Religious tolerance must not undermine mission schools’ identity – Christian Apologetic Alliance

The Christian Apologetic Alliance has defended the right of mission schools in Ghana to maintain their Christian identity, traditions and religious practices, arguing that religious freedom should not be used to alter the ethos of institutions founded on Christian values. The Alliance was responding to concerns raised by the Ghana Muslim Students Association over the rights and welfare of Muslim students in mission schools. In a press release issued on September 3, 2026, the group said mission schools had historically been established around a defined Christian educational philosophy and should therefore be allowed to preserve their founding values. “Mission institutions therefore apologise to no one for their Christian identity, and they have nothing to prove to anyone. Their Christian identity is not an incidental feature of these schools. It is their DNA,” it stated. The group acknowledged the right of Muslims and adherents of other religions to practise their faith but argued that such rights should not automatically extend to changing the rules and practices of mission schools. “Religious freedom protects the individual; it does not automatically confer upon the individual the right to redesign an institution founded upon a different religious identity,” the Alliance said. It maintained that Christian worship and related activities were historically part of the educational model of mission schools and contributed to students’ character formation, discipline and leadership development. The group said students who chose to attend mission schools should be prepared to respect the institutions’ established rules, including those relating to worship and discipline. It also rejected arguments that public funding of mission schools should require them to abandon or modify their Christian ethos. “Public funding does not erase institutional history. Nor does it automatically give the state, or any religious group, the right to redefine the identity of an institution founded upon a particular faith,” it stated. The Alliance further warned Ghana against what it described as the negative consequences of prolonged state interference in mission schools, citing religious disputes in some schools in Nigeria as an example. It called on the government, Ghana Education Service, churches, school authorities, parents, students and other stakeholders to protect the distinctive character of mission schools. The group stressed that Muslims should be allowed to practise their faith while Christian institutions should retain their identity. It said: “There is no contradiction between religious freedom and institutional identity. A Muslim has the right to remain Muslim. A Christian institution has the right to remain 100% Christian.” The Alliance also said students from other religious backgrounds should be welcomed and treated with dignity, while religious tolerance should not be confused with institutional religious identity. “Mission schools are not religiously empty spaces waiting to be redesigned according to the preferences of every group that enters them. They are historic institutions with defined identities, established traditions, and a legacy that has benefited generations of Ghanaians,” it said.Source: Christian Apologetic Alliance
« Previous | Next »