Archbishop of Canterbury pays courtesy call on President Mahama at Jubilee House

The Archbishop of Canterbury, spiritual head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, paid a formal courtesy call on President John Dramani Mahama at the Jubilee House in Accra on Tuesday, underscoring the strong historic ties between the Church of England and Ghana’s Anglican community.

The meeting, which lasted approximately one hour, centred on deepening interfaith dialogue, sustainable development, and the role of faith-based institutions in fostering social cohesion across West Africa. President Mahama received the Archbishop with full diplomatic protocol, accompanied by senior officials from the Presidency and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In a brief statement after the closed-door discussions, the Presidency described the visit as “a reaffirmation of the warm relations between Ghana and the Anglican Church, and a recognition of Ghana’s standing as a beacon of democratic stability and religious tolerance on the continent.”

According to sources close to the meeting, the Archbishop commended Ghana’s peaceful transition of power following the December 2024 general elections and lauded President Mahama’s administration for its commitment to inclusive governance and infrastructure development. The discussions also touched on collaborative efforts in education and healthcare, with the Archbishop expressing interest in supporting rural school projects under the Anglican Diocese of Accra.

This marks the first official visit of an Archbishop of Canterbury to Ghana in over a decade, following the historic 2013 visit by the late Archbishop Justin Welby, who resigned in early 2025. The current Archbishop is on a multi-nation West African tour that has already included stops in Nigeria and Sierra Leone, aimed at reinforcing the Anglican Communion’s engagement with growing Christian populations in the region.

Political analysts view the visit as significant not only for its spiritual dimension but also for its diplomatic symbolism. With the United Kingdom and Ghana maintaining robust bilateral ties, the Archbishop’s presence serves as a soft-power bridge between the two nations, highlighting shared Commonwealth values and cultural heritage.

President Mahama, who has previously spoken on the importance of faith in national development, reportedly assured the Archbishop of Ghana’s continued partnership with the Church in areas of poverty alleviation, youth empowerment, and climate justice. The Archbishop is scheduled to later officiate a service at the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Accra and meet with Anglican bishops from across the country to discuss the church’s role in post-pandemic recovery.

The courtesy call concluded with an exchange of gifts—a handcrafted Ghanaian kente cloth presented to the Archbishop, and a ceremonial cross from Canterbury given to the President—symbolising the enduring bond between the Anglican see and the Ghanaian nation. No further public engagements are listed for the day, though the Archbishop is expected to tour mission outreach programmes in the Eastern Region before departing on Thursday.