Deixis in Most Rev. Dr. P. K. Boafo’s Address at the 50th Annual Conference of the Methodist Church, Ghana

Abstract

This study examined the use of deixis in Most Rev. P. K. Boafo's address at the 50th annual conference of the Methodist Church Ghana. Most Rev. Dr. Boafo is the Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church Ghana. It is a descriptive qualitative study which employs the textual analytical method. Hank's (2005) deictic field was employed in the analysis. The findings revealed that Boafo systematically sets up the deictic field by issuing several persons, spatial, temporal, social and discourse deictic elements in a subsequent plain field referred to as "ground zero". The Bishop's deployment of deixis in the address creates a deictic field where the congregation is thrust at the deictic centre, and the Bishop and his administration are set in binary opposition. The placing of the congregation at the deictic centre and the use of the person deixis such as "we", "our", and "us" create a closer relationship and harmonious management of the Church and, thus, bring the Bishop and the Church closer to the deictic centre where the congregation assesses his administration and himself favourably as a competent, spiritual and godly leader.