ANUJAT/VOLUME 7/NUMBER 2/ MAY 2020/ARTICLE 4

Volume 7/ Number 2 May 2020 Article 4

Appropriation of the New Media by Pentecostal Churches in Ghana

AWULLEY AYIKWEI
AWULLEY AYIKWEI holds a Bachelor of Arts (Theology) from the University
of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana, A Masters of Theology (History and Mission)
from the Trinity Theological Seminary, Legon, Accra, Ghana. He is a PhD
Candidate, in Religious Studies Department of Kwame Nkrumah University of
Science and Technology, Kumasi and A lecturer in the Biblical Studies
Departments, All Nations University College, Ghana.

For this and additional works at:

anujat.anuc.edu.gh
Copyright © May 2020 All Nations University Journal of Applied Thought
(ANUJAT) and Authors

Recommended Citation:
Awulley, A. (2020). Appropriation of the New Media by Pentecostal Churches
in Ghana. All Nations University Journal of Applied Thought (ANUJAT),7(2):
51-64. All Nations University Press.
Available at: http://anujat.anuc.edu.gh/universityjournal/anujat/Vol7/No2/4.pdf
 ANUJAT/VOLUME 7/NUMBER 2/ MAY 2020/ARTICLE 4

Research Online is the Institutional repository for All Nations University College.
For further information, contact the ANUC Library: anujat@anuc.edu.gh

Abstract

The media as a phenomenon has become an instrument used by several contemporary churches
all over the world. The paper explores the concept of social media, and its potentials as an
instrument for the growth of Christianity in Ghana, as well as some negatives. The study used the
Prophet Albert Asihene-Arjarquah Ministries (PAAAM) and the Assemblies of God, Ghana,
(Omega House Chapel) in Koforidua and it was revealed that Pentecostal/Charismatic on social
media are followed by people from different socio-religious backgrounds. It has also presented
the church and their audiences the prospect to form associations with a eclectic and varied range
of people without being bound by geographical space by so doing sharing the gospel and
Christianising more, bringing about a rapid growth of Christianity.
Keywords: Facebook usage, Media, Church, Pentecostal and Christianity.

Introduction
There is no uncertainty that, the media has gained widespread acceptability and usability and it is
becoming undoubtedly the most important communication tools among present generation. A
simply way to classify the media is to group them under an electronic media. Electronic media, on
the other hand, comprise all the mass media which rely on the electronic power to get their message
to their audience which radio and television, recording, movies, internet, and the explosion of
digital communication technology in the 20th and 21st century falls.1 Under the Electronic Media
we have the print media like newspapers, magazines, banners & graphics, posters and other forms
of printed material. The Broadcast Media we have Radio, Television, Cinema, Recording;
Records, Magnetic tape, CD, DVD, and the Gramophone. The Digital Media is the internet-based
application like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Blogs WhatsApp, YouTube, etc. In the past ten to
twenty years, studies of religion in African has brought to light that the Pentecostal and other
religious movements are much more focused on the use of the media 2 with notable African scholar
like Kwabena Asamoah-Gyadu, Asonzeh Ukah, Walter Ihejirika, Dominica Dipio (gender and
African film), and Abdoulaye Niang having spent time into researching this area. Our study is

1
John R. Bittner, Mass Communication, an Introduction (New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1980), 10
2
Walter C. Ihejirika, Research on Media, Religion and Culture in Africa: Current Trends and Debates,
African Communication Research, Vol. 2, No. 1 (2009): 2

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aimed at investigating the appropriation of the media by Pentecostal/charismatic churches. But the
focus of this research will be on social media and its impact on the growth of Christianity in Ghana.
This is because, one can claim that, the use of the media has facilitated the growth of Christianity
in Ghana. Most Pentecostal/Charismatic Churches in Ghana are using the media as a means of
reaching out to the masses. Pentecostal/ charismatic ministries, as they are popularly called in
Ghana, have completely transformed the African religious landscape partly through their
innovative appropriation of media. 3 The media has empowered Christians to make use of new
ways of exploring the faith and are now able to have conversation and information online on a
different faith-related issues. But the question is “How has the use of the Media contributed to the
Growth of Christianity and the church?”.

