The Church as a Spiritual and Social Being: A Holistic Approach to Ministry in the Contemporary Ghanaian Society

Abstract

The teaching of Jesus presents a powerful dimension to the understanding of holistic ministry. In Luke 4 18-19, His announcement of His vision in the synagogue at Nazareth has a powerful component of spiritual and social action. Jesus was purposefully mandated to preach the Gospel to the deprived, heal the blind, set the captives free and liberate the oppressed. Preaching and ministering to physical needs of people were both central in Jesus’ life and work. He preached and healed. He satisfied both sick hearts and sick bodies. This paper discusses contextual reasons for the employment of holistic ministry in the contemporary Ghanaian Society. It brings to the fore the need for the Church to engage in holistic ministry which would go a long way to attract even non-Christians into the Christian fold. The study recommends that attending to the social needs of people in the Ghanaian society is an advantage to the church hence the call to employ holistic ministry. The study contributes to research knowledge in the holistic approach to ministry pointing out clearly that the ministry is not only for the spiritual growth of a person but also a person’s social wellbeing.