The launch of Behind the Pulpit drew together church leaders, academics, and congregants at the Presbyterian Church of Ghana's Love Congregation in Oko dome, and the occasion was significant enough to attract Presbyterian television news.
The event, which began at 3 p.m., was marked by the presence of both the former and current Clerks of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana: Reverend Herbert Anim Opong, to whom the book is dedicated, and Reverend David Aboagye Danquah. It was a powerful symbol of continuity, the life's work of one leader honoured in the presence of those who carry that work forward.
What the book is about
Behind the Pulpit turns the lens on the inner lives of pastoral practitioners, the people we see leading, serving, and shepherding, and who we rarely imagine as needing care themselves. As the formal reviewer, Reverend Professor E.Y. Blasu of the Akrofi-Christaller Institute of Theology, Mission and Culture, put it at the launch: the book explores the tension between a pastor who is expected to always be present, and that pastor's very finite capacity to do so. The result, left unaddressed, is burnout: physical and spiritual.
In her own words at the launch, Professor Okyere-Manu described the work not as a critique, but as "a companion, and for each office, a practical strategy for emotional resilience."
A tribute born of research, not proximity
One of the most moving moments of the evening came from Reverend Herbert Anim Opong himself, who reflected on the dedication with characteristic humility. He noted that Professor Okyere-Manu had not known him personally; she had done her research by listening, by asking, and by paying close attention to what lives behind the public role. What we see on the outside, he observed, looks beautiful. Ministers are seen as problem-free. But behind every pulpit, there are private lives, families, and quiet struggles that this book names with honesty and care.
Watch the full news segment below.
Coverage courtesy of PGCTV, Presbyterian Church Ghana TV.
Behind the Pulpit is available now. Get your copy →