Right Rev Professor Joseph Obiri Yeboah Mante, the Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana (PCG), has acclaimed the Presbyterian church as the oldest continuously existing church in the country.
Speaking at the 23rd General Assembly (Special Durbar), he noted that the church’s enduring legacy goes beyond its age, as it has played an instrumental role in fostering education, healthcare, and societal development throughout its rich history.
“The Presbyterian church of Ghana is historically, the oldest continuously existing church. Our missionaries came in 1828 and the churches they established have continued up to this time. This year, we will be 15 years old on December 18, 2023,” he said.
Touching on the remarkable contribution of the church to education, he said the church has over 2,500 basic schools and 36 Senior High Schools in the country.
Additionally, he mentioned that the church is the 3rd largest provider of health, with over 61 health institutions established across the country.
He, therefore, urged the general public, particularly those who do not attend church, to contribute to national development by engaging with the church.
Present as the 23rd General Assembly (Special Durbar) was the Senior Presidential Advisor,Yaw Osafo-Maafo, who said he identifies as a Presbyterian, although a staunch Methodist, due to the fact that his upbringing and education were largely influenced by the Presbyterian tradition.
Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has been lauded for gifting the Coaltar District of the Presbyterian church a school.
The Vice President, who pledged to contribute to the Presbyterian Church’s decision to build legacy centenary anniversary projects, is building a classroom block for Kwaboanta JHS in the Ayensuano District, in the Eastern Region.
Dr. Bawumia visited Kwaboanta to inspect the project, which is nearing completion, and he was showered with commendations, both by the Presby Church and the community.
The Coaltar District Minister for the Presby Church, Rev. Odai, recalled how the Vice President made the pledge to build the school during the Centenary Anniversary celebration of the Akuapem Presbytery, adding that Dr.
Vice President, I want to say the children of this community are so excited about this because they need such a place for their training and we are thankful to you.
Bawumia for his thoughtfulness and generosity to the Church and the community.
The Chief said the community is in need of educational facilities and the project by the Vice President would a long way to help them.
Before inspecting the project, Dr. Bawumia thanked the Almighty God for giving him the guidance and strength to personally undertake the project.
The Vice President also commended the for the Church’s immense contributions to the development of Ghana.
The Presbyterian Church of Ghana has said the latest reports about the resignation of the immediate past moderator of the Presbyterian Church, Rev. Professor Cephas Omenyo from the National Cathedral Board of Trustees is misleading.
Speaking to Starr News with Naa Dedei Tettey, the spokesperson for the Presbyterian Church, Rev. George Larbi explained that the former Moderator resigned long ago due to ill-health.
“When he was elected, per his position as a moderator of the church, he was appointed a trustee of the National Cathedral. So, when he fell sick and could not function again and later on a new moderator was elected. In fact, he refused to be a member of the trustee.
“So, I remember I drew the attention of the public relations officer of the National Cathedral, that in this case they should take away Rev. Prof. Cephas Omenyo’s photo. Because, one of our former moderators, in the person of Very Rev. Prof. Emmanuel Martey already sits on the trustee. So, the current moderator is not even a member of the trustee because we already have Very. Rev. Prof. Emmanuel Martey there,” Mr. Larbi added.
The North Tongu MP, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa had claimed that the National Cathedral Secretariat was misleading the Ghanaian public and the world that all the published trustees are registered as directors.
“Contrary to the information provided in the said press statement (see page 5) and on the Nicodemusly updated national cathedral website (after we exposed the Pastor Otabil deception), to the effect that all the Board of Trustees has been registered as Directors of the National Cathedral of Ghana; we note surprisingly, that the venerable Bishop Dag Heward-Mills, Presiding Bishop of the Lighthouse Group of Churches and the esteemed Rev. Prof. Cephas Omenyo, Former Moderator of the Presbyterian Church were not registered as directors on the incorporation date of 18th July, 2019.
“The two revered clergymen have at all material times been clearly left out, and substituted with the following names: Samuel Antwi and Kingsley Ofosu Ntiamoah.
After about five months down the line, the founder of the LightHouse Chapel International, Bishop Dag Heward-Mills’ reasons for exiting the Board has been revealed.
In a letter available to Accra-based Citi TV, the seasoned Man of God noted that his unresolved concerns about the cost of the National Cathedral and other pertinent issues triggered his exit.
But in the case of the former moderator of the Presby church, the leadership of the Presby Church of Ghana responded that all this confusion about Rev. Prof Omenyo and his resignation keeps resurfacing because people are using him to score their cheap political points.
Nonetheless, spokesperson for the Presbyterian Church, Rev. George Larbi has called on the board of the National Cathedral Secretariat to sit up and clear its name on the number of allegations levelled against them.
Rev. George Larbi expressed worry about the developments that have characterized the construction of the National Cathedral.
“I read them, I hear them in the news. If what those who are raising the allegations are saying is true, then I will urge the board to sit up. If what they are saying also is for political gains or some personal gains then they should be careful. And sometimes at least they should go to the right place to seek proper information.
“If you don’t understand something, approach them, go to them. This is what I have received, this is what I have seen, this is what I have heard, and please what the truth in it is? For people to explain to you rather than everyday counter allegations. After all, whether it is state money, individual’s money, the church’s money, at the end of the day it is money. We have to ensure that whatever money is given to them, they account it judiciously to the people,” Mr. Larbi advised.
Most Rev. Prof. Joseph Obiri Yeboah Mante, the 18th Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, has tasked Ghanaians to critique the government using the proper channels stressing that doing otherwise ultimately hurts the economy as it has the tendency of chasing away investors.
