SCRIPTURE

Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust."

Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare and from the deadly pestilence.

He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday.

A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.

You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked.

If you say, "The Lord is my refuge," and you make the Most High your dwelling, no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent."

Because he loves me," says the Lord, "I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.  He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble,

I will deliver him and honor him.  With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation." 

Psalm 91:1-10; 14-16 (NIV).

Scripture quotations taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®
Copyright © 1973 1978 1984 2011 by Biblica, Inc. TM
Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

BIOGRAPHY

Early Life and Education

Joshua Narteh Kudadjie was born on the 30th of May 1938 at Ada Foah to Christian Gblie Kudadjie and Comfort Djananger Ayiku (both of blessed memory). He was the sixth born of nine children (five males, four females); he was the last male but had three females after him. He grew up in this fishing and farming village with his parents and siblings through his middle school education. He began his schooling at the Ada Foah Methodist Infant and Junior Schools, and continued at the Ada Foah Presbyterian Middle School. He was very excited when, in 1955, his parents told him he would be leaving for Accra, to stay with one of his favorite cousins, Dada (Ethel Kudadjie) and her husband Papa (Mr. S.K. Siameh), both of blessed memory, so he could further his education at the Accra Technical Institute.

At Auntie Dada’s house, this ‘brilliant, shy and respectful boy’ (as Papa called him) trained to be self-reliant by participating in every chore with everyone else. He learned by experience that there was to be no discrimination between boy and girl, or between literate and illiterate. In his own words, “I owe much to Mami and Papa who often advised that to be successful in one's career: one must work hard, humble oneself, have respect for authority, know and observe workplace rules and regulations, and be punctual, honest and neat. I believe that I ultimately got to where I am in life now, because of some of these pieces of advice, all because my cousin, Mami took me in to live with them!” Upon completing his programme, he got a job with G.B. Ollivant and subsequently the Ghana Civil Service.

In 1957, he went back to school, to the Government Secretarial School, in Accra. Upon completion in 1960, he stared working with the Ghana National Assembly. While working here full-time, he made time to write both ‘O’ level (1961) and ‘A’ level (1962) exams. Due to his hard work and commitment, he received an award to pursue further training in shorthand writing at Pitman’s College, London, coming out with a diploma in Verbatim Reporting in 1963. It was during this period that he met Miriam Amiorkor Nunoo, when they both worshipped at Adabraka Methodist Church. Upon his return, he did two significant things: one, he married Miriam, his wife of almost 57 years, at the Adabraka Methodist Church, on 22nd December, 1963, and two, he went right back to school.

Between 1963 and 1969, he pursued part-time bachelor’s education in Religious Studies at the University of Ghana. He did this while working, married and with three children at some point. In a day and time when it was quite uncommon to be a married university student, Joshua stayed committed, while working late hours at the Ghana National Assembly to look after his family. In fact, he commuted on his beloved scooter from Kaneshie to Legon for about 5 years, while he worked to obtain his BA (Hons) degree in Religious Studies in 1969! He continued his education at the Selwyn College, Cambridge University, earning a second BA degree in 1972; he was to return later to Selwyn College, completing with an MA degree in 1976.

Work Experience: Public Service and Academia

As indicated earlier, Joshua Kudadjie had pursued his education, up to the first degree, during a period when he worked full-time in various places and capacities, including Messrs. G.B Ollivant Ltd, Ministry of Finance, and the Ghana National Assembly/ Parliament, where he served for many years as a Hansard (Parliamentary) Reporter (1960-1969) and later as Assistant Clerk of Assembly and Secretary to several Parliamentary Committees (1969-1970).

Joshua Kudadjie’s formal work experience in academia started in 1972, as a Lecturer at the Department for the Study of Religions, University of Ghana; he was promoted to Senior Lecturer in 1979. He served as Head of Department for two terms. During this time, he also served for short periods as Dean of Faculty of Arts, as Legon Hall’s Acting Vice-Master and Chapel Warden. He stayed involved in the University community, serving on various boards and committees. He was, for example, on the committee that served to re-open the university, after the student aluta in 1987. Due to his hard work, teaching excellence and scholarship, he was promoted to Associate Professor and remained in this position until he retired in 1998.

