My name is Edward Boachie. I am originally from Ghana, now based in the United States. My pronouns are he/him/his. I grew up with seven siblings and today I have two children of my own with my wife. I am a third generation Presbyterian, baptized as infant, confirmed, and have been in the faith for more 35 years. I am a professional administrator previously in higher education but now in Church administration. I travelled to many parts of the world including East and North Africa, and Eastern Europe. I experience working with adolescents and mentoring young adults for their college education.
Since 2016 I have worked with the Trinity Presbyterian Church, Bronx, New York as the administrator, and Assistant Pastor. Currently I am in a MAPT & MDIV dual degree program at the Columbia Theological Seminary, Georgia. I believe theology can be used to change this world to be a better place for all. I believe that God is calling me to hold the touch of hope and life for the vulnerable in our communities - those whose backs are against the wall. It is my conviction that there is no higher calling than the call to serve humanity. I work closely with my resident pastor-- to understudy him, I preach occasionally, lead prayers, have been the liturgist on Sundays, and lead Bible study on weekdays. I have worked closely with the Pastor to produce his sermons, and Bible study materials. I am the administrator of the church and a member of the Session.
MY METAPHOR OF PRACTICAL THEOLOGY
MY METAPHOR OF PRACTICAL THEOLOGY
Metaphor A - Piano
As the name suggest, Practical Theology is a way of studying theology to make it useful and applicable to society. The effort of practical theologians is to make theology relevant to everyday concerns. To be able to achieve this Practical Theology needs to collaborate with other fields, for a holistic societal benefit. I see Practical Theology as a to address social justice, and inequality, promote human flourishing, expand Christian living, to grow the church, and develop spiritual formations to benefit the faith community and the society at large. This theological field embodies all the areas of theological education and relies on the arts and the social sciences. Furthermore, it manifests itself in discipleship, ministry, teaching, and research.
I see a metaphor of collaboration among the various fields of Practical theology. Practical theology is broken into many parts but all work together in one discipline, and their primary purpose is to serve the church in its mission to proclaim the Kingdom of God. The various parts or keys of the piano must be struck differently but together as the sounds converge it produces that beautiful melodious sound called music. Practical theology as a field of study which embodies all the areas of theological education and relies on the arts and the social sciences to make theology relevant in the communities. Practical Theology manifests in discipleship, ministry, teaching, research, to the benefits of the faith community and the society at large.
I use the musical instrument, the Church organ as my metaphor to describe and understand Practical Theology. The organ is an instrument of one or more pipe divisions for producing tones, each played with its own key. It is played either with hands on a keyboard, with a row of levers which are pressed with fingers or with the feet using pedals. The instrument is used in all types of music -- Classical, Jazz, Rock, church music etc.
I see the church organ as an adequate metaphor for collaboration among the various fields of practical theology. Practical theology contains many parts, but all must work together as one to serve the church in its mission to proclaim the Kingdom of God. Similarly, different keys of the piano must be struck together so that the sounds converge to produce beautiful melodious music. It is not that striking just one key that will produce good music. It is the combination of various keys together that will create the harmonies.
Similarly, Practical Theology combines local, external, and internal resources to liberate those suffering, regardless of race or cultures. As society and the congregation are made of people from different cultures, there is the need for collaboration between the various fields of Practical Theology to bring liberation, justice, equality, and flourishing to humanity. Collaboration and teamwork are the necessary ingredients for success. If different backgrounds and fields are united in purpose we can as ecclesial body respond adequately to changing social, ecclesial, and global circumstances. Black or White or Brown, male, female, or Queer everyone should integrate and combine synergistically for the good of all. You can play a tune of sort on the black keys or the white keys only, but for a perfect harmony, good music, you must use both keys.
