By Patience Gbeze
Accra, Aug. 18, GNA – The Presbyterian Church of Ghana (PCG) has granted amnesty to its former ministers of the Church who do not subscribe to the Lesbians Gays Bisexual Transgender Queer (LGBTQ+).
These ministers served with the Presbyterian Church USA (PCUSA), United Reform Church (URC), Presbyterian Church in Canada (PCC) and other ecclesial bodies.
An official statement posted on the PCG Facebook page and sighted by the Ghana News Agency said the announcement was made by the Clerk of the General Assembly of the PCG, Rev Dr Godwin Nii Noi Odonkor at the end of the 22nd General Assembly of the Church held at Abetifi in the Kwahu Presbytery of the Church in the Eastern Region of Ghana.
The post said the Clerk in his presentation of his report to the General Assembly, noted that the 21st General Assembly of the PCG decided that amnesty be granted to such ministers and that the General Assembly Council (GAC) was mandated to set up a committee to develop guidelines for the implementation of the amnesty with the condition that only those who would formally apply in writing within one year should be considered (Decision 5).
“The General Assembly further tasked the GAC to re-package the proposed amnesty for Ministers under discipline outside those in Decision 5 and to re-submit it to Assembly (Decision 7).”
The Clerk reported that as a result, the General Assembly Council, at its meeting in November 2021, formed an Ad Hoc Committee to handle these decisions and report to the Council as soon as it completes its work.
Rev Dr Odonkor said the Ad Hoc Committee presented a report to the GAC at its meeting in June 2022 for consideration.
“Based on the Committee’s report, the GAC accepted to re-admit or recognise the following persons as ministers: Rev Prof Dr Kobina Ofosu-Donkoh, Rev. Prof. E. Obiri Addo, Rev. John Danso and Rev. Dr Moses O. Biney.
The rest include; Rev. Prof. John Pashington Obeng and Rev. Prince Henry Nathaniel Brown-Engmann
He said at the time the Ad Hoc Committee was putting together its report for the attention of the GAC, the Rev. E. K. Sanniez and Rev. Ayeh Addo were yet to submit their completed forms.
The Clerk, however, reported that for the re-packaging of the proposed amnesty for ministers under discipline outside those in Decision 5, the GAC has received the Committee’s proposal and is yet to make a final determination.
GNA