By Yussif Ibrahim
Kumasi. June 5, GNA – Members of the Calvary Charismatic Center (CCC) will on Saturday undertake a large-scale voluntary blood donation exercise to support the blood bank of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi.
The exercise forms part of activities marking the 70th birthday celebration of the church’s General Overseer, Reverend Ransford Obeng, and is expected to attract hundreds of donors from the congregation.
The annual blood donation initiative, which has become a hallmark of the church’s social intervention programmes, was instituted a decade ago when Reverend Obeng turned 60.
Since then, it has served as a vital source of blood supplies for hospitals in the Ashanti Region.
Pastor Joshua Obeng, Resident Minister of the Church, addressing congregants at the church’s headquarters at Ayigya, urged members to participate in the exercise and help save lives.
He noted that although the church was targeting at least 700 successful donations from the Ayigya assembly alone, only individuals certified fit by medical personnel from KATH would be allowed to donate.
“I appeal to all of us to turn up at the church premises this Saturday,” Pastor Joshua urged the congregation.
The initiative, according to Reverend Obeng, was inspired by reports of patients losing their lives because hospitals lacked adequate blood supplies for emergency treatment.
Speaking during a media engagement in Kumasi, he recounted how those experiences motivated him to dedicate his birthday celebrations to promoting voluntary blood donation and supporting healthcare delivery.
With CCC now operating more than 650 branches across the world, Reverend Obeng expressed optimism that the culture of voluntary blood donation would spread throughout the church’s global network.
The celebrations will climax on Sunday, June 7, with a special thanksgiving service at the church’s headquarters, expected to attract church leaders, traditional authorities, academics, business executives, politicians and other distinguished guests.
Reverend Obeng is widely credited with pioneering the first English-speaking charismatic church in the Ashanti Region, a ministry that has grown into the internationally recognised Calvary Charismatic Center.
GNA
Edited by Kenneth Odeng Adade
Reporter: Yussif Ibrahim