenge has led to the springing up of several mutual, self-help societies providing social welfare services to their members on their own terms. One of such groups providing social welfare services to its poor members is the Ghana Baptist Convention churches in the Ashanti Region. As a church group, its methods and approaches to organizing social welfare was expected to be distinctly different from the others but was found to be using similar methods as the mutual self-help groups. The aim of the study was to seek for a theologically sound, biblically grounded and sociologically appropriate means of organizing social care in these churches. Using the Zebrass (1974) practical theological model as a primary tool for the study, data was collected from twenty churches to give a thick description of the current situation. The research showed that the current system of the church lacks distinctive Christian identity. It relies on social insurance principles to guide its operations just like most other mutual support groups. Relying on an exegesis of four anchor texts (Lev. 25:35-39;Matt. 25: 31-46; Acts 2:42-47and4:32-37) to discover the standards of God, the study made proposals to address the identified deficiencies of social welfare in the churches. The proposal, a synthesis of ideas and examples from the teachings of Jesus and the best practices of both biblical Israel and the New Testament Church, are practical steps to primarily, give the social welfare system of the church a biblical character. It seeks to enhance the pro-poor nature of the church’s social welfare system and highlight the key role spiritually matured managers could play in shaping the outcome of social welfare provision in the churches. It also recommends steps to secure the needed funding and involvement of all church members to make the benefits of the system relevant and appropriate to the needs of its members. vi Implementing the new proposal, will not only ensure that the church’s social welfare system is in tune with sociologically accepted best practice of social care but crucially meets God’s standards of care for the poor among His people.
This study was conducted against a background of severe challenges of urbanization on the traditional social protective systems. The absence of formal social support, amidst severe social welfare challenge has led to the springing up of several mutual, self-help societies providing social welfare services to their members on their own terms. One of such groups providing social welfare services to its poor members is the Ghana Baptist Convention churches in the Ashanti Region. As a church group, its methods and approaches to organizing social welfare was expected to be distinctly different from the others but was found to be using similar methods as the mutual self-help groups. The aim of the study was to seek for a theologically sound, biblically grounded and sociologically appropriate means of organizing social care in these churches. Using the Zebrass (1974) practical theological model as a primary tool for the study, data was collected from twenty churches to give a thick description of the current situation. The research showed that the current system of the church lacks distinctive Christian identity. It relies on social insurance principles to guide its operations just like most other mutual support groups. Relying on an exegesis of four anchor texts (Lev. 25:35-39;Matt. 25: 31-46; Acts 2:42-47and4:32-37) to discover the standards of God, the study made proposals to address the identified deficiencies of social welfare in the churches. The proposal, a synthesis of ideas and examples from the teachings of Jesus and the best practices of both biblical Israel and the New Testament Church, are practical steps to primarily, give the social welfare system of the church a biblical character. It seeks to enhance the pro-poor nature of the church’s social welfare system and highlight the key role spiritually matured managers could play in shaping the outcome of social welfare provision in the churches. It also recommends steps to secure the needed funding and involvement of all church members to make the benefits of the system relevant and appropriate to the needs of its members. vi Implementing the new proposal, will not only ensure that the church’s social welfare system is in tune with sociologically accepted best practice of social care but crucially meets God’s standards of care for the poor among His people.