The Problem of Divorce and the Role of Pastoral Care and Counselling in the Ghana Armed Forces

Abstract

Marriage is God’s ordinance for humankind from the beginning of creation. It is intended to be a life-long relationship, but it is being thwarted by the problem of divorce in both the faith and secular societies. Unfortunately soldiers who are known to be disciplined personnel are also affected with the phenomenon of divorce in contemporary times. This study was conducted to explore the fundamental issues of divorce in the Ghana Armed Forces and how pastoral care and counselling can be intensified to help strengthen marriage and family life. A qualitative method was used to elicit information on fundamental issues of divorce among the soldiers. One main research question and four other sub questions were posed to guide the study. Interviews and focused group discussions were used to gather data from divorcees who are soldiers, divorcees who are spouses of soldiers, colleagues of divorced soldiers and Chaplains in the Ghana Armed Forces. Findings from the research indicated that there are four major and five minor causes of divorce in the Ghana Armed Forces, details have been provided at page 107. Findings from the research also indicate that pastoral care and premarital counselling are not effective in the Ghana Armed Forces because of the nature of soldiers’ duties, and post-marital counselling is completely not being conducted although there is a policy that there must be post-marital counselling for married soldiers and their spouses. It is recommended that pastoral care and counselling and other effective approaches should be intensified by the Chaplains and Imams to help curb the phenomenon of divorce in the Ghana Armed Forces if not completely eradicated.