Navigating the sacred spectrum: Implications of multiple church membership in urban Ghana

Ebenezer Kwashie Hutorwu

doi:10.51867/ajernet.7.1.43

Authors

Ebenezer Kwashie Hutorwu
hutoraben@gmail.com
Graduate Student, University of Ghana

Keywords:

Culture, Indigenous African Traditions, Multiple Church Membership, Pentecostalism, Religious Identity, Urban Ghana

Abstract

The contemporary Ghanaian religious environment has progressively seen a widespread of multiple church membership (MCM). However, scholarly debates are limited in this discourse, particularly in relation to how Christians negotiate these religious identities and implications for spiritual formation. Extant research on African Christianity often draws attention to mobility, the widespread of Pentecostalism, and denominational pluralism, but they hardly investigate how Christians simultaneously engage in multiple churches. This study addresses this gap by exploring the motivations, experiences, and implications of MCM among Christians in the Adentan Frafraha area of Accra. Social Identity Theory (SIT) anchored this research. Using a phenomenological approach, the study draws on 24 participants through in-depth interviews with leaders and congregants (Presbyterian, Charismatic, Pentecostal, and Catholic). Findings reveal that MCM is driven by diverse factors, including the search for spiritual empowerment, prophetic encounters, family obligations, proximity, ministry opportunities, and enduring emotional ties to former congregations. Participants reported that exposure to varied teachings and worship styles enriched their spiritual lives, broadened their theological perspectives, and enhanced their sense of belonging. However, the study also identifies significant challenges. These include doctrinal confusion, fragmented spiritual formation, conflicting commitments, and weakened congregational loyalty. Church leaders expressed concern about inconsistent attendance patterns and the difficulty of providing coherent discipleship to members with multiple affiliations. The study concludes that MCM reflects a broader shift toward fluid, pragmatic, and experiential forms of Christian identity in urban Ghana. It calls for further interdisciplinary research on how religious mobility, charismatic spirituality, and urban social dynamics shape emerging patterns of Christian belonging and participation.

Dimensions

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