Methodist Church Ghana sets September deadline for Ministers and Lay Chairmen to submit doctorate certificates for verification

The Methodist Church Ghana has taken a decisive step to uphold academic integrity within its ranks by directing all active Ministers holding doctorate degrees to submit their certificates for verification by the end of September 2025. The directive also applies to Lay Chairmen serving the church who wish to have their doctoral qualifications formally recognized in its records.

The initiative, announced by the Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church Ghana, Most Rev. Prof. J. Kwabena Asamoah-Gyadu, at the 13th Expanded General Purposes Council (EGPC) in Cape Coast, reflects the church’s growing commitment to transparency and accountability in an era where academic qualifications are increasingly tied to credibility and influence.

Safeguarding the Church’s Image

Under the new directive, all doctorate certificates submitted will be forwarded to the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) for official authentication. The verification process will establish whether the awarding institutions are accredited and whether the degrees were earned legitimately.

Explaining the rationale, the Presiding Bishop said the measure was aimed at protecting the church from potential embarrassment arising from questionable academic claims.

“This is not witch-hunting. This is making sure that we are on track. We don’t want to wait until we are embarrassed as a church. I am very serious about this because not only are we respected as a nation but this is a claim to academic qualification,” he stressed.

His comments echo recent concerns raised nationally about the proliferation of dubious institutions and unearned academic titles.

A Response to National Concerns

In recent years, the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) has intensified its campaign against the use of fake or unearned academic titles.

Public figures, corporate leaders, and faith-based organizations have not been spared scrutiny, as Ghana confronts the misuse of academic credentials in both secular and religious spaces.

By proactively subjecting its ministers and officers to independent verification, the Methodist Church Ghana positions itself as a responsible stakeholder in the national discourse on academic credibility.

It also signals to its congregants and the wider society that the church values authenticity and is willing to lead by example.

The Role of the EGPC

The Expanded General Purposes Council (EGPC), which serves as an extension of the General Purposes Council (GPC) — the church’s highest decision-making body between conferences — has become a strategic platform for addressing such governance matters. Established to strengthen policy oversight, long-term planning, and administrative efficiency, the EGPC reflects the church’s efforts to adapt to a rapidly changing socio-spiritual environment.

This year’s EGPC coincides with the 190th Anniversary Grand Durbar of the Methodist Church Ghana, set to take place on Saturday, August 23, 2025, in Cape Coast. The symbolic timing underscores the church’s resolve to align its historic legacy with the demands of modern accountability.

Balancing Faith and Professionalism

The directive highlights a deeper shift in the relationship between faith and professionalism within Ghana’s Christian community.

As churches increasingly employ highly trained professionals and clergy with advanced academic qualifications, the credibility of such qualifications becomes not just a personal matter but an institutional one.

For the Methodist Church Ghana — one of the oldest and most influential denominations in the country — this verification exercise sends a strong signal: that spiritual authority must be matched by academic and professional integrity.

Looking Ahead

While some may view the directive as stringent, many observers see it as a proactive measure to strengthen the church’s moral authority in society.

In a country where titles carry significant weight, the Methodist Church Ghana’s insistence on validation could inspire other religious and professional bodies to adopt similar measures.

As the church celebrates 190 years of witness and service, this initiative may well be remembered as a turning point in how it redefined leadership credibility for future generations.