God's call was stronger than my marriage - Rev Dr Donkor on husband’s decision to exit

Very Rev Dr Phyllis Bernice Kwarteng Donkor, Minister in Charge of the Taifa Circuit of the Methodist Church Ghana, has opened up about the personal sacrifices that accompanied her journey into ordained ministry, revealing that she chose to pursue what she believed was God's calling even as her marriage came under strain.

Speaking on Behind the Pulpit with MzGee, Rev Dr Donkor recounted how her decision to enter ministry gained momentum while pursuing postgraduate studies in the United States, where two female ministers encouraged her to explore what they believed was a divine call on her life.

Although the idea of ministry had been suggested to her years earlier in Ghana, she said it was during her time at Clarion University in Pennsylvania that she became convinced she could no longer ignore it.

"I realised that the call was stronger, so there wasn't much I could do about it," she said.

At the time, her husband remained in Ghana and had reservations about the itinerant nature of Methodist ministry, which often requires ministers to accept postings to different locations.

According to Rev Dr Donkor, he had previously expressed concerns about relocating with her if she became an ordained minister.

While she informed him of her decision to begin the ministerial formation process, she said the marriage eventually broke down before she was ordained in 2013.

"I don't think it had much to do with the ministry, but I'm sure that played a role in his decision not to stay in the marriage," she said.

Despite the challenges, Rev Dr Donkor said abandoning the calling was never an option.

"We are called as individuals to enter marriage as partners to do God's work," she said. "If I can't get someone to help me, I might as well do it on my own."

She disclosed that both her family and her husband's family supported her decision to enter ministry and did not approve of the separation.

"The family was never an issue," she said.

Rev Dr Donkor described the ministry as deeply fulfilling despite its demands.

"Doing the work of the Lord has so many rewards," she said. "There's no way I can say that I've regretted it."

Ordained in 2013, she said she has never looked back, describing the past 12 years of ministry as a journey marked by sacrifice, perseverance and God's faithfulness.

"Is it easy? Never," she said. "But through it all, God was so faithful."

Today, Rev Dr Donkor serves as Minister in Charge of the Taifa Circuit of the Methodist Church Ghana while also lecturing in the Department of Teacher Education at the University of Ghana.



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