By Patrick Ofoe Nudzi
Accra, Jan. 7, GNA – The Methodist Church Ghana has launched its 190th anniversary to celebrate nearly two centuries of service and dedication to God and human development in Ghana and beyond.
The anniversary celebration, which starts in January with several planned activities to rekindle the Wesleyan revival, would end in August, 2025, with a grand thanksgiving service.
Key among the Church’s objectives for the celebration is to help the next generation rediscover their Methodist roots, make Methodism more visible and demonstrate the impact of social services of the Methodist Church in various communities in Ghana.
The launch took place at the Bethany Society, Dzorwulu Circuit, on the first Sunday of year which is regarded as the Covenant Sunday by all Methodists where congregants are encouraged to renew their covenants with God Almighty and have a fresh beginning at the start of the year.
Most Rev Prof Johnson Kwabena Asamoah-Gyadu, Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church Ghana, in a sermon, said the Church had contributed significantly to the spiritual and developmental growth of Ghana.
He said the foundation of such growth was laid by the patriarchs and matriarchs of Methodism in 1835 in then Gold Coast when they sowed a seed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and together with their indigenous compatriots helped Methodism to spread across the land and beyond.
“Our motto as a Christian denomination is ‘Thy Kingdom Come.’ And the ‘Thy Kingdom Come’ will remain one of the anchor ethos of the 190th anniversary of the Methodist Church Ghana,” the Presiding Bishop said.
He noted that 190th Anniversary Celebration would be marked by worship and prayer sessions, singing festivals, processions and other church activities to proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and win souls for Christ.
He said the Church had made giant investments and developments in the educational, health and other sectors of the economy, adding that their influence to the growth of the country had been present all these years.
“As we celebrate 190 years, not only are we giving thanks to God, but we are also looking at areas of our ministry where we need to be a bit more present than we have been, and make sure that we make our voices and our presence felt,” Most Rev Prof Asamoah-Gyadu said.
A seven-member Anniversary Planning Committee had already been put in place and the Rt Rev Samuel Kofi Osabutey, Superintendent Minister, Bethany Society, Dzorwulu Circuit of the Church, is the Chairman.
The others are Very Rev Daniel K. French, Coordinator; Very Rev Kwame Amoah-Mensah, Member; Rev Hedwig N.T. Quist, Member; Madam VIvian F. Sarpomaa Fiscian, Member; Madam Iris K. Aggrey-Orleans, Member and Secretary and Mr Enoch Osafo, Member.
The Chairman of the Anniversary Planning Committee urged members of the Church to give out their utmost support and cooperation through the celebration and make it a memorable one.
GNA