Methodology
Research Design
Given the nature of this study, the explanatory mixed method design was adopted.
According to Creswell, the explanatory mixed method design, comprises of first gathering
quantitative data and then gathering qualitative data to help elucidate or elaborate on the
quantitative results. The rationale for this method is that, the quantitative data and outcome offer
a general picture of the research problem; more analysis, specifically through qualitative data
gathering is needed to improve, extend or explain the general picture.4 In gathering quantitative
data which is the first approach in explanatory mixed method, the opinion of member of the
Prophet Albert Asihene-Arjarquah Ministries and Assemblies of God, Ghana, Omega House
Chapel, Koforidua, through survey design were collected and analysed. As for the qualitative
method of data approach, some selected media consumers were interviewed.

Population of the Study

The population of this study focused on adults between 18 years and above, from the
Prophet Albert Asihene-Arjarquah Ministries and Assemblies of God, Ghana, Omega House
Chapel, Koforidua. The choice of the Prophet Albert Asihene-Arjarquah Ministries and
Assemblies of God, Ghana, Omega House Chapel, Koforidua for this study is informed by the fact
that it uses the media as a tool for reaching out to both member and the populace. The population
figure of members of the Prophet Albert Asihene-Arjarquah Ministries who are within the ages of
18 years and above at a sitting is 1500 and Assemblies of God, Ghana, Omega House Chapel,
Koforidua is 382 according to records of member of the church provided by the church secretary.

Sampling size

3
Johnson Kwabena Asamoah-Gyadu, “CATCH THE ANOINTING”: Mediating Supernatural Power
through Enchanted Texts and Tapes in African Charismatic Christianity, African Communication Research,
Vol. 2, No. 1 (2009): 131
4
John W. Creswell, Educational research: Planning, conducting, and evaluating quantitative and
qualitative research. (New Jersey: Pearson Education Inc. 2002), 566

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 ANUJAT/VOLUME 7/NUMBER 2/ MAY 2020/ARTICLE 4

To regulate the sample size of this study, the Raosoft Sample size calculator was used.5
With a margin of error of 3.49%, a proportion or estimate of variance (confidence level) of 90%
and a population of 1500+382=1882, the basic sample size got was 51. However, this method of
calculating sample size made provision for the calculation of oversampling to take care of loss of
research instrument(s). In this regard, to calculate for the oversampling procedure, a response rate
of 95% was adopted. These calculations were based on the following:
The sample size n and margin of error E are given by
X = Z(c/100)2r(100-r)
n= N x/((N-1) E2 + x)
E= Sqrt [(N - n)x/n(N-1)]
where N is the population size, r is the fraction of responses which I am interested in, and Z(c/100)
is the critical value for the confidence level c.

This study made use of explanatory research design that requires the collection of
quantitative and qualitative data. The approaches above are meant to collect the quantitative data
using questionnaire, however, to collect the qualitative data for this study, the researcher made
provision for the interview of some media team, and media consumers.

Theoretical Framework for the Study

The study employed three theories. The Framing theory, Agenda-setting theory and Open systems
theories. Framing Theory is that the media focuses attention on certain events and then places them
within a field of meaning. Framing is an important theory since it can have a big influence and
therefore the concept of framing expanded to organizations like the church. The media frame all
news items by emphasizing specific standards, facts, and other contemplations, and endowing
them with greater apparent applicability for making related judgments. They promote particular
definitions, interpretations, evaluations and recommendations. The concept of framing was first
posited by Gregory Bateson in 1972. He defined psychological frames as a “spatial and temporary
bounding of set of interactive messages” 6 In essence, framing theory suggests that, how something
is presented to the audience (the way it is framed) influences the choices people make about how
to process that information. like “Come excepting a miracle, consecration revival, divine
encounter”. They are thought to influence the perception of the news by the audience.
The Agenda-Setting Theory investigate the transfer of salience from the media to the
public. In more practical terms, agenda-setting has been defined as ‘the idea that the media, by

5
Raosoft Sample size calculator http://www.raosoft.com/samplesize.html accessed 20Th May, 2019
6
Gregory Bateson, Steps to an ecology of mind: Collected essays in anthropology, psychology, evolution
and epistemology. (San Francisco, CA: Chandler, 1972), 197

