The University community and the general public are hereby invited to the Inaugural Lecture to be delivered by Rev. Prof. Seth Asare-Danso, Professor of Religious and Moral Education, Department of Arts Education, UCC
Topic: Fulfilling the Mission of the Basel Mission for Sustainable Development: The Presbyterian Praxis
Only Professors who have given their Inaugural Lecture would be required to robe to welcome their colleague. The gowns would be available at the Reception of the School of Medical Sciences Auditorium on the day of the programme.
All are cordially invited.
PROFILE - REV. PROF. SETH ASARE-DANSO
Rev. Prof. Seth Asare-Danso of the Department of Arts Education, University of Cape Coast is the first Professor of Religious and Moral Education in Ghana. He has developed and taught courses in Religious and Moral Education since 2001. He has been a professional teacher for the past 30 years. His research interests are in religious and moral issues, curriculum and instructional issues in education, history and management of education, social anthropology and theological education.
He has been engaged in a number of research works and projects and has authored and co-authored over forty publications based on his areas of interest. He has attended local and international conferences and presented papers at these conferences. He is a regular presenter of papers at the Nordic Conference on Religious Education in European countries. He is a reviewer of some local journals like the Ghana Journal of Education: Issues and Practice (GHAJET), and international journals like the Journal of Religion in Africa and Asian Journal of Education and Social Studies. He is the Editor-in-Chief of the E-Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (EHASS).
Rev. Prof. Asare-Danso has been teaching religious and moral education courses at the basic level for one (1) year, at the college of education level for four (4) years, and at the university level for twenty-one (21) years. He has supervised over 100 undergraduate students to complete their Project Work, and over 30 PGDE students to complete their Long Essays successfully. He has also supervised thirty-one (31) M. Phil. students and twelve (12) PhD students to complete their theses successfully and on time. Two of his PhD graduates have been appointed as Lecturers in Religious and Moral Education at his department, and under his mentorship, one of them has been promoted to the rank of Senior Lecturer in Religious and Moral Education. He is also mentoring other early career lectures within and outside University of Cape Coast.
He started his career as a Library Assistant at Kibi Presbyterian Training College (1981-1988). He later became a Tutor at Agogo Presbyterian Women’s Training College (1992-1996). Between 1996 and 1997, he was engaged as a Guest Teacher at Nellerupgaardskolen, (a Basic School) at Gilleleje in Denmark. He was employed as Programs Coordinator (1999-2000), and later became Deputy National Director of American Field Service / Intercultural Exchange Programs (AFS/IEP), Ghana (An International NGO which dealt with the exchange of Ghanaian students and teachers with their foreign counterparts) from 2000 to 2001.
Rev. Prof. Seth Asare-Danso joined the University of Cape Coast as Assistant Lecturer on 15th October 2001. He was upgraded to Lecturer on 1st April 2003; promoted to Senior Lecturer on 1st April 2011; promoted to Associate Professor on 1st April 2015; and promoted to Professor on 1st August 2018. He has served the University of Cape Coast in various capacities, as Departmental Registration Officer (2007-2009); Head of Department of Arts and Social Sciences Education (2012-2014); and Vice Dean of Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences Education (2016-2018) & (2019-2021). He is currently the Head of Department of Arts Education (2018 to 2022). For the past 13 years, he has served as Protestant Chaplain of University of Cape Coast, from 1st Jan. 2010 to date.
Rev. Prof. Seth Asare-Danso has been privileged to serve on a number of boards and committees of the University of Cape Coast. He has served as Chairman of Chaplaincy Committee, UCC (2017-2021); Member, Committee to Manage the Take-Over of University Practice Senior High School from Government (Feb. 2016-May 2016); Member, Board of Graduate Studies, UCC (2016-2018; 2019-2021); Member, Academic Planning and Management Committee (2016-2018; 2019-2021); Member, Students’ Welfare Fund Project Board (2015-2018); College of Education Studies Representative on UCC Library Committee (2015-2017); Member, Oguaa Hall Council (2014-2018); Member, UCC Community Schools (Annex) Implementation Committee (2014-2017); and Chairman of the UCC Basic Schools Governing Committee (2013-2017), during which the UCC Basic Schools Annex was established by University management.
Currently, Rev. Prof. Seth Asare-Danso is serving as College of Education Studies Representative on UCC Strategic Plan Review Committee (2021-date); College of Education Studies Representative on UCC Public Relations Committee (2001-date); College of Education Studies Representative on College of Humanities and Legal Studies Board (2020-date); College of Education Studies Representative on Committee on Institutional Affiliations (2015-2017; 2020-date); Faculty of Education Representative on Faculty of Law Board, UCC (2014-2016); a Member of Chaplaincy Board / Chaplaincy Committee of UCC (2004-date); and a Member of Academic Board, UCC (2012-2014; 2020-date).
He has been serving as Chief Examiner for RME courses for Colleges of Education in Ghana (2012-date), and Chief Examiner for RME courses for UCC College of Distance Education programmes (2018-date). He has been involved in the development of curriculum programmes for a number of private tertiary institutions in Ghana. These include Ghana Baptist University College, Christian Service University College, Christ Apostolic University College, Maranatha University College, West End University College, E. P. University College, Ho, and Presbyterian University College, Ghana (2016-2020). He has been a member of former National Accreditation Board (now GTEC) Team involved in accreditation of academic programmes at tertiary institutions in Ghana (e.g., University of Ghana, Legon, Valley View University, Oyibi, Catholic University College, Fiapre, and Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) (2016-date).
