Main languages spoken: English, Twi, Akan
The Church of the Province of West Africa (CPWA) covers 17 dioceses in eight countries of West Africa. It is divided into the Internal Province of Ghana and the Internal Province of West Africa which comprises Cameroon, Cape Verde, Gambia, Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone.
Missionary work by SPG began in Ghana in 1752 at Cape Coast Castle. The Revd Philip Quaque, the first African ordained by the Church of England, later became chaplain at Cape Coast Castle. The CPWA was established in 1951 with five West African dioceses: Accra, Gambia and Guinea, Lagos, Niger, and Sierra Leone. The Diocese of Kumasi was created from Accra in 1973, and the Diocese of Liberia joined CPWA in 1977. The Church in Nigeria became a separate province in 1979.
Today, USPG accompanies the CPWA in the implementation of their strategic plans, theological education, healthcare, and economic empowerment programmes for young people.
CPWA has a critical need for well-trained clergy and laity to effectively address contemporary issues in ministry – particularly in regions with lots of civil unrest. Many potential candidates for theological education lack the financial means to pursue their studies. USPG provides annual grants to St. Nicholas Seminary, supporting scholarships for students pursuing degrees such as the Bachelor of Theology (BTh), Diploma in Theology, and various ministry certificates. St. Nicholas Seminary is dedicated to equipping future leaders through an education that combines scriptural grounding with an awareness of current societal issues, thereby forming competent ministers for the Church.
USPG recently facilitated a strategic planning workshop with every bishop from the 13 dioceses of the Internal Province of Ghana. Hosted in Kumasi, the workshop was designed to strengthen internal structure and management, fostering collaboration and strategic discussions among church leadership – something that is often quite complicated across such a vast geographical area.
A noticeable lack of Global South voices in global Christian discourse results in limited representation of African and Caribbean perspectives. Scholars in these regions face barriers such as high costs for accessing Global North publications and limited professional development opportunities. USPG is facilitating a transatlantic writing initiative for participants from Ghana and Jamaica to draft, revise, and publish journal articles or book chapters. This programme aims to promote writing as a ministry of reconciliation and leadership while fostering collaboration between African and Caribbean scholars to enhance the quality and dissemination of their research.
The Triangle of Hope is an international partnership between the Diocese of Kumasi, Ghana the Diocese of Liverpool, UK and the Diocese of Virginia, USA focused on transforming the legacy of slavery and racism within and outside of the structures of the church, to relationships which build hope by challenging the things which destroy and divide us.
