50TH Anniversary Lectures-History of GPCC

INTRODUCTION
Established fifty years ago, the Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council (GPCC) has grown to become one of the well-recognized Christian ecumenical bodies in Ghana.1 With a combined estimated membership of about eight (8) million from 236 Pentecostal and Charismatic churches, GPCC is arguably the largest Christian ecumenical body in Ghana.2 According to the 2010 Population and Housing Census,
Pentecostals and Charismatics constituted about 28 percent of the entire Christian population in Ghana. GPCC member churches are scattered all over the country. However, being conscious of the fact that even cancers grow, it stands to reason that big size, high figures, and wider distribution alone cannot be used as a yardstick to measure the success of any organization. It has, therefore, become necessary to assess the actual socio-economic-political, ecclesiastical, and spiritual impact the GPCC has made so far in Ghana.
In this presentation, I will examine whether, after being in existence for 50 years, the vision and mission of GPCC have been achieved. After examining the state of Pentecostalism in Ghana prior to the establishment of the GPCC, I will also discuss its composition, organizational structure, administration, growth, doctrinal beliefs, and leadership. In addition to assessing the financial matters of the Council, I will also present the analysis of the data collected together with the impact the GPCC has had on its member churches, Christianity in Ghana, and national development. I will further, look at the challenges confronting the Council and make recommendations for the future before the conclusions are drawn. Several methods were employed in this research. As a historical account, data was obtained and reviewed from archival sources in the form of reports and documents