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their display of news, come to determine the issues the public thinks about and talks about’.7 It
examines the relationship between the specific content of the messages distributed by the media
or other channels of communication and the perceptions of the public. 8 The more attention the
media gives to particular information or topic, the greater the importance the electorate tends to
ascribe to that piece of information. One way to measure the media’s attention to religious
information is the size of a newspaper’s headline, a magazine cover, or amount of time allotted to
a news item on television or radio newscast about religious activities. 9
Agenda-setting and frame-setting are not the only processes that occur as people consume
the news. People also acquire new information from news stories and can be persuaded by
arguments and claims presented there. The presence of multiple effects of news consumption has
made it hard for researchers to isolate the different processes involved. In general, though, it is
best to think of frame-setting as distinct from mere persuasion and learning. The latter are
characterized by the acquisition and acceptance of new information, whereas frame-setting is
encountered most clearly when the frame refers to something that audience members already value
or believe and feel. The frame increases the applicability of already familiar concepts, heightening
the likelihood that they will be used to interpret the issue in subsequent situations. Thus, the frame
is a vehicle for highlighting linkages between concepts rather than for introducing new concepts.
The Open systems theory refers simply to the concept that organizations are strongly
influenced by their environment. The environment consists of other organizations that exert
various forces of an economic, political, or social nature. The environment also provides key
resources that sustain the organization and lead to change and survival. Open systems theory was
developed after World War II in reaction to earlier theories of organizations, such as the human
relations perspective of Elton Mayo and the administrative theories of Henri Fayol, which treated
the organization largely as a self-contained entity.
In view of this, the open systems theory provides an ideal philosophical framework that
can aid in the effective interactions between the churches under study and their publics. Thus, it is
assumed that Prophet Albert Asihene-Arjarquah and his PAAAM and AG Omega house chapel
behave like living systems by exchanging information with their environment to produce changes
in both the organisation and the environment. An organisation can achieve this by adjusting and
adapting to new conditions in its environment in order to respond to or accommodate
environmental differences. 10
More so, the two-way symmetrical approach to communication which is an input-
transformation-output model is the ideal communication approach to be practiced by the two
churches. Inputs from the environment may be the result of reactions to a system’s own outputs or
could be changes occurring outside the systems outputs, either of which has the ability to change

7
Joseph Werner Severin, James W Tankard Jr. Communication theories: origins, methods, uses (White
Plains NY: Longman, 1988), 164
8
Maxwell E McCombs, Setting the Agenda. Cambridge, (England: Polity Press, 2004)
9
William F. Eadie, New Communications. (Belmont: Wadsworth, 1984), 273
10
Scott M. Cutlip, Allen H. Center, Glen M. Broom Effective Public Relations. (New Jersey: McGraw Hill,
2000)

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parts of a system. This means that as the churches develop a dynamic relationship with its
environment, it can receive different types of inputs such as messages, information, ideas,
complaints, and technological advancements. These inputs can go through transformations and
create, possibly, policy changes, adaptation of new technologies, adoption of new and emerging
trends, and export output by practising the new way learnt, and doing things differently.
In accessing the right feedback, which serves as a regulator of a system, organizations must
make room for a constant interaction between them and their publics. This can be made possible
by creating various forms of flexible and friendly media interface for interaction. Systems are
better able to adjust and adapt their objectives, structures or procedures, depending on the kind and
amount of feedback they receive from the environment. Feedback within a system causes
adjustments in both the system’s structure (what the system is) and its processes (what the system
does). Prophet Albert Asihene-Arjarquah and his PAAAM and AG Omega house chapel have
communication platforms that solicit for feedback from their internal and external publics. It is
essential to note that adjustment and adaptation, input transformation-output model and the
element of feedback, induce adaptive strategies in systems.
In trying to find out if and how Prophet Albert Asihene-Arjarquah and his PAAAM and
AG Omega house chapel communicate to their publics through advertising, this study tried to
understand how open the two churches were to their environment. The open system theory
provided grounds to understand if and how the two churches exchanged information with their
publics, allowed inputs from their publics to influence the churches’ outputs and how feedback
facilitated adaptations and adjustments in both the churches and their publics. Since social systems,
usually, are neither too open nor too closed, 11 the study needed to find out the extent to which
Prophet Albert Asihene-Arjarquah and his PAAAM and AG Omega house chapel operated an
open or closed system in order to assess if and how they engaged their publics and built mutually
beneficial relationships with them.