Upon retirement from the University of Ghana, he worked with Most Rev. Dr. Samuel Asante Antwi (then Presiding Bishop of The Methodist Church Ghana) and Very Rev. Dr. E. K. Marfo to establish and obtain accreditation for the Methodist University College. He was appointed Associate Professor in 2000 at the newly established Methodist University College, serving concurrently as the Dean of General Studies, Dean of Students and Chaplain. In 2003, he became the Vice Principal of the College. He retired from the Methodist University in 2014 but continued to serve in various capacities at the University.

During his University career, Prof Kudadjie served other institutions of learning in several capacities: Adjunct Lecturer (Good News Training Institute, Maranatha Bible College and Trinity College); visiting Assistant Professor (University of Puget Sound, Tacoma, USA, University of South Africa); External Examiner (West Africa Examinations Council, Valley View University College, Accra, University of Cape Coast, , Trinity College, Legon, St. Victor’s Major Seminary, Tamale, Christian Service College, Kumasi, St. Peter’s Regional Seminary, Cape Coast and Baptist Seminary, Kumasi, Ghana National Bible College, Kumasi); Editor (Ghana Bulletin of Theology, 1973-1983); Secretary General (West Africa Association of Theological Institutions, WAATI) and an Executive Member (Conference of African Theological Institutions, CATI). He was also a Visiting Research Scholar, Erasmus University, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.

Prof Kudadjie had a fairly wide experience as a consultant and researcher with others in several areas, including the following:

     • Consultant on various occasions to the World Council of Churches, Africa

     • Impact of Tourism on the Social Life of Ghana (1975-1976)

     • World Association of Christian Communicators Project on “Preaching in Ghana”

      • International interdisciplinary African Proverbs Project (1993-1996)

     • Ethics and Morals of the Dangme of Ghana

He published very extensively. He edited, authored/co-authored several literature materials: books, book chapters, conference proceedings, research reports, journal/magazine articles, and manuscripts. He was Editor, Co-Editor, or Editorial Board member of some Journals and books. These afforded him the platform to make presentation at numerous national and international conferences, on his favorite topics of Christian Ethics, African Traditional Ethics and Philosophy of Religion. In the months prior to his call to glory, he was actively working on publishing a book on festivals in the bible and how contemporary Christians are to incorporate these into their lives.

Involvement with the Church

Joshua Kudadjie was baptized and confirmed into the Methodist Church at Ada Foah by Rev J.T Clegg and remained connected to the church at Ada Foah throughout his life in several ways. In his early adult life, he joined the Methodist Youth Fellowship wherever he worshipped and held positions such as 1st Vice-President (which in fact meant the person in charge because the position of President is nominally for the local Rev Minister), Circuit Youth Secretary and youth representative at the Circuit Quarterly meeting. He was appointed a Class Leader and Local Preacher in the early 1960s. During these years, he was a member of the church at Adabraka Methodist during which time he met Miriam. In 1964, he and Miriam transferred their membership to the Kaneshie Methodist Church as they then lived in Kaneshie. At Kaneshie Methodist, he was entrusted with starting a Boys’ Class Meeting, which he co-led with Mr. Emmanuel Essel (of blessed memory). He was also active in the Scripture Union (served as Secretary and later as Chairman of the Accra Committee of the Scripture Union, Ghana), and there met many of his lifelong friends.

