5

Contemporary "Witchdemonology" in the Church

of Pentecost: 1988-2000

1. Introduction
It was shown in the previous chapter that although the Church of Pen-
tecost began from the classical Pentecostal background, the visit of the
Latter Rain team to Ghana revived "prophetism" that was lurking
within the psyche of the Akan Christians, leading to the emergence of
a healing and deliverance ministry within CoP. As a result of misun-
derstanding between the leadership and the "lay prophets/prophet-
esses," this sort of ministry was somehow suppressed. Nevertheless, it
was shown that the influence of American preachers and the Charis-
matic renewal, specifically the teachings and testimonies on demonic
and ancestral curses, reinvigorated the Ghanaians' awareness of the
supernatural powers, believed to torment people and block their pro-
gress. Moreover, it was realised that to be set free from these inimical
forces was areal battle and needed a long period of struggle. As missi-
ologist Hesselgrave observes, "it is natural for men to decode new in-
formation in terms of previous experience."1 Consequently, so me
Christians within CoP (and other churches in Ghana) began to reinter-
pret these teachings in culturally relevant ways and put them into prac-
tice. The outcome of this reformulation is what this book refers to as
"witchdemonology" and this becomes our concern in this chapter.

2. "Witchdemonology"
2.1. Definition
The thesis coins the term "witchdemonology" instead of the usual
Western terms "demonology" and "witchcraft," because firstly, the
traditional definitions of the terms "demonology" and "witchcraft" do
not fit into the Ghanaian situations. 2 Secondly, the understanding and

I David J. Hesselgrave, Communicating Christ Cross-Culturally: An Introduction to Mis-

sionary Communication (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1978), 111.

2 For example, as stated elsewhere in this book, in the West the definition of witeh-

erafi: includes the worship of Satan and the praetiee of magie and soreery; Jetfrey Button
172 Pentecostal Exorcism

practices in the Ghanaian scene, as will soon be presented, are a syn-

thesis of both Western and Ghanaian concepts, especially that of Akan
traditional religion where the witch is always the focus. 3 Birgit Meyer
notices the centrality of witchcraft in the Ghanaian image of the Devil
and the imagination of evil when she writes, "in the video cinemas,
where people can enjoy a film for next to nothing, they can see, along-
side Western movies, horror films produced in Ghana with the Devil
and his consorts - particularly witches - playing the leading parts [empha-
sis mine].,,4 Again, the "mentor" of this kind of ministry in Ghana,
Derek Prince, hits the nail on the head when he writes that "as we
trace the tortuous, deceptive paths of demonic activity and the occult,
we discover that they all proceed from one primal source: witchcrajt"
(his emphasis).5 Thus Prince's assertion applies weil to the Ghanaian
concept. Similarly, Gifford observes that "many African preachers can
find nothing good in African culture and categorize all of it as 'witch-
craft. ",6 Thus while some Westerners concern themselves with de-
mons, Ghanaians, while accepting the Western term, reformulate it
within their concept of bayie (witchcraft) in a new way which is a
combination of the terms witchcraft and demonology. The term
"witchdemonology," coined from both terms, therefore, seems to fit
into the situation better than the term "demonology" or "witchcraft."
Hence "witchdemonology" is used in this study to describe the beliefs
and practices of" deliverance ministry" in Ghana, viewed as a synthesis
of the practices and beliefs of Akan witchcraft and Western Christian
concepts of demonology and exorcism. 7

Russell, A History of Witchcrqfi (London: Thames & Hudson, 1980), 8; H.E. Wedeck &
W. Baskin, A Diaionary of Spiritualism (New York: Bonanza Books, 1971), 364; Hans
Holzer (Introduction), Encyclopedia of Witchcrafi and Demonology: An nIustrated Encyclopedia
of Witches, Demons, Sorcerers, and Iheir Present Day Counterparts, 1970-1971 (London:
Cathay Books, 1974), 18. The definition of demonology also includes "malevolent spirits
having supernatural powers and dedicated to destruction." (ibid. 195). See also Webster's
Ninth New Collegiate Diaionary, 1983 (Springfield: Merriam-Webster, Inc. 1984),338.
, Ghanaian terms usually used are "witchcraft" (bayie - Akan, aye - Ga, adze - Ewe,
ayen- Fanti.
• Meyer, '''Delivered from the Powers ofDarkness'," 237. Further, the tide ofone of
Meyer's articles makes the idea clearer, "'IfYou Are a Devil, You Are a Witch, and If
Y ou Are a Witch, You Are aDevii" The Integration of 'Pagan'Ideas Into the Conceptual
Universe ofEwe Christians in Southeastern Ghana," Journal of Religion in Africa 22 (1992):
98-132. Cf. T.C. McCaskie, "Anti-Witchcraft Cult in Asante: An Essay in the Social
History of an African People," History of 4frica 8 (1981): 137.
5 Derek Prince, Ihey Shall Expel Demons: What You Need to Know about Demons - Your

Invisible Enemies (Harpenden: Derek Prince Ministries, 1998), 141.

6 Steve Brouwer, Paul Gifford & Susan D. Rose, Exporting the American Gospel: Global

Christian Fundamentalism (London: Roudedge, 1996), 178.

7 See Chapter 1, seetion 6 for definitions ofterms. See also 2.3.4 below.