“There is a medium to raise concerns about issues not to dirty each other in the media. The more we say negative things about our country, the more prices will shoot up. Because there is no investor who will seriously take you seriously.
“It is this that someone wanted to say when he said sika mpɛ dede,” he added in reference to controversial comments President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo made in his October 30 economic address to the nation.
The clergyman was speaking at an event to climax the Centenary celebration of the Asante presbytery in Kumasi over the weekend, where he observed that the economic difficulties Ghanaians were experiencing were not unique to Ghana.
But that over-politicization has become the norm, hence opposition parties are always acting in ways that shame the government so that they can boost their chances of winning power.
“Ghana has become very difficult. But I also know that the whole world has become very difficult. I know that things have become very difficult and in Ghana, many people are not educated to know that there is a serious world crisis.
“If you say it, many don’t believe because everything is politicized, so the opposition is interested in doing what will shame the ruling government so that he can be voted for. That kind of politics must be shunned, it is not nice. It doesn’t convince those of us who are educated,” he stressed.
What Akufo-Addo said about Ghana being in a crisis
Amid an economic downturn, calls for Akufo-Addo to resign has heightened with a November 5, 2022 protest dubbed ‘Kume Preko Reloaded’ making the loudest call as activists and politicians marched in Accra to press home that demand.
The government is meanwhile, grappling with an economic crisis, which along with the galamsey scourge and corruption are the major drivers for the call on Akufo-Addo to resign along with his Vice President, Mahamadu Bawumia.
Akufo-Addo in his October 30 address on the economy blamed the Covid-19 pandemic and the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war as causes for the country’s economic woes.
While admitting that the country was in crisis and rallying support for various government interventions to stem the tide, he said the situation was not peculiar to the country as many nations across the world were also experiencing difficulties.
“We are in a crisis, I do not exaggerate when I say so. I cannot find an example in history when so many malevolent forces have come together at the same time.
“But, as we have shown in other circumstances, we shall turn this crisis into an opportunity to resolve not just the short-term, urgent problems, but the long-term structural problems that have bedevilled our economy,” he said.
But like before, President Akufo-Addo blamed the Covid-19 pandemic and the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war as causative factors for the economic woes.
The Bible Society of Ghana has launched a new revised Akuapem–Twi Bible at Akropong Grace Presbyterian Church in the Eastern Region with a call on Christians to study the Bible in their mother tongue, so as to
apply it daily.
A retired Minister of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Rev. Charles Ahwireng who made the call further charged Christians to see the Bible as a true spiritual book of God.
The Akuapems are the second group of people to have the Bible translated.
He urged everyone to seek Christ in all their endeavors and always worship God in truth and diligence.
The General Secretary of the Bible Society of Ghana, BSG, Rev. Dr. Enoch Aryee-Atta urged Ghanaians, especially Christians to patronize the work of the society and participate in their programmes in order to increase awareness of the activities of the society.
Rev. Dr. Aryee-Atta further advised Christians to procure the newly translated version of the Akuapem Twi Bible.
According to him, the Bible Society of Ghana has successfully translated the Bible into nine major Ghanaian Languages namely, Asante Twi, Akuapem Twi, Ga, Mfantse, Ewe, Dagbani, Dangme, Nzema and Esahie- Sefwi.
The Bible Society of Ghana set out to revise all three Akan languages, looking out for general issues such as language, grammar and syntax.
Some of the new features include Genesis which has now been revised to Gyenesis or ‘Mfitiase’ Awurade now AWURADE in block letters, Deuteronomy now Mmara no Ntimu, among others.
To strive for excellence in student training, the Eastern Region’s Kyebi-based Kibi Presbyterian College of Education (KPCE) has begun its 60th anniversary festivities.
On March 10 of the following year, the celebration with the theme “Giving voice to the Presbyterian value in pursuit of academic excellence: the duty of the 21st Century teacher” is anticipated.
The projects were a fully furnished modern visitors lounge, a three-storey female residential facility, a sachet water factory, a 22-seater water closest toilet and an infirmary.
Anniversary lecture
The Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana (PCG), Rt Rev. Professor Joseph Obiri Yeboah Mante, delivered a lecture on the celebrations.
According to him, the college would continue to expand its programmes to meet the needs and aspirations of modern industry and society.
He noted that the college’s academic performance had improved and it was currently one of the best colleges of education in the country in terms of infrastructure development.
That, Rt Rev. Prof Mante indicated, was in line with the holistic nature of discipline in Presbyterian educational institutions as well as individuals.
The Dean of the Faculty of Science and Technology Education, at the University of Cape Coast, Professor Douglas Darko Agyei, who was the guest speaker, said academic excellence was the ability to perform, achieve and excel in all aspects of education.
Professor Agyei explained that academic excellence was one’s intellectual understanding and capacity as well as skill rendered to the service of humanity.
That, Professor Agyei pointed out, would benefit the students they would be teaching in the future.
He noted that the college’s academic performance had improved and it was currently one of the best colleges of education in Ghana in terms of infrastructure development.
Professor Agyei, therefore, called on the government for financial clearance to open up spaces for more enrolment of teacher trainees and other non-teaching staff to enhance teaching and learning in the college.
Aspirations
The Principal of the College, Rev. Charles Fosu-Agyarkwa said the launch afforded the college the opportunity to reflect on its 59 years of growth, greatness and to celebrate all that the college achieved.
