Christian Council of Ghana (CCG) and Public Policy

Abstract

Diverse views are expressed about the role of the Church in Society and the relationship between religion and politics for that matter. One view is that, our world is God's world and the Church's role is not just preparing people for the world here after but also serving as the agent of making life better in the present. The other, is for the Church to concentrate on preparing people for heaven and leave the rest to the social structures of society. These views are further complicated by the general observation of many that politics is a dirty game and whether or not, the church must be involved in the political process of the country remains an issue of debate. The Christian Council of Ghana since its formation has demonstrated how Christian ecumenical bodies could play important roles in the political, social and economic processes of the country. This research investigated the Christian Council of Ghana and public policy of the nation. The main objective of the research is to examine the level of participation and impact of Christian Council of Ghana on public policy in the country. The research also examined the theological bases for the advocacy role of the Christian Council of Ghana among others. The research employed a historical approach and the main research tools were interviews, administration of sets of questionnaires and participant observation. The main findings of the research revealed that the Christian Council of Ghana has attempted to influence public policy through the top hierarchy of the institution. The findings also revealed that the Council has succeeded on many occasions to influence the Government to suspend

certain policies that were not in the interest of the public. The research also showed the methods or strategies of the Council in influencing public policies. Based on the findings, the researcher made some recommendations for improvement in the relationship between the Council and Government and how the Council could still influence public policies in Ghana.