STATEMENT OF TESTIMONY/ FAITH
God
I believe that God exists for all humankind. God loves everybody regardless of sexual orientation, position, color, race, gender, or location. I believe in a benevolent God, who is concerned about humans, feels what we feel and goes through the pains and joys with us. I believe in God Almighty as the creator of the universe and all human races on earth. God brought the world into being through God’s creative power and, as such, all living and non-living things owe their existence to the one God. I believe that God is Triune, -- Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Jesus Christ
I believe and acknowledge that Jesus Christ is God, one of the Trinity incarnate. Jesus, who was God, dwelled among humans. I believe that Jesus came to this earth for the purpose of redeeming all humanity. He was crucified, died, and rose on the third day.
The Holy Spirit
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the third unit of the Trinity. The Holy Spirit gives Christians the courage to pray without ceasing and to witness Christ as the Lord and Savior among all peoples. I believe The Holy Spirit empowers all believers to love, minister to others, strive to serve Christ in our daily tasks, and to do things which otherwise we could not with our human strength and energy. The Holy Spirit is also encountered in situations which cry out for justice, in people deprived of a livelihood, where rights are ignored and violence and abuse challenge human dignity. In these circumstances the Holy Spirit acts within human conscience provoking responses that lead people of good-will work justice and reconciliation.
Bible
I believe that the Bible is the inspired and written record of God’s Word. It was written for all believers and for the purpose of sound teaching, exhorting, directing, rebuking, advising, and preaching. I believe that the Bible is a sacred scripture for all Christians.
The Church
The church provides me the space I need to practice my spirituality with the faith community. To worship together with other Christians. A place where the congregation is led in worship. In God’s presence nothing else deserve our praise except God. God alone is the one we should worship. The Church exist to give hope to the hopeless in society.
I must use my faith to transform the world to be a better place. The theological commitment which grounded my faith is my personal early morning devotion, praying-intercessory, and singing of hymns before starting my day. In the community, I always ensure that I do some act of good to God’s creation, being routinely tolerant, generous, open-minded to my community and the larger society. I also believe that theology should be used to offer hope to the poor, the hurting, marginalized, disadvantaged, and those living on the fringes of life. That metaphorical picture is a hen taking care of her chicks. God, the good mother of all takes care of all her children.
VOCATIONAL DISCERNMENT
VOCATIONAL DISCERNMENT
The single strongest indicator of what God wants one to do is probably the awareness of what needs to be done to make the world a better place. Through my work with the church, and experience with adolescents, and mentoring young adults, as I reflect, I discern a call to minister to God’s people and to nurture emerging faith leaders. I will be a Minister of Word and Sacrament, and a researcher on social justice issues. Therefore, I am pursuing ordination with the Presbyterian Church of United States of America. Currently, I am an Inquirer with the Presbytery of New York City; I have completed my first exam.
Father figure Mentoring: (LOCO PARENTIS):
In the Bronx area where I live most mothers in the church are single mothers whose job usually takes them out of the home. Most of these young ones have no father figures in their lives. In my Psychopathology Pastoral Counseling class, I realized the importance of caregivers in the lives of growing children. To avoid the negative consequences, I have the call to step in for these young people to ensure they turned out good.
My mentoring roles with these young ones will include:
1. Providing guidance to the minor
2. Being a father figure for them
3. Providing that presence in their lives, someone they can talk to
4. Helping them through educational journey
5. Developing opportunities and activities to promote social and life skills
6. Introducing American culture, while maintaining and celebrating the child’s or youths’ cultural heritage
7. Offering academic support (helping with homework)
8. Providing information about civic and community service activities
A vocation is all about love. In that love God is also calling me into a field where I can help and nurture dropouts. I have now realized that God had placed several unique experiences in my life which have prepared and shaped me for the work of shepherding, nurturing, and teaching. I am planning on a ministry that gives second chances to people who society sees as failures. The target group are school dropouts due to finance, teenage pregnancy, or death of parents. The call is to empower such people in my community. In Ghana, the society frowns on teenage pregnancy, so the moment it happens such young girls are pulled out of school. The future for such young ones is bleak. All these talents and human resources must be harnessed and nurtured for the benefit of society.
Nurturing the next generation!
