GNA Feature by Emmanuel Nyatsikor
Ho, April 4, GNA-As he will be buried on Saturday, April 5, 2025, many people, who have ‘tasted’ the brain power of the Very Reverend Japhet Yao Ledo, a former Moderator of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church, Ghana, (EPCG), would acknowledge his memory as a fountain of knowledge groomed in the semblance of Biblical King Solomon.
The current Clerk of General Assembly of the Church, Rev. Dr. Lawson Kwaku Dzanku describes the late Moderator as a reservoir of knowledge and a great asset to the Church.
The late Very Rev. Ledo, is revered as ‘born a hero and dying a legend,’ according to peers, family and friends.
He was the 10th Moderator of the Church, died at a private health facility in Ho, in the early hours of 30th December, 2024.
His son, Mr. Samuel Ledo, said his father was a “fathers’ father,” who wholeheartedly dedicated his life to serving humanity and lived with integrity, guided by principles that shaped the lives of all , who were fortunate to get closer to him.
“Moderator’s love was deep and unwavering, serving as the cornerstone of his relationship – an anchor in both joy and challenging times.”
Mr. Ledo stated that his father worked tirelessly not for recognition, but to harness, nurture and ensure that those he cherished could dream bigger and live fuller lives.
He said through his actions “he taught us the value of perseverance, kindness and the importance of giving ourselves fully to every endeavour,” were testament of what he knew his father to be.
Early life and education
The Very Rev. Ledo, known for interspersing his sermons and speeches with Proverbs was born on December 27, 1940 at Klefe Demete, near Ho, in the Volta Region to the late Mr. Felix Kodjo Ledo and the late Madam Rebecca Ama Hosi.
He was the second son of his father and the first to his mother.
According to his biography sighted by the Ghana News Agency, his attempt to get enrolled at the Klefe Demete Primary school, at age six in 1946, could not materialize due to his failure to touch his ear, when his hand was passed over his head as was the criteria then.
He finally got enrolled in 1948 after pleading with the then headteacher of the school, the late Mr. G.K. Tsekpo, who granted his wishes.
He entered the Klefe Atsiatime Middle School in 1954 and after three years moved to Dzolo Gborgame, where he successfully completed and obtained his Middle School Leaving Certificate in 1957.
He wrote and passed the Common Entrance Examination and after attending interviews received offers from Accra Academy and Mawuli School, but his father’s lack of understanding of education limited his ability to support young Japhet in pursuing secondary education.
When his dream to pursue secondary education failed, Japhet started a farming company with local young men, which started providing labour services on farms to earn a living until his uncle took him to Hohoe, where he was employed as a shop attendant in a UAC store.
After sometime he was sent to Mr. Larbi, a foreman with the Public Works Department at Kadjebi and was employed as a labourer and also practised carpentry.
He later wrote and passed the Trade Test exam, becoming a recognized professional carpenter.
In early 1962, Japhet desirous to furthering his education, wrote and successfully passed a competitive exam and entered Jasikan Training College, where he graduated in 1966 and was posted to Binduri Middle School, in the current Upper East Region.
After teaching for some time, he entered the Trinity Theological Seminary and successfully graduated with a diploma in theology.
Whiles still at the Seminary, he received an offer to pursue a three year degree in Sociology at the University of Ghana in 1975.
For his Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology, Japhet took courses in Rural Sociology, Anthropology, Social Development, Industrial Sociology, Social Theory, Medical Sociology and Social in Research and graduated in 1978.
He entered Princeton Theological Seminary in the United States in 1984, where he pursued a Master of Arts degree in Theological studies, specialising in Old Testament and Hebrew with a full scholarship and support from the E.P. Church and graduated in 1986.
Very Rev. Ledo decided to pursue a PhD in African studies at the University of Ghana in 1989, but two years into the programme, he had to pause his studies as he was elected Moderator of the E.P. Church at the Church’s Synod in 1992 and served a two four-year term from 1993 to 2000.
Work Experience
The Vey Rev Ledo, has headed many Educational institutions including the Akpafu Adokor Middle School, the E.P. Trades Training Centre at Alavanyo, the Church’s Seminary at Peki, in 1981 and headed some Church establishments, Bubuashie E.P. Church in Accra as the District Pastor in 1991.
During his time as Moderator, the Church made significant growth in infrastructure development, expansion of the Church’s missionary and evangelical outreaches, especially in the northern part of the country and also the proposal for the establishment of the E.P. University were made under his regime.
Conferences
The late Very Rev. Ledo attended many local, regional and international conferences on behalf of the Church and also worked tirelessly to restore relationships with the Church’s foreign partners including the Bremen Mission, Presbyterian Church, USA, Church of Scotland, Eglise Evangelique Presbyterienne du Togo and United Reform Church.
When his term of office as Moderator ended, he took a six month sabbatical in the USA, where he served as a Senior Pastor of the United Church of Christ in Wooster, Ohio and at the First Plymouth Church in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Upon his return to Ghana in June 2001, he became the district Pastor of the Tema E.P. Church, overseeing multiple churches.
The late Very Rev. Ledo retired in 2008 and moved to Ho and worshiped with the SSNIT Flats branch of the Church, where he kept himself active by contributing to his community, and serving as a trusted advisor in various personal, Church and institutional disputes.
He was the chairman of the Mediators Consult, an organization dedicated to mediating personal and institutional conflicts to promote peace.
His mortal remains will be buried at the Missionaries Cemetery at the Church’s headquarters at Ho Kpodzi.
The late Very Rev. Ledo, came with the accolade ‘born a hero and died a legend,’ as testament of life, lived in fullness.
He met and married Mrs. Esther Ledo, nee Esther Akosua Guh and were blessed with three children, two males and a female.
The Ledo family, the E. P. Church, Chiefs, friends and sympathisers will gather at the Dela Cathedral, Saturday for a send-off to Eternity and celebration of life and legacy.
GNA
MA/GRB