Integral Pastoral Care in Ghana

About the Book

What is Pastoral Care? Pastoral Care is differently defi ned by many authorities. Encyclopedia defi nes it as the ministry of care and counseling provided by pastors, chaplains, and other religious leaders to members of their church or congregation, to anyone within institutional settings, with a focus on healing, reconciling, guiding, and sustaining. Kate Lombardi, in her article titled “Chaplains as Comforters“ in the New York Times of July 20, 2003, says, “While doctors and nurses at the Westchester Medical Center here, work on the bodies of patients, there is another group of people - the hospital chaplains, who work with their spirits. She lists some of the many services provided by the Pastoral Care Giver in a hospital setting as enumerated in my book and concludes on the note that “Chaplains see human emotions at their most raw…They work with people whose bodies are ravaged…These chaplains say that to see a medical crisis brings on a spiritual crisis.” I have identifi ed a human need of Pastoral Care among the Asante people and Ghanaians as a whole. As a starting point, this book seeks to highlight the problem and create communal awareness among community and religious leaders. From here, I plan to train leaders (volunteers) in basic skills in chaplaincy for visitation to some selected clinics and hospitals in Kumasi. (Phase 1). Under Phase II of my vision, I hope to establish an Ecumenical Pastoral Counseling Center in Kumasi for which reason I have started looking for partners and sponsors in the US and elsewhere for support. The Phase III (long term dream) is to establish a Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) Program in Kumasi (Please see Introduction for more understanding of CPE). Readers who are interested in supporting the Royal Diadem Pastoral Center project through sponsorship or donation are to contact me at gabriel@ghanarodi.com, gabriel.ab925@yahoo.com, gabrielabm1913@gmail. com, Tel: 773-968-1983, 773-363-7889.

About the Author

Dr. Gabriel Amoateng-Boahen was born to the Late Opanin Peter Kofi Amoateng (went to be with the Lord in February 1978) and the Late Maame Veronica Yaa Afrah (transitioned to Glory on March 19, 2013; 35 years after the death of my father) of Kintampo, Brong Ahafo-Ghana. He stared school at the age 7 at the Bodom Presbyterian Primary School and Effia Methodist Primary (near the Port City of Takoradi). Gabriel returned to Kintampo in 1962 to continue his education at the Baffoe Local Authority Primary and Middle Schools at Kintampo where he was the Junior Prefect and Senior Prefect respectively (1962-1967). Gabriel is the Chaplain for the Brong Ahafo Association of Chicago and the Keynote Speaker at the Conference of Brong Ahafo Associations of North America (COBAANA) in 2011. Gabriel has strong ecumenical inclination and deeply involved in the activities of the Council of Ghanaian Churches in Chicago where he is the current Vice President. Gabriel takes a lot of inspiration from Evangelist Dr Billy Graham. He is Gabriel’s “spiritual mentor” and has twice attended the Billy Graham Schools of Evangelism in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA (2002) and Kansas City, Missouri, USA (2004). Gabriel was in Singapore in 2000 for the Advanced Leadership Training for Christian Leaders from developing countries. He is a member of these Professional Associations: National Association of Catholic Chaplains (NACC), Association of Professional Chaplains (APC), Spiritual Direction International (SDI), and others. Gabriel is the Representative for the University of Chicago Medical Center at the Kenwood-Hyde Park Interfaith Council (2010-2014). On March 27, 1977, Gabriel and Mrs. Agatha Amoateng-Boahen were joined together in Holy Matrimony at the Holy Spirit Catholic Church at Ahafo Hwidiem and now live peacefully and happily with their eight children: Mrs. Veronica Amoateng Antwi, Rev Sampson Amoateng, Rev Dr. Mark Amoateng, MD, Rev Daniel Amoateng, Rev Brian Amoateng, Christabel Jessica Amoateng, Davina Amoateng, and Gabriel Amoateng Badu, Jr.