The Abstraction of Social Media and Christianity

Social media is any platform available on the internet, which provides a means for
interaction and effective two-way communication on websites; social networking sites including:
Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Blogs, LinkedIn, Google Plus, smart phone applications, as well as
news delivery sites; and other online platforms. Social media provides a platform for millions of
people in different geographical regions and time zones to share information that is relevant to
them. Similar to social media, ‘social technologies’ are technological products and services that
permit the creation and operations of online groups, where members and contributors have a
distributed access to content and rights to create new content, add to existing content or edit a
content.12

11
Scott M. Cutlip, Allen H. Center, Glen M. Broom Effective Public Relations. (New Jersey: McGraw Hill,
2000)
12
James Manyika and Michael Chui, The Social Economy, Unlocking value and productivity through social
technologies. McKinsey Global Institute, 2012. Retrieved October 25, 2013

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Currently, Facebook is the second most popular social media platform worldwide, with
over 1.26 billion users and monthly active users of almost 1.2 billion. 13 Also, Facebook users share
approximately 4.75 billion items daily, thus are expected to share all kinds of information
including news and other topics of interest from different websites or the Facebook pages of
companies and brands. In addition, 76% of users log into Facebook at least once every day. 14
The connection amid the churches and the media is one of restlessness, fear and suspicion.
In contrast to the conventional vertical top-down model of preaching Christianity done through
trained priests is being replace with digital media which enabling many ordinary Christians to have
one-to-one conversations about their faith with non-believers, thereby making more non-believers
to become believers.15 Churches have moved from relying heavily on audience participation in
their services which has exited over the last few hundred years, to a passive model where the
congregation receives a presentation on the media. 16 The use of the media establishes and maintain
relationships; connect with and stay connected with members of the congregation. 17 This then
means that, the use of social media as an instrument for evangelism could offer people the good
time to be born again without being physically present at the location of a religious service.18 It is
an instrument for communication and connection, that opens doors and opportunities to engage
with people who rarely, if ever, step foot in a church building, by this, affecting the numerical
growth of Christianity and the church at large.
The social media interplanetary is seen by the present generation of Christians in Ghana as
part of their day-to-day life and they are merely extending their religious meaning and activity into
this environment. The use of Facebook, with its video, live streaming, Facebook life, watch party
and more and WhatsApp chat with sometimes a whole sermon seen on the status of users,
Instagram and others.

Facebook Usage in Ghana

The rise of Ghanaian internet users was reflected across the continents with Africa
documenting the fastest growth rates in Internet penetration. Internet users across the continent
increased by more than 20% compared to 2017 records. The 2018 Digital report shows 4.021
billion, representing over half of the world’s population is now online. The latest statistics shows

13
Statista, Most popular social networks worldwide as of April 2019, ranked by number of active users (in
millions) https://www.statista.com/statistics/272014/global-social-networks-ranked-by-number-of-users/
Retrieved May 14, 2019
14
Alfred Lua 21 Top Social Media Sites to Consider for Your Brand https://buffer.com/library/social-
media-sites Retrieved May 14, 2019
15
Smith, Pam. How Social Media is Changing the Church. (2016, May 5). (n.d.).
http://www.bcps.org/office/lis/researchcourse/develop_quantitative.html Retrieved May 14, 2019
16
Smith, Pam. How Social Media is Changing the Church. (2016, May 5). (n.d.).
http://www.bcps.org/office/lis/researchcourse/develop_quantitative.html Retrieved May 14, 2019
17
Richard S. Vosko. ‘Liturgical Technology, Social Media, and the Green Church’, Liturgical Ministry
(Spring), (2011): 91.
18
Johnson Kwabena Asamoah-Gyadu, ‘Get on the Internet!’ says the Lord: Religion, cyberspace and
Christianity in contemporary Africa’, Studies in World Christianity, 13(3), (2007): 225-242.

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that nearly a quarter of a billion new users came online for the first time in 2017. The increase in
the numbers of Ghanaian internet users was ascribed to the fact that smartphones and mobile data
plans were affordable. The most popular device used in Ghana for browsing the internet was
mobile phones. We have 75% of the population using mobile phones, 22% using either laptops or
desktop computers and 3% using tablets.19
According to the Wearesocial and Hootsuite report, Ghana, presently has 5.6 million active
social media users, and 19.53 million mobile users. Ghana has 9.28 million active mobile internet
users, a number representing 32% of the total population. The survey also found that each
Ghanaian spends averagely, three hours 46 minutes using the internet via any device out of which
two hours 56 minutes is used on social medial via any device, with 5.60 million active social media
users representing 19% of the total population. WhatsApp was found to be the dominant social
media platform with 30% of the population using the popular text messaging application popularly
known as chat. WhatsApp was followed by Facebook recording 28%, YouTube, 15%, Facebook
Messenger, 15% and Instagram 12%. The total 4.90 million people were found using social media
via mobile. 20
The statistics gives clear evidence that a high proportion of Ghanaians are Facebook
subscribers. This also implies that Christians and ministers of the gospel in Ghana should not
under-estimate the power of social media but rather it among the tools for reaching out to people
with the gospel and a means of church growth. Facebook is the largest social media network on
the Internet, both in terms of total number of users and name recognition. It came into existence
on February 4, 2004, Facebook continues to be the most popular social networking site in terms
of number of active users. As of October 2018, it had a little over 2.23 billion active users. 21