Rev. Prof. Seth Asare-Danso has been an Adjunct Lecturer at the St. Peter’s Catholic Seminary, Pedu, Cape Coast (2002-2012); and Adjunct Lecturer at Presbyterian University College, Ghana (2016-2021). He has served as external examiner for University of Ghana, Legon (2020-date); Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi (2018-date); University of Education, Winneba (2013-date); Valley View University, Oyibi (2014-date); Pentecost University College, Accra (2021-date); and Trinity Theological Seminary, Legon (2019-date). He also served as external examiner for Accra Technical University (2013-2015); Takoradi Technical University (2018-2020); and Sunyani Technical University (2017-2019). Besides, he served as UCC Representative on Kibi Presbyterian College of Education Governing Council (2010-2020).
Currently, Rev. Prof. Seth Asare-Danso serves as UCC Representative on Dominion University College Governing Council in Accra (2016-date); and UCC Representative on St. Nicholas Seminary Governing Council in Cape Coast (2021-date). He is now serving as UCC Representative on the Local Organising Committee for the Interdisciplinary Conference of Colleges of Education in Ghana. He has served on the Central Regional Prisons Committee (2007-2010). He has facilitated workshops for teachers and heads of educational institutions at basic and secondary levels, and for academic staff of a number of tertiary institutions in Ghana, the latest being the University of Environment and Sustainable Development (UESD) at Somanya. He has been a keynote speaker to conferences and lectures. He delivered the 10th Archbishop Le Maire Memorial Lectures, under the theme: Building a Mission-Oriented Church in the 21st Century: The Role of Theological Education, at St. Nicholas Seminary, Cape Coast (22nd – 24th November, 2018). He has also served the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) in various capacities (1994-date).
Rev. Prof. Seth Asare-Danso is an Ordained Minister of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, with pastoral charge at the Presbyterian Church of Ghana congregation at OLA Estates, Cape Coast, opposite University of Cape Coast Central Gate. He is currently serving as President of the Western Presbytery Ministers’ Fellowship of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana (2016-date).
He had his pre-school education at Akwatia; primary education at Pameng, Akyem Akropong and Adwafo; middle school education at Abomosu; and secondary education at Asuom Secondary School, all in the Eastern Region of Ghana.
He holds a Diploma in Education (Dip. Ed.) (1992); a Bachelor of Arts (B. A. (Hons.) degree in Religious Studies and Akan (1992), and a Master of Education (M. Ed.) degree in Educational Administration (2011), all from the University of Cape Coast.
He also holds a Bachelor of Divinity (B. Div.) degree (2004) from the Trinity Theological Seminary, Legon; and a Post-Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) (1997) from the University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
Besides, he holds a Certificate in Librarianship (Cert. Libr.) (1985); a Master of Philosophy (M. Phil.) degree in African Studies (2000); and a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D) degree in the Study of Religions (2011), all from the University of Ghana, Legon. Rev. Prof. Seth Asare-Danso is married to Mrs. Stella Asare-Danso, and they have been blessed with one beautiful daughter (Sylvia).
FULFILLING THE MISSION OF THE BASEL MISSION FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: THE PRESBYTERIAN PRAXIS
ABSTRACT
Religion and Morality are essential requirements for National Development. From economic point of view, Max Weber has established a relationship among Religion, Morality and National Development by attributing the rise of Capitalism to Protestant Work Ethic, which instilled in workers moral competencies and attributes like hard work, honesty, integrity, and fairness to ensure productivity. Similarly, from theological perspective, God instructed the prophet Jeremiah to address the Israelites who were taken captive in Jerusalem and sent to Babylon as refugees to contribute to national development. While they were in exile, they were instructed to build houses and settle down; plant crops and eat their produce; marry and give their sons and daughters in marriage; produce children; and seek the peace and prosperity of the nation (Jeremiah 29:4-7).
It is within this theological context that I want to examine the efforts made by the Basel Mission to create a moral community for sustainable development. The Basel Mission was a faith-based organisation which established the Presbyterian Church of Ghana. In this lecture, I will trace the history of the Basel Mission and examine its philosophy. I will then examine its theology of mission, and discuss how the Basel Mission Church which later became the Presbyterian Church of Gold Coast / Ghana translated its mission (theory) into action (praxis) to promote sustainable development. I will also demonstrate how the church has been able to use some community development schemes to promote sustainable national development, within the context of sound moral principles, and match the church’s achievements with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). The community development schemes will be examined based on four pillars of sustainability, namely: (i) Human, (ii) Social, (iii) Economic, and (iv) Environmental. In conclusion, I will highlight the main issues that need to be addressed under the four thematic areas, based on the presentation. I will finally make a number of recommendations to policy makers, policy implementers and faith-based organizations, among others, to ensure that morality will not only become an integral part of Ghana’s developmental agenda, but more importantly, it will provide a solid foundation for Ghana’s sustainable development.