An Irish missionary arrived in the Gold Coast in 1937. The church that grew from his work became the Church of Pentecost

James McKeown arrived in the Gold Coast in 1937, a young missionary from Northern Ireland with little money. The church that grew from his work is now one of the largest in Ghana.

McKeown was sent by the Apostolic Church, a Pentecostal denomination based in Wales, in response to an invitation from a Ghanaian group led by Peter Anim, a pioneer of Pentecostalism in the Gold Coast. McKeown worked in Asamankese and the surrounding area in the Eastern Region.

Early struggles

Soon after arriving, McKeown fell seriously ill with malaria. His treatment in a hospital led to a dispute with Anim’s group, which rejected the use of medicine in favour of prayer for healing. The group split, and McKeown continued working with those who accepted him.

Growth and division

The movement grew rapidly, with an emphasis on prayer, evangelism, healing and Holy Spirit baptism. In the 1950s, disputes with the Apostolic Church’s leadership in Britain over doctrine and control led to a division. The churches that remained with McKeown were known for a time as the Gold Coast Apostolic Church and later the Ghana Apostolic Church.

In 1962, the name Church of Pentecost was adopted, reportedly after the intervention of President Kwame Nkrumah, who wanted the rival groups to settle their dispute.

A Ghanaian church

McKeown insisted on training Ghanaian leaders and made the church financially self-supporting. He retired in 1982, and Ghanaians took full leadership. The church’s practice of relying on members’ tithes and offerings rather than foreign funding became part of its identity.

Today

The Church of Pentecost is one of the largest Protestant churches in Ghana, with millions of members and branches in over 100 countries. It is known for its disciplined structure, its emphasis on evangelism, its large conventions and its many schools, hospitals and social programmes. Its Pentecost University in Accra and its convention centre at Gomoa Fetteh host national and international events.

The church is also known for its conservative dress codes and for encouraging members to be active citizens, with a stated vision of “possessing the nations”.

Legacy

McKeown died in 1989. Ghanaians remember him as a humble missionary who handed leadership to Africans early.

He came to the Gold Coast with almost nothing and fell ill within weeks. The church he helped build now sends its own missionaries from Ghana to Europe and beyond.