The Case of PAAAM and AG, OMEGA House Chapel, Koforidua

The Prophet Albert Asihene-Arjarquah Ministries (PAAAM) is a non-denominational
organization. Which has its members from all walks of life. It records over 1500 members at a
sitting for a service. The Media team work begun in 2012 with a Facebook page being created on
the 1st September 2012 for the Prophet. It was a Public Figure Page with the profile name Prophet
Albert Asihene-Arjarquah. This page was created to help Brand and hype the man of God as said
in an interview. Pictures of his service and ministrations were posted there with Godly Articles. 22
The objectives of this page still hold and as at April 8 2019, the page has 22,884 people like and
23,123 people following.

19
Kweku Zurek https://www.graphic.com.gh/news/general-news/over-10-million-ghanaians-using-the-
internet-report.html General News, Feb 19 , 2018. Accessed on May 14, 2019
20
Wearesocial and Hootsuite report Digital 2019 Ghana (January 2019) v01 Accessed on May 14, 2019
https://www.slideshare.net/DataReportal/digital-2019-ghana-january-2019-v01
21
The Statistics Portal https://www.statista.com/statistics/272014/global-social-networks-ranked-by-
number-of-users/ Accessed May 14, 2019
22
Interview with Gyamfiwaa Afua Aboagye, Head of Media (in charge of IT Branding and Marketing) on
the May 11, 2019 using whatsApp Chat.

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In the year 2016, they had a program dubbed ‘HOMECOMING’. The objective of this
Program was for the Prophet (Prophet Albert Asihene-Arjarquah) to go back to his root (being
where he started his ministry) to have a crusade. This was held in Akyem Tafo in the Eastern
Region where he comes from and where he started his ministry. When this program came up, the
Media Team saw the need to take video coverage as a maiden event. The team came together,
bought gadgets like Cameras, tripods, Sound Mixer, Instruments etc. and those that they didn’t
buy get rented them. 23 After the program, they had a meeting to assess what they have done and
realise the need for improvement. The also started having feedbacks from followers on the
Facebook page which called for a sit-up. They called for another meeting and brought team
members with IT background together to see how best they can reach out to the world using the
various social media. They resolved to create a Facebook, Instagram, Twitter & YouTube Page
for the Ministry to Help Hype (Sell the Ministry) to the World. The researcher asking to know
what the first Facebook page is used for was told it’s ‘The Public Figure Page and is being used to
Hype the Prophet and is still in use’. 24
On August 9th, 2016, an email was created for the ministry, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter
& YouTube Page were created on the same day with the pages name all labelled Prophet Albert
Asihene-Arjarquah Ministries with username “THE PAAAM” and with the PAAAM Logo as its
profile picture.
Right from that day, they started introducing and promoting the pages to members and
friends to like and follow us. Through this medium, people started seeing the ministry through
pictures of all their programs both Major, & Minor. In the same year on the 10 th of October, they
had a program dubbed ‘Ephphatha’. Due to the speedily response from followers, they decided on
streaming this event on YouTube. Why not Facebook but rather YouTube? As at that time the
Facebook page had not reach the milestone, they were looking for but YouTube was doing great.
At the end of every streaming of the event, they had about 1K+ viewers, which was impressive.
As they streamed on YouTube, they were feeding their Facebook, Instagram and twitter page with
pictures of the event. After this event, the IT members in the team went back to the drawing board
to see how best they can hit Facebook because followers on Facebook has reached the more the a
thousand (1K+). In September that same year, they started streaming of some of their programs
like The Street Evangelism & Radio Programs using an Android (smart) Phone. Using the phone
posed a lot of challenges but they were persistent to give to their consumers until the following
year, when the necessary gadgets and streaming software to help them stream using the laptop was
made available. 25
Prophet Albert Asihene-Arjarquah who is also an Assemblies of God Pastor by then was
asked to start a branch of the church. On 5th March, 2017, he started the church with the name
Assemblies of God, Ghana, (Omega House Chapel), inviting people with flayer and post on the
23
Interview with Joshua Annanse, Head of Media (in charge of Sound Engineering) on the May 11, 2019
24
Interview with Gyamfiwaa Afua Aboagye, the Head of Media (in charge of IT Branding and Marketing)
at the NAT Hall in Koforidua on the May 11, 2019
25
Interview with Gyamfiwaa Afua Aboagye, the Head of Media (in charge of IT Branding and Marketing)
at the NAT Hall in Koforidua on the May 12, 2019