Where I see God’s call on my life?
The field of Practical Theology has broadened my horizon to different possibilities in theology. The new knowledge I have acquired has empowered me not to limit myself to only one vocation. I believe I am called not only to my faith community, but to the world. Which means I thus have a vocation even in the “secular” arena. Christians are to function as light in the world (Matt. 5:14–16). In my call I will work in tandem, collaborate, and network to improve life in my community and society at large. I believe in the theology of fruitfulness to my society and the world.
Mentors and Communities That Supported My Discernment
As a young boy growing up in one of the rural settings of Ghana, where the only schools available were Mission schools, our role models were the priest and the teachers in the community. The religious and moral discipline was rigorous at the Mission schools, which shaped my life in my formative years. My regular attendance at service endeared me to the Sunday School teachers and the leadership of the local church. As a result, I was given the opportunity to start reading scriptures during Sunday services. This got me closer to my parish priest, and although incredibly young I was very instrumental in church activities. During my graduate National Service, in one of the rural districts of Ghana, the Pastor identified me for outreach programs, and leading morning services/morning devotions during the weekdays. In the United States, meeting Rev. Dr. Ebenezer Annor of the Trinity Presbyterian Church, Bronx was the final turning point. He encouraged me to join the leadership and to assist in the administration of the church. His encouragement and the desire I nursed during my formative years and my love for the Kingdom finally made me take that bold decision of accepting my call into full-time ministry.
But perhaps the best of all is the constant affirmation of my family and my local church. For, the call to ministry is not just an internal call that one feels but an external call also, the support one receives from those who have been called before him. My determination is to do ministry that will be beneficial to all humankind, be fruitful to society, to provide comfort, and be a shoulder of support for the next generation.
SPIRITUAL PRACTICES OR DISCIPLINES
SPIRITUAL PRACTICES OR DISCIPLINES
Annual Spiritual Practice (waiting)
The first spiritual practice I am engaged with my faith community is termed “4-day retreat program”. This comes off March of every year, where times are set aside purposely for intensive prayers, fasting, worship, meditation, and bible study programs. Minimum interactions are encouraged; phones are set aside or put off from 6.00am to 6.00pm every day. This enables me to focus and practice being in God’s presence and encourages spiritual growth. The time is also used to do soul searching, meditations, do intercessory prayers for the world and leaders, and our families. The space for this program is the sanctuary. This spiritual practice is based on the book of Isaiah: Isaiah 40:31
“But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength.
They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint.” (NKJV).
Weekly spiritual Practice
Weekly spiritual Practice
My second spiritual practice to support my education at the Seminary is keeping and making sacred space and time on every Friday. On Fridays, I do observe fasting, prayers and meditation with scriptures. Why Fridays? Because Friday is the day of my birth. My Fridays are observed by spending most of the time in his presence early in the morning and after my classes. This period and day are not shared or compromised for anything. It also involves doing meditations with bible verses close to nature either by the fields or by the river.
Daily Spiritual Practice
Daily Spiritual Practice
My third spiritual practice is walking barefoot on the ground -soil/land. I do this every morning to connect with nature and to regenerate. I do this outside by spending some time breathing in new energy, hope, courage to continue with life while I breath out the stress, anxiety, failures of yesterday, the disappointments, frustrations, fears, and everything negative. I take mindful steps and meditate silently; it improves my mental health and relieves my stress and helps me to be in good shape. I walk briefing in fresh air from the trees and the outside environment. In doing this I am spiritually nourished by the environment.
Walking as a Spiritual Practice
Walking as a Spiritual Practice
Spiritual practices that have sustained my studies so far, I do what I called “Walking prayers” between 5-6pm after classes, this enables me to clear my head. I do midnight prayers. My morning practice includes my regular morning prayers and devotions. I make sure I read a chapter of the bible every day. Wherever I stay I make sure I set up a location as my prayer altar. On this is my Bible, devotion materials, praying mat, and the list of individuals and current issues I intercede for.