The Presidential candidate for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), and former vice-president, Mahamudu Bawumia, has called for greater autonomy for mission schools in Ghana, saying religious bodies that established and nurtured the institutions should be given more room to manage them.
He said the Christian missions had played a significant role in shaping Ghana’s education system and national character through the establishment of schools, where, beyond academic instruction, students were nurtured in discipline, honesty and service.
“Unfortunately, we are losing that discipline, and I would like to see the missions given more autonomy in the management of these schools,” he said.
Thanksgiving
Dr Bawumia made the call at the closing thanksgiving service of the six-day joint conference of the East Ghana, West Ghana, Mid-Ghana and North Ghana Conferences of the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Zion Church in Cape Coast.
The conference, held from August 18 to 23, 2026, was on the theme: “Serving the Present Age: Concentrating on Our Ministries.”
He said mission schools had contributed immensely to the development of Ghana by producing professionals and leaders who had served the country in various capacities.
“A child who entered a mission classroom met more than a blackboard.
That child encountered a new horizon of training. Alongside reading and arithmetic came discipline, honesty and service,” he said.
Dr Bawumia said the contribution of the church to national development extended beyond education to health care, community development and the promotion of social cohesion.
Hospitals, clinics
He noted that Christian hospitals and clinics continued to provide essential services to vulnerable communities, while faith-based institutions, through the Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG), contributed substantially to the country's health system.
The former Vice-President also urged churches to adapt their ministries to the needs of the present generation, particularly the youth.
He said the church should not only preach to young people but also listen to them, mentor and equip them with practical skills, and create opportunities for them to take up leadership roles.
“Prayer gives strength, but a young person also needs skills, a fair chance and someone willing to open a door,” he said.
He encouraged churches to establish partnerships for vocational training, entrepreneurship and apprenticeship programmes, arguing that sustainable charity should enable beneficiaries to become self-reliant.
“A generation that receives faith without responsibility may inherit our buildings but lose our purpose,” he cautioned.
Dr Bawumia also called for the protection of Ghana’s religious harmony, saying Christians and Muslims shared common values that should unite rather than divide them.
The Presiding Bishop of the Western West Africa Episcopal District of the AME Zion Church, the Right Rev. Dr Hilliard K. Dela Dogbe, also urged Christians to confront challenges in their personal lives, communities and the nation.
