Nkonya (O/R), Jan. 10, GNA – A newly built Chapel has been dedicated for the Nkonya Society of the Methodist Church Ghana in Nkonya Ntumda of the Oti Region.
The 100-seater capacity edifice has a Sunday School shed, washrooms, potable water for the Nkonya community and a storage tank.
The Most Reverend Dr Paul Kwabena Boafo, the Presiding Bishop of the Church, dedicated the Chapel at a church service held at Ntumda.
He said the Church was constructing some Churches in the Oti Region, which would be dedicated within the year.
“We want our people to get a place of worship and not to worship under trees or classrooms. So we want to give them a permanent place of worship.”
Rev Boafo said the Church’s plans were very strategic because it had Units that took care of all the social interventions, including health and education.
He said the Church provided community water at the premises of the dedicated Chapel for the people of the community to provide safe water for them.
“We believe that by giving them potable water, we have taken away a lot of the water-borne diseases that would have affected the people.”
Rev Boafo said the Church’s Unit that dealt with education would come and survey the area and look at where they could start with schools followed by a clinic or health centre.
He said the Church would continue to partner with the government to see to it that Nkonya received the developmental infrastructure the Church and the State could bring together for the people.
Rev Boafo hinted that the Church would create a “Ho Diocese” next year, 2023.
The altar, lectern, pulpit and communion rail were also dedicated as well as musical instruments, hymnals and Bibles.
Brother Alfred Sakyi, Tema Diocesan Lay Chairman and a retired Banker, who funded the project, said it was a motivation to give back to God for the huge investment made in their lives since they had as a family benefited from God’s care, support and sustenance.
“We thought we should also contribute significantly in the lives of other people who are striving to worship God in their way.”
He said there was the need as Christians to identify people who they could also help through education for them to become men and women of substance.
Brother Sakyi said one of the passions he had was to help build entrepreneurship funds in the Church to support young entrepreneurs of the Church who might need some capital injection.
Madam Millicent Carboo, Biakoye District Chief Executive (DCE), commended Brother Sakyi and his spouse as well as the Church for such a laudable idea to build a Chapel for the Nkonya Society.
She said she hoped that the Church would look at the educational needs of the District and establish a University in the District.
Very Reverend Emmanuel Kwame Awuley, the Superintendent Minister of Hohoe Circuit of Methodist Church, Ghana, said it was projected that the number of Societies in the Oti Region would increase from 20 to 50 by 2024.
He said the need for a permanent place of worship for the Nkonya