From the 1960’s through the 1980’s, Rev. Kudadjie continued to serve as Local Preacher (and in some instances Caretaker) at various churches, among them Kanda/Nima, Kwabenya Atomic and Kwabenya Village Methodist Churches as they were then known. Until his call to glory, he was a member of the Accra Synod and of the Conference (the highest decision-making body of Methodist Church Ghana). In his tireless effort and devotion to ensuring that disciples of Christ lived out the gospel, Joshua spent many years labouring in these locations. He believed that the kingdom work was to be shared by all Christians, hence he worked with some of his lifelong friends to attend to the physical and social needs of his charges.

It was no wonder then that in the early 1980s, Joshua Kudadjie responded to a call into the ordained ministry of the Methodist Church. After a successful candidature and due preparation, he was commissioned in 1989 and subsequently ordained in 1991 as a Minister of the Methodist Church. As an ordained minister, he served at the following locations, from 1989-2011: Kwabena Atomic Commission Campus, Kwabenya Village, Amasaman, Amamole, Kojo Ashong, Ayikai Doblo, Kwashikumaman, Onyasana, Okushibiade, Korleman, Kpobiman, and Mayera.

Work with Para-Church Organizations and the Ecumenical Church

Joshua Kudadjie considered working in and with para-church institutions as an integral part of his service to the Church. Thus, prior to his ordination, Joshua Kudadjie served in an acting position as the General Secretary of the Bible Society of Ghana (1981-1985), upon invitation to assist in re-opening the Bible Society of Ghana, which had then been closed. After his term, he served on the National Council of Bible Society of Ghana. He also served in several church-related organisations, such as Asempa Publishers, Christian Council of Ghana, National Advisory Council on Curriculum, Ghana Broadcasting Corporation, Ministry of Culture, World Council of Churches, Maranatha Bible College, Trinity College, National Association of Evangelicals of Ghana, Ghana Theological Association, West African Association of Theological Institutions, and Conference of African Theological Institutions.

Rev. Kudadjie always cherished the idea of worshipping with a local Methodist Church in the vicinity where he lived. When he and his family moved to Legon campus, there was a Methodist Class Meeting under the leadership of Rev Dr. Alfred Quarcoo but no Methodist Church. He began to pray about the possibility of starting one. As he was to learn later from Prof Kwadzo Senanu (of blessed memory), the Lord had put on his heart to get together Christians on campus who did not fancy traveling to town, to meet on campus for a simple worship, where the Word of God would be expounded. The two of them prayed about the matter for further direction from the Lord. They consulted and invited Dr. Frederick Phillips and Dr. Alan Duthie (of blessed memory) who shared their intentions. Subsequently, the four of them visited bungalows and flats on campus to find out who would be willing to join the church. Having obtained a fair number of willing families, the worship started at Easter in 1978 in the Legon Hall Chapel. In line with the intention to have an interdenominational congregation, the Rev Dr. Alfred Quarcoo (Methodist) and Rev Peter Barker (Presbyterian) were invited to pastor the church, initially called the Legon Residents’ Congregation. Rev. Kudadjie contributed immensely to lay the foundation and structures of the infant church. With the structures fairly well in place, and having been commissioned a Methodist Minister in 1989, and assigned to two Methodist congregations in Kwabenya village and at the Atomic Energy Commission campus, Rev. Kudadjie left the now well-established Legon Interdenominational Church, but maintained a very warm and close relationship with Legon Interdenominational Church until his passing.

Ministerial Life

Very Rev. Prof. Kudadjie dedicated most of his ministerial life to the Kwabenya churches and to the Amasaman Methodist church and its societies, a set of congregations he was assigned to from 1998 to 2011. At Kwabenya A and B, as they were then known, he introduced weekly Bible Class meetings, quarterly teaching services, and pastoral visits. He also inaugurated the Women’s Fellowship, Men’s Fellowship, and Choir, among others. Characteristically, his vision for spreading the gospel was such that he extended himself to the establishment of neighbouring congregations. At Amasaman, he was similarly and significantly involved in the church’s revival and growth—overseeing its regular functions, and ensuring the inauguration of the Women’s Fellowship, Men’s Fellowship, Singing Band, and Choir, among many others. Under his leadership, the church grew in many ways, symbolized by her move from the old wooden structure that housed about 100 people to the building now in construction and slated to hold about 400 people. He worked tirelessly with other ministers assigned to the Society to address the spiritual and physical needs of the community, as the church was enabled, seeking to manifest Christ among the community. As is the custom of the church, he was to superannuate at age 70 in 2008. However, due to the Church’s need, he remained an active Supernumerary until 2011. He remained involved in the church even after this period. On the Sunday before he was called home, he had worshipped at Amasaman and had spent the afternoon with some members of the church.

