1. Evaluation of counselling services of pastors in selected orthodox and pente-charismatic churches in the Cape Coast Municipality of Ghana
- Author
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Antiri, Kwasi Opota
- Subjects
counselling services ,orthodox churches ,pastors ,pente-charismatic churches - Abstract
xi, 123p.:ill., This study was designed to evaluate the counselling services of pastors in selected orthodox and Pente-Charismatic churches in Ghana with particular reference to the Cape Coast municipality. The research focussed on whether the pastors used the appropriate counselling methods and appropriate counselling materials. It examined the differences between the pastors of the Orthodox and their counterparts in the Pente-Charismatic Churches in the use of appropriate counselling methods and materials. The research was also to ascertain whether the church members were satisfied with the counselling services of the pastors, the support the church members gave to the pastors to enable them perform well in providing counselling services, and finally, the problems that the pastors faced in providing counselling services. The research comprised a population of all the church members in the 217 recognised churches in the municipality. Out of all the church members in the 217 recognised churches in the municipality, the sample size of the study was three hundred and fifty, comprising three hundred church members and fifty pastors from eighteen selected churches. The sampling procedures employed for the study were the purposive, stratified and simple random sampling. The stratified sampling procedure was used to select the various churches that participated in the study. All the pastors (50) from the eighteen churches selected for the study were purposively sampled. The convenience sampling method was also used in selecting the church members who participated in the study. All the three hundred and fifty respondents completed questionnaires. Six research questions were used in the study and the responses obtained from the respondents were analysed on basis of frequencies and percentages. The main findings were: 1. A significant number of the pastors were using appropriate methods of counselling in their counselling services. These include, interviewing, questioning, interpretation, having specific time for counselling, referrals and having special offices for counselling. 2. Majority of the pastors were not using adequate and appropriate counselling materials in their counselling services. The main appropriate material used by all the pastors was the Holy Bible. 3. With regard to the use of appropriate counselling methods, the pastors of the Orthodox churches were slightly ahead of their counterparts in the Pente-Charismatic churches. The pastors in the Pente-Charismatic churches were also far ahead of the pastors in the Orthodox" churches in the use of counselling materials. 4. A significant number of the church members were satisfied with counselling services offered by the pastors (55%). 5. Whilst the church members felt they were giving the pastors enough moral and material support to enable them offer good counselling services, the pastors Celt they were not receiving enough. The study, therefore, recommends that pastors should always be given in- service training while they are on the field to refresh their minds on what they have learnt and also on modern concepts in counselling. They are also to be given enough appropriate materials for counselling services for them to' be very effective.
- Published
- 2015