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PAAAM Facebook page. The same said day, an email account was created for the church and a
Facebook page as well. Within a short time, they had 2K+ followers and they kept streaming our
services to reach out the gospel to the World. From 5th March, 2017to date the Facebook page has
been reaching the world with the Gospel of the Lord through our has 23K+ followers. People
reached with live streaming of the are across the world according to records on the Facebook
feedback. Services not only from Koforidua but wherever the Prophet travels to minister are
streams on the said page.26
By engagement with some of the followers of Prophet Albert Asihene-Arjarquah
Ministries and the Assemblies of God, Ghana, (Omega House Chapel) on how they have benefited
from the Facebook activities of the pastors, it was stated that ‘the Facebook ministry has smashed
through all geographical barriers and protocols that previously hindered preaching and the hearing
of the gospel’. They also indicated that the activities of their pastors on Facebook have brought
them closer to their churches irrespective of their locations. 27 Alberta Mill Robertson with a
Facebook name Alberta Mills Ansah-Gyan, who is not a member of the church but a follower
expressed how she has been blessed with this Facebook live streaming. She added that each time
she comes online to watch she makes it a ‘watch party’, this enables her friends on Facebook who
are not likes of the page to see and watch with her. 28 In accessing her Facebook page, I realise she
has 476 friend but she normally makes it a public watch party, so that anyone on Facebook can
join. In scouting through his friends who are constant with her on the watch party, I had Justice
Addae-Badu who stays in Accra. In an interview, he told me he doesn’t belong to any church but
since he was invited to watch, he has always responded and watched the service online. He added
that, not only his Sunday service but all programs that comes online. 29
This in a nutshell also suggests that any church that spends much on traditional media
should also consider social media. The cost of organising a crusade and outreach programs to
commence a new church in other cities or countries can be accomplished through social media if
the church uses social media strategically, what Prophet Albert Asihene-Arjarquah Ministries and
Assemblies of God, Ghana, (Omega House Chapel) has used to grow its ministries and church

Impact and Benefits of Facebook on Christianity

On the 7th April 2019, Assemblies of God, Ghana (Omega House Chapel) in collaboration
with Prophet Albert Asihene-Arjarquah Ministries (PAAAM), started a radio programme dubbed
‘Omega Hour’ with GBC Sunrise 106.7 Fm and 102.1 Fm. This was live streamed and pasted of

26
Interview with Rev. Albert Asihene-Arjarquah, the Pastor of Assemblies of God, Ghana, (Omega House
Chapel) at the NAT Hall in Koforidua on the May 12, 2019 after service
27
Interview with Bernice Kwatemaa Oppong who is an online member of Prophet Albert Asihene-
Arjarquah Ministries and the Assemblies of God, Ghana, (Omega House Chapel) at her office in DVLA,
Accra 37, on May 13, 2019
28
Interview with Alberta Mill Robertson who is an online member of Prophet Albert Asihene-Arjarquah
Ministries and the Assemblies of God, Ghana, (Omega House Chapel) at her residence on May 14, 2019
29
An interview with Justice Addae-Badu on phone May 15, 2019

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their Facebook Page and in eleven hours had 1,398 views. 30 The impact of social media on the
life of the church is generally seen as a positive one. Like the Assemblies of God, Ghana, (Omega
House Chapel), People who are actively practicing their religious faith have the opportunity to
interact with people they may not have otherwise had the chance to “meet”. This technology means
that, the world today is a much smaller place than it was for previous generations. It is a way to
get that sagacity of society that we still crave for.
Any church who needs to get the word out about its upcoming new product or service,
there is no better way to get the message to millions of people 24/7 than through Facebook. It is
possible to promote a product, service or idea because the only limitation is the amount of time
desired to invest in the endeavour and internet bundle. The church can use the social media to
bring to people’s awareness upcoming events and publicize a church sermon as on the Facebook
page of A/G, Ghana (Omega House Chapel).
Facebook is an instrument to overcome some of the barriers faced by the church and its
member in forming and maintaining positive social relationships, constantly deepening their
Christian faith. These barriers can include lack of safe, available, accessible and convivial places
for meeting, transport challenge to get there, and free time of planned activities such as going to
school and other related. Facebook challenge these barriers because they are accessible 24/7, from
different physical locations and through different technologies like the computer and mobile
device. 31

