Tackling Transitions And Successful Succession In The Ghanaian Church

It wasn’t mere coincidence that I started reading Rev. Dr. Emmanuel Kwabena Ansah’s Keys to Successful Succession in the Lagos State enclave popularly known as ‘Redeemed’, off the Lagos-Ibadan Highway – the huge residential complex owned by the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Nigeria. The huge expanse, inhabited by mainly members of the church, which also contains the church facilities and auditoriums, is a testament of the vision of its founder and, then, the current leader. We were fortunate to have a tour of the entire area and got to know about the history of the area – how the current General Overseer of the church lived there alone years ago, and how he had a vision that the area would grow and house many people. We visited the original house he lived, the first generator used for the estate, and the various worship sites up to the current one, which is a huge edifice with a footprint 3 kilometers on each side.

Beyond the physical facilities, I was again reminded of the story of the succession which played up when the founder needed to have over the baton. The state of the church and how it has affected many lives, including having as one of its pastors the current Vice President of Nigeria, reflects how important it is for succession to be successful in churches and para-Christian organisations.

The issue of succession takes assumes an even greater significance when one considers the fact that Ghanaian establishments that have survived beyond their first-generation founders are rare to find. But does the church, which is divinely-ordained and kept, have to worry about its sustenance? Does leadership matter? Does succession matter? Are there bad cases of succession in churches? What is the Bible’s blueprint on ensuring that the mantle and vision are carried on from generation to generation within the body of Christ?

These are the germane issues tackled expertly in Keys to Successful Succession, right from the first pages where the author states clearly that “no matter how great a leader is, there will still come a time when he has to make way for the next generation” (page 1).

The book examines the need for successful succession, drawing extensively from both biblical and non-biblical sources. For the modern-day examples, we are introduced to case studies both in Ghana and abroad. It is said that the best advice is one that the giver has lived and, in this wise, we get educated the more as the author himself shares from his own church’s experience when the mantle had to be passed on after the passing of the ministry’s founder: “…although we had a church constitution, there was no clear provision for an immediate successor” (page 12). The resulting conundrum took a couple of years to untangle.

From this point onwards, the author takes the reader on a journey that is both reflective and proactive, that considers the various types of succession that have been practiced, the concerns about succession in practical terms, identification of successors and preparation, case studies of some selected ministries with discussions of the pros and cons of the various approaches and systems, as well as a dispassionate dissections of the issues and concerns where succession is concerned.

To further examine this most important topic, the Kingdom Equip Network (KEN), made up of individuals and organizations seeking to promote good governance within and among churches, para-church institutions and the society as a whole, is organising the ‘Ekklesia Roundtable Series’, an initiative that brings together clergy, the academia, media, the public and experts in specific fields to build consensus on policy initiatives that enhances the governance of churches and the nation. This year’s theme is ‘Transitions and Succession in the Ghanaian Church’, with the view to offer a one-stop view of the transition and succession policies of denominations in Ghana; identify and address the key factors militating against smooth transitions and succession in Ghanaian denominations and recommend legal and governance strategies to equip denominations in managing their transition and succession programmes better.

It is expected that the output of this roundtable discussion would be a blue print that can used to guide new churches as they develop problem-free transitional and succession policies.

The roundtable discussion will take place at the Ghana Academy of Arts & Sciences, Airport Residential Area, on November 23, 2018 between 8.30 am and 1.30 pm.

All are cordially invited.