Africa West Area Presidency Welcomes Ghana’s Minister of Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs

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On 14 December 2023, the Honorable Stephen Asamoah Boateng, Ghana’s Minister of Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs (MCRS), visited the offices of the Africa West Area of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Accra, Ghana.  Accompanying the Minister were several of his associates from the ministry. 

Welcoming the Minister was Elder S. Gifford Nielsen, General Authority Seventy and President of the Africa West Area of the Church.  Elder Jörg Klebingat, General Authority Seventy and first counselor in the Presidency, and Elder Alfred Kyungu, General Authority Seventy and second counselor, were also on hand to meet with the Minister.

Minister Boateng, a former Member of Parliament in Ghana, was appointed by Ghana President Akufo-Addo to head the MCRS in February 2023.  The Minister noted that he had not been to the Area office previously but had attended the Accra Ghana Temple groundbreaking in 2001.  He mentioned that he had assisted the Church at that time with the acquisition of the Temple property. President Russell M. Nelson, then an apostle, presided at the groundbreaking.

The MCRA works to develop cohesion between the Ghanaian Government, religious organizations, traditional leadership, and civil society.  Their goal is to unite these groups for the promotion of peace and good governance.  The ministry focuses on formulating and initiating appropriate policies for the chieftaincy and religious organization throughout Ghana.

“Our philosophy is that we are all children of God.  We may have different beliefs, but we want to work together with you, and the organizations that you serve, to bring others closer to Christ,” said Elder Nielsen. “We want to be good neighbors and are always looking for ways to lift others.”

Elder Nielsen also noted the Church’s effective collaboration with the Muslim communities in West Africa. “We see similarities, not differences, with all people of faith, and have worked together with our Muslim friends to encourage peace throughout Africa.”

The Minister mentioned the importance of peaceful coexistence between Muslims and Christians in Ghana. “We hold these relationships in very high regard.  Your efforts to work with these communities is commendable,” he said. “The Ghanaian people believe in God and are a very warm people.  If we work together, there will be peace.”

Asked what the Church could do to assist the ministry in achieving their goals the Minister said “We need collaboration and partnerships with our ministry and the chieftaincy and religious organizations to help reshape our thinking on how to strengthen the infrastructure of the ministry.”  He also noted the difficulty of reaching out to the remote areas of Ghana and how the Church’s could help in uniting them with the rest of the country.

Minister Boateng mentioned that his ministry was in the process of creating a national policy on religious affairs and that they were seeking stakeholder engagement with that document.  Elder Nielsen noted the Church’s focus on religious freedom and committed to helping with the development of national policy that encourages freedom of religion for all.