Conclusion
The Prophet Albert Asihene-Arjarquah Ministries (PAAAM) and The Assemblies of God,
Ghana (Omega House Chapel) as a case, believed that the church thrived on communication
because their core business is to reach out to people with the Word of God and this can only be
achieved through communication. The church uses different media activities such as advertising,
online streaming, sales promotion, publicity and social media interactions to reach out to different
target individuals and groups.
The churched has a Facebook live streaming, which carries live messages, sometimes not
necessary a service but a short message for its Facebook viewers. They do this from the residence
(home), of the pastor, sitting in his parlour, sometimes travelling to a place to pray like Nkawkaw
mountain, atwea mountains, their hotel room, when outside town for a program and more. A
typical example was on Friday May 3, 2019 at 12:10pm Prophet Albert Asihene-Arjarquah in his
hotel room in Kwehu. Three weeks after the Facebook live streaming from the hotel, the video
recorded 3900 view and 95 shares with 1868 comments.32 These churches have a strong social

30
https://www.Facebook.com/thepaaam/videos/420477685421561/ Accessed May 14, 2019
31
David Buckingham, After the death of Childhood: Growing Up in the Age of Electronic Media. (USA:
Blackwell Publishing Limited, 2000)
32
Prophet Albert Asihene-Arjarqua, Time with Kwahu Atibie Presby
https://www.facebook.com/thepaaam/videos/401958963972086/ Accessed May 23, 2019

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media presence which serves as a conduit for sending the word of God to its publics. Some of its
social media platforms are on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter & YouTube.
The churches also solicit media attention for their events or church activities by asking the
congregant to live and share the post of on Facebook. Example was on the 30 th December, 2019,
after the praise night, Prophet Albert Asihene-Arjarquah asked that member should like and share
an advert posted on Facebook.33 The churches first and core publics are the volunteer staff, leaders
of various groups in the church and the membership. The churches volunteer staff, leaders of
various groups in the church has a WhatsApp group chat. Also, Media Team, Ushering
Department, Choir and other groups like WhatsApp group chat which facilitates both internal and
external communication in the church promoting activities of these churches.
The first point of disseminating information is through text or WhatsApp messages sent to
mobile phones of key leaders who also sent it to their group. Announcements is given during
Sunday service which is also streams on Facebook. These churches also use outdoor advertising
platforms such as flyers, banners, billboards, and floats to announce and promote the church’s
events. The soft copies of the flyers are posted on members Facebook pages and used as most
WhatsApp Profile pictures or on WhatsApp status with underlining invitation messages. 34
Social Media is about getting connected to people and building relationships. These
relationships are strengthened with time as trust is build. It then opens people up to the influence
of their networked of friends. As Christians share their stories about their spiritual encounters and
miracles, it become an influencer for people who do not yet know Christ. This is in contrast to
broadcast media such as TV and Radio that blast out their message without relationship. Churches
can use Social Media to Pastor people in their church as well media consumers. This allows the
Pastoral Team of any Church to walk with that person who is going through a hard time. Social
Media does present an opportunity to Churches to advertise their services and events free of charge.
Social Media has brought a communication revolution to the world and this seismic shift
in the way people communicate, presents both positives and negatives to the people and their
spiritual understanding. One of the unusual aspects of Millennials is their tendency to overshare
on Social Media. Even though there are some negatives, the positives present an awesome
opportunity to further the gospel, which Christ established as being transmitted socially.

33
This was a program held in the church as their usual meeting venue, Ghana National Association of
Teachers (GNAT) Hall in Koforidua
34
Interview with Gyamfiwaa Afua Aboagye, the Head of Media (in charge of IT Branding and Marketing)
at the NAT Hall in Koforidua on the May 12, 2019

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Bibliography
Bateson, Gregory, Steps to an ecology of mind: Collected essays in anthropology, psychology,
evolution and epistemology. San Francisco, CA: Chandler, 1972.

Bittner, John R. Mass Communication, an Introduction, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1980.