Family life

Noteworthy events for Papa Osorfo always included opportunities to share life with his family—nuclear, extended and all he met. Christmas, New Year’s and Easter lunches and dinners were always filled with music (many Methodist hymns—he loved his hymns!), good conversations, and laughter and, of course, food. Some of his favorite hymns included Captain of Israel’s Host and Guide, Amazing Grace, Great is Thy Faithfulness, To God be the Glory, Rise up, O men of God, Fight the good fight.  While Osorfo Kudadjie was not a fan of events that focused on him, he was the first to suggest events to honour and celebrate other family members, to the extent that he would even plan the menu, if he could. The most recent annual gathering of his family (wife, children and grandchildren) occurred on 25th December 2019, with a family praise and prayer time -a practice that he sustained over the years and which will remain as a positive ritual in his memorial.

He took advantage of every opportunity he got to go back to his roots; visiting Ada Foah as often as possible, taking the children to experience Asafotufiam and other events, as he believed that there is much richness in our culture and customs that must be salvaged and cherished when they did not deter from our worship of God and instead enhanced our awareness of how God has revealed His moral laws to every culture. To that end, in 2014, Joshua started seriously investigating the possibility of creating a Morality/Ethical Center that would be devoted to the research, training and inculcation of moral values at the national level. Unfortunately, his dream was not fulfilled before he was called home. The most significant aspect of his work experience, particularly, in academia, was the relationship he cultivated with everyone he encountered. We believe, therefore, that in his understanding that such endeavours require many helping hands, he must have shared this dream with a few friends. May some such colleagues rise up to fulfill his vision!

In the last few years of his life, Very Rev. Prof. Kudadjie experienced health issues. Yet, because his work was not yet done, he survived those that should have taken him to his eternal rest, through illness or otherwise. He often testified to how God saved him from impending danger, calamities and early death. For example, when he was younger, some men had hatched a plan to drown him in the ocean at Ada Foah where the village folk bathed in the Atlantic Ocean, but the plan was thwarted because his elder sister heard about it and it was foiled. On another occasion, while working in Parliament House as a parliament reporter, he narrowly escaped possible death through poisoning of his beverage at a public function. His colleague, with whom he had together fetched the beverage, was poisoned but Joshua narrowly escaped this because he had promptly responded to a call from his boss instead. God protected and kept him through these. Hence, throughout his health challenges, God granted him rest while he was still here on earth healing, with many months of rest away from work until his work was done. He counted himself extremely blessed and privileged to have been given eighty-one years to live out his life purpose.

In his life and death, Rev Prof Kudadjie demonstrated a clear understanding of what it means to follow Christ. In the days just before he was called home, he was still actively serving his Lord. On 19th January, 2020, the Sunday before he died, he had pronounced the benediction at Amasaman, where he had worshipped, as it were, bidding them farewell. In fact, in the days just before he was called home, he was planning the funeral of a sibling he had lost just before Christmas.

Joshua Narteh Kudadjie was called home in the afternoon of January 21st, 2020, barely hours after he complained of discomfort. He is survived by three siblings (Mr. Joseph Narh Kudadjie, Madam Agnes Korkor Kudadjie, and Madam Janet Amaku Kudadjie), his wife Miriam, his four children, eleven grandchildren and a large extended family.

Joshua, mo ya wɔ saminya. Mawu nɛ ehe mo atuu.

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