The Kumasi Diocese as it is now known was born out of the missionary activities by the Wesleyan Methodists in Ashanti, spearheaded by the Rev. Thomas Birch Freeman, in 1839. Prior to this, Mr. James Hayford, a representative of the British Merchant Company Administration in Kumasi, had started a Methodist Fellowship of a sort in Kumasi. Due to his good relations; he on one occasion had the opportunity to conduct a divine service in the King’s palace. Reports of these developments to the church in Cape Coast partly precipitated Rev. Freeman’s missionary enterprise to Kumasi. The church mobilized an amount of sixty pounds to fund this mission project. Coupled with this was the interest in converting the then ‘dark Ashanti’ to the saving knowledge of Christ.

Rev. Thomas Birch Freeman encountered several obstacles on his first missionary trip to Kumasi. Notable among these was the long delay he faced in Kusa (his first stop in Ashanti) and Fomena due to the confused notions held concerning the nature of his mission enterprise. Rev. T. B. Freeman was eventually admitted by the King, Nana Kwaku Duah, into Kumasi on 1st April, 1839; after he had waited patiently in Kusa and Fomena for a total of 48 days.

In Kumasi, as Rev. Freeman recounted in his journal, he and his entourage were warmly received by the Asantehene and his Court. The King allowed him to preach in the streets and he was again given the opportunity to conduct two divine services during his stay. At this stage the seed of Methodism in Ashanti and what was to become the Kumasi Diocese had just been sown.

On April 15th 1839 Rev. T. B. Freeman returned to the Coast. He came back to Kumasi in December, 1841 bearing gifts for the Asantehene. These gifts comprised a carriage, a table, twelve chairs, a table linen, dinner, breakfast and tea sets and a portrait of the Queen. He also returned with the two Asante Princes, John Owusu Ansah and William Owusu Kwantabisa, who had been sent to England to signify Asante’s commitment to the 1831 Treaty.

By 1842 the Asantehene had permitted, on Rev. Freeman’s request, the establishment of the first mission post in Kumasi. The King further provided the mission with land at Krobo Odumase (K.O.) with which they were to establish this post. Interestingly this land houses a number of properties of the Methodist Church Ghana. Significantly this includes the Nana Kwaku Duah I Methodist House which serves as the Diocesan Headquarters.

The historic attainment of Autonomy by the Methodist Church Ghana in July, 1961 saw the birth of five new Districts, with the Kumasi District inclusive. The Subsequent adoption of the biblical pattern of Episcopacy by the Methodist Church Ghana in 1999, transformed the Kumasi District into the KUMASI DIOCESE as it is now known.

With Rev. Brooking being the first Resident Minister to be stationed in Kumasi, many other missionaries and ministers have served in what has developed into the present day Kumasi Diocese.

The Kumasi Diocese currently holds ministerial staff strength of about 160 active ministers. In addition, a lay staff of 23 is to aid in the day to day administration of the Diocesan Head Office.

NAME	PERIOD IN OFFICE
Evangelist S.K Danso	2001 - 2004
Mr. J.G.K. Owusu	2004 - 2007
Lawyer Kwame Boafo	2007 - 2010
Mrs. Doris Amoyaw	2010 - 2013
Mr. Kwasi Atta-Antwi	2013 - 2016
Prof. Seth Opuni Asiamah	2016 - 2019
Lawyer Asante Krobea Appiagyei	2019 - 2022
Dr. Christopher Larbi	2022 -

Dr. Christopher Larbi serves as the current lay chairman for the Diocese.

Methodism in Asante has since its beginnings influenced not only the religious development of the people but also the economic and social development of the Society. As early as 1844 the Wesleyan Methodist Primary School (now the K.O. Methodist Schools) had been established in Kumasi. Subsequent to this, many more basic, second cycle and tertiary institutions have been established. Notable among these are the prestigious Wesley College of Education, Offinso College of Education, Kumasi Wesley Girls’ High School, Prempeh College, Osei Tutu Senior High School, Mmofraturo Primary and J.H.S and the Kwadaso Women’s Training Centre. Again the church has established a hospital at Ankaase (the Methodist Faith Healing Hospital) together with 8 other clinics to serve the health needs of the people.

These Clinics are Amakom Clinic- Lake Side, Bebu Clinic, Aburaso Clinic, Brodekwano Clinic, Nyameani Clinic, Wesley Catherdral Clinic, Apagya Clinic and Wesley Clinic at Old Tafo.

The Diocese also started the Kumasi Methodist Diocesan Co-operative Credit Union (KMDCCU) in 2010 with the aim of supporting individuals and societies through loans to expand or begin their businesses or complete their chapel building projects. As part of its employment generating interventions, The Methodist Entrepreneurship Development Programme (MEDP) was set up to train and equip more people who are willing to acquire practical skills as a way of helping them become useful in society and making ends meet for themselves and their families.

Again in 2012, the Diocese through the Methodist Development & Relief Services (MDRS) established the Offinso Rural Technology Facility to help promote technology based Micro and small Enterprises and apprenticeship training with the hope of generating employment and creating wealth.

The K.O Redevelopment projects which was aimed at meeting the new societal commercial needs with the construction of a Banking Hall and Office complex project was commissioned on 30th September, 2015. This gigantic edifice has been named Asempa Dawuro Methodist House with the ground and first floors serving as the K.O branch for Multi Credit Savings and Loans Limited and SGSSB Banks respectively.

As a way of using the media as an effective tool in spreading the Gospel, the Diocese through the Renewal and Evangelism Directorate commenced a programme dubbed ASEMPA DAWURO on TV and Radio which features teachings by the Bishop and other key personalities/ events organized by the Diocese. This broadcast which begun in 2010 on GTV is still ongoing and currently features on WTV, Kessben TV and Kessben FM. There are records of transformed lives and minds with testimonies even among non- Methodists.

In other to revive the Church in its spiritual wake, what started as Annual Diocesan camp meeting by past Bishops has now been groomed to a more grand annual revival meeting called Prophetic Convention. This Revival meeting is held annually at Jubilee Park, Asem in the month of August and it’s characterized by sound teachings, prophetic ministrations and prayers. The last convention witnessed close to twenty thousand attendants with scores of testimonies.

There are currently 40 circuits in the Diocese making it the biggest in the whole connexion. As at 2022, the population of the Diocese was estimated to be around 115,936, with 37.9% being males and the remaining 62.1 comprising of females. It is however worthy of note that; three Districts (Now Dioceses), Sunyani, Obuasi and Effiduase were carved out of the then Kumasi District.

The Diocese is currently headed by the Diocesan Bishop in the person of Rt. Rev. Stephen Kwaku Owusu, seconded by the Diocesan Lay Chairman, Dr. Christopher Larbi and assisted by Very Rev. Sampson Obeng - Adjei and Very Rev. Solomon Bruce serving as Synod Secretary and Assistant Synod Secretary respectively.

The Kumasi Diocese, as it is now known, has been in actual existence since 1961 and just like the unrelenting missionary seed that germinated into the Diocese; the Diocese has never rested on its oars in its core business, which is evangelization. The rapid growth of the Diocese and its subsequent divisions testifies to this fact. The Diocese has repeatedly won the Connexional evangelization award owing to its continuous activeness in that respect.

This brief account ends on the note that, the gallant missionaries who sowed the seed of Methodism, for that matter Christianity in Asante, did not labour in vain as the seed has germinated into the giant and influential tree of the Kumasi Diocese today.

Credit: Sarah Nkansah (Past Diocesan Archivist) & Bernard Boadi Mensah (Current archivist)