By Mildred Siabi-Mensah
Nkotompo, Dec. 19, GNA – The Most Reverend Paul Boafo, the Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church of Ghana, has encouraged parents to use the same zeal and enthusiasm of preparing and driving children to schools to teach them the love and devotion to God.
He said giving children a godly future had become even more imperative to save the future of the country from the love of money, envy, insults on leadership, greed and bad manners and behaviours that seemed to have gained roots in society.
The Presiding Bishop who was the guest speaker at the Nazareth Methodist Society Centenary celebrations asked: “if we don’t use the same zeal, we drive them through traffic to schools and funfair what will become of the society…. Who will be in the church in the next hundred years?
The anniversary was on the theme: “Discipleship: Living the transformed life in Jesus Christ.”
He said on assumption of office, he followed the growth of all aspects of the church’s life, particularly from history and all the strides they had achieved over the past years.
“What thrilled me was the determination of the society to grow and progress using intentional efforts and hard work approach to their Christian commitments, which had not been in vain.”
He said the celebration was an indication that forebearers had bequeathed a strong foundation in God, adding, “the Nazareth centenary brought memories of challenges the society faced and, that, “the good Lord has been faithful, and we thank Him for such generosity.”
The Most Rev. Boafo stressed the need to strive to keep the faith alive and ensure lives were transformed in and for Jesus Christ and society must be conscious of its responsibilities towards the community.
The Rt Rev Emmanuel Ansah, the Bishop of Sekondi, was grateful for the vision of the forebearers to establish a place of worship on Wesleyan tradition that steadily grew through the years.
He said: “Let us keep trusting the Lord because he is good. I wish you centennial celebration full of blessings from the Lord.”
Rev Seth Williams, the Resident Minister, glorified God and praised his predecessors for their contributions to Nazareth’s growth and development. “We are pleased to share in the Labour and be counted among the Lord’s garden.”
The anniversary was used to honour the sacrifices and dedication of its pioneers to humanity and God’s ministry and attracted guests including the Presiding Bishop, Sekondi Diocese, Rt. Rev. Emmanuel K. Ansah, Synod Secretary, Very Rev. Solomon Sobeng, Western Regional Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah and Omanhene of Mpohor, Nana Kwaw Entsie.
Nazareth, birthed in 1920, has grown from six members to about 508 memberships according to church historians.
A durbar which preceded the thanksgiving displayed the need to infuse the cultural and acceptable behavioural patterns into the Christian worship.
Various societies in the church including the women’s fellowship, Christ Little band, the Men’s fellowship, Susuana Wesley among others projected their apparels and symbols to signify their devotion to the Methodist faith and God in entirety.
GNA