Ghana in Africa

I have been told that a study conducted in the United States found that one of the most frequent reasons given for not attending church is the fear of being asked to stand and be recognized.

If you come to Ghana and go to church, you might be asked to stand. What’s more, you might even be invited to go to the front and say something.

That’s what happened at a church I attended in Tamale. Along with other visitors, I went to the front, faced the congregation, where I was invited to explain who I was and why I was in their town.

Unity Presbyterian Church, Tamale

Mortifying? Well, a bit uncomfortable. The others introducing themselves were Ghanaian. They seemed to welcome the opportunity. The congregation looked interested in their stories and the greetings they brought from churches in other parts of Ghana. I was seeing the “church” as a nation-wide, even international, community of believers.

If that study were done here, it might show that people prefer to visit a church where they will be asked to stand and say something.