Dr. Paul Boafo elected new Presiding Bishop of Methodist Church

The conference of the Methodist Church Ghana has elected Rt. Rev. Paul Kwabena Boafo as the new Presiding Bishop to take over from Most Rev Awortwi Pratt, who is ending his tenure.

The Rt. Rev. Dr. Paul Kwabena Boafo was elected with 223 votes out of the 353 votes cast at the 10th Biennial and 48th Delegates Conference in Sekondi in the Western Region on Saturday.

The Rt. Rev. Michael A. Bossman was also elected as the Administrative Bishop of the Methodist Church Ghana.

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.

His early hospital records indicate that he was born very frail. His mother says his file at the Catholic Hospital before his third birthday was as big as a closed file in a public office due to several hospital visitations such that he was well known to the Catholic sisters in the hospital.

By the grace of God, the parent’s prayers and special care Paul grew into a healthy little boy to the admiration to all.

The Rt. Rev. Michael A. Bossman is the new Administrative Bishop of the Methodist Church Ghana. 

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 in 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 2000 to date Paul has been teaching in many institutions and programmes including 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 and at the 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 resident 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 Methodist 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.

Rt. Rev. Michael A. Bossman, the Administrative Bishop-Elect

The Rt. Rev. Michael A. Bossman elected as the new Administrative Bishop of the Methodist Church Ghana. He is the outgoing Bishop of the Koforidua Diocese. 

The Rt. Rev. Michael Agyakwa Bossman was born to the Rev. Matthew Agyakwa Bossman and Mrs. Matilda Oye Bossman both of blessed memory. Both parents hail from Larteh-Akuapim in the Eastern Region. May they rest peacefully in the Lord.

Rev. Bossman attended a number of primary schools including Radiant Way Preparatory School in Accra and Chapel Hill Preparatory in Takoradi and continued his education at the Aburi Presbyterian Middle Boys’ Boarding School (Amanfo). From there, he gained admission to Mfantsipim School where he successfully completed his G. C. E. ‘O’ and ‘A’ level certificate examinations in 1978 and 1980 respectively.

His father was called home to glory soon after his ‘A’ levels which forced him to abandon his education temporarily. He lived with Rt. Rev. and Mrs. Joseph Atto Brown, who nurtured him as a son and built him up in the Lord. When Rt. Rev. Atto Brown was transferred from Okuapeman Secondary School to Kade, Michael continued to stay with him and worked as a Technical Officer at the University of Ghana Agric. Research Station at Okumanin, Kade.

Rev. Bossman after being closely involved in church work prayerfully considered entering the Ministry and was candidated in 1985 by the Very Rev. J.M. Donkor who guided and groomed him through the period of his training. He was commissioned in 1988 and ordained two years later in 1990 at the Koforidua Conference at the Wesley Cathedral by the Most Rev. Prof. Emeritus Kwesi A. Dickson of blessed memory.

In his second year at Trinity College, he was permitted to read a BA degree in Religions with Psychology at the University of Ghana, Legon and successfully completed in 1989. Four years later he was again permitted to further his studies at the University of Ghana and was awarded the Master of Philosophy degree in Religions (New Testament Studies).

The Rt. Rev. M. A. Bossman was attached to the Trinity United Church, Legon (An Interdenominational Church, 1989) while completing his BA degree studies at Legon and was subsequently posted to Akosombo Methodist Society in the Somanya Circuit of the then Accra District as the Minister in Charge in 1989.

From Akosombo, he did his further studies at Legon and was posted to serve the New Tafo-Akim Methodist Society in the Kukurantumi Circuit (Koforidua Diocese) as its first Minister in-charge (1996-1998). After two years stay, he was posted to Nkawkaw as the Superintendent Minister in-charge of the Circuit (1998-2000). While at Nkawkaw, he served as the Assistant Synod Secretary and the Diocesan Local Preachers coordinator. He also served as the Secretary of the Koforidua Synod and the Superintendent Minister of the Koforidua Circuit and in-charge of the Cathedral from 2000-2003.

He was posted to the Accra Ridge Church as the Co-ordinating Minister of this Interdenominational Church in 2003 and completed his duty tour of five years in 2008. He was reassigned to the Methodist Head office as the Assistant to the Administrative Bishop of the Methodist Conference and also in-charge of the St. Peter Methodist Society in the New Achimota Circuit in the Accra Diocese (2008-2010).

While at the Accra Ridge Church, he assisted the General Purposes Council as a Recorder and also served as a Daily Record Secretary of Conference from 2004 to 2008. At the Head Office, he was also the Candidates’ Secretary and Secretary to several other Committees of the Church until in October 2010, when he was appointed the General Director, Board of Ministries (now the General Directorate for Ministries), from this position he was elected as Bishop by the Koforidua Synod. He was inducted into office as Bishop of Koforidua Diocese in October, 2012. He has served as secretary to the Council of Bishops for the past 5yrs.

The Rt. Rev. M. A. Bossman is married to Mrs. Elizabeth Oye Bossman a Deputy Director of Education, GES Headquarters (Guidance and Counseling Unit). The Couple are blessed with three sons, Michael, Jonathan and Emmanuel and a dependant Stephen.

The Bossman family expresses her gratitude to God, family members, friends and all those who in diverse ways have supported their ministry to date. The Rt. Rev. M. A. Bossman appreciates the opportunity offered him by the Leadership of the Church to serve in various capacities at the Methodist Head Office since 2004.

credit: Methodistchurch.org.gh