Buckingham, David. After the death of Childhood: Growing Up in the Age of Electronic Media.
USA: Blackwell Publishing Limited, 2000

Creswell, John W. Educational research: Planning, conducting, and evaluating quantitative and
qualitative research. New Jersey: Pearson Education Inc. 2002.

Cutlip, Scott M. Center, Allen H. Glen M. Broom Effective Public Relations. New Jersey:
McGraw Hill, 2000

Eadie, William F. New Communications. Belmont: Wadsworth, 1984.

McCombs, Maxwell E. Setting the Agenda. Cambridge, England: Polity Press, 2004

Severin Joseph Werner, Tankard James W Jr. Communication theories: origins, methods, White
Plains NY: Longman, 1988.

Journals
Asamoah-Gyadu Johnson Kwabena, ‘Get on the Internet!’ says the Lord: Religion, cyberspace
and Christianity in contemporary Africa’, Studies in World Christianity, 13(3), (2007): 225-242.

Asamoah-Gyadu, Johnson Kwabena “CATCH THE ANOINTING”: Mediating Supernatural

Power through Enchanted Texts and Tapes in African Charismatic Christianity, African
Communication Research, Vol. 2, No. 1 (2009): 131

Ihejirika, Walter C. Research on Media, Religion and Culture in Africa: Current Trends and
Debates, African Communication Research, Vol. 2, No. 1 (2009): 2

Manyika James and Chui, Michael The Social Economy, Unlocking value and productivity
through social technologies. McKinsey Global Institute, 2012. Retrieved October 25, 2013

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Vosko Richard S., ‘Liturgical Technology, Social Media, and the Green Church’, Liturgical
Ministry (Spring), (2011): 91.

INTERNET
Alfred Lua 21 Top Social Media Sites to Consider for Your Brand
https://buffer.com/library/social-media-sites Retrieved May 14, 2019

https://www.Facebook.com/thepaaam/videos/420477685421561/ Accessed May 14, 2019

Kweku Zurek https://www.graphic.com.gh/news/general-news/over-10-million-ghanaians-using-

the-internet-report.html General News, Feb 19 , 2018. Accessed on May 14, 2019

Prophet Albert Asihene-Arjarqua, Time with Kwahu Atibie Presby

https://www.facebook.com/thepaaam/videos/401958963972086/ Accessed May 23, 2019

Raosoft Sample size calculator http://www.raosoft.com/samplesize.html accessed 20Th May,

2019

Smith, Pam. How Social Media is Changing the Church. (2016, May 5). (n.d.).
http://www.bcps.org/office/lis/researchcourse/develop_quantitative.html Retrieved May 14, 2019

Statista, Most popular social networks worldwide as of April 2019, ranked by number of active
users (in millions) https://www.statista.com/statistics/272014/global-social-networks-ranked-by-
number-of-users/ Retrieved May 14, 2019

The Statistics Portal https://www.statista.com/statistics/272014/global-social-networks-ranked-

by-number-of-users/ Accessed May 14, 2019

Wearesocial and Hootsuite report Digital 2019 Ghana (January 2019) v01 Accessed on May 14,
2019 https://www.slideshare.net/DataReportal/digital-2019-ghana-january-2019-v01

INTERVEWS
Interview with Gyamfiwaa Afua Aboagye, Head of Media (in charge of IT Branding and
Marketing) on the May 11, 2019 using whatsApp Chat.

Interview with Joshua Annanse, Head of Media (in charge of Sound Engineering) on the May 11,
2019

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Interview with Gyamfiwaa Afua Aboagye, the Head of Media (in charge of IT Branding and
Marketing) at the NAT Hall in Koforidua on the May 11, 2019

Interview with Rev. Albert Asihene-Arjarquah, the Pastor of Assemblies of God, Ghana, (Omega
House Chapel) at the NAT Hall in Koforidua on the May 12, 2019 after service

Interview with Bernice Kwatemaa Oppong who is an online member of Prophet Albert Asihene-
Arjarquah Ministries and the Assemblies of God, Ghana, (Omega House Chapel) at her office in
DVLA, Accra 37, on May 13, 2019

Interview with Alberta Mill Robertson who is an online member of Prophet Albert Asihene-
Arjarquah Ministries and the Assemblies of God, Ghana, (Omega House Chapel) at her residence
on May 14, 2019

An interview with Justice Addae-Badu on phone May 15, 2019

Interview with Gyamfiwaa Afua Aboagye, the Head of Media (in charge of IT Branding and
Marketing) at the NAT Hall in Koforidua on the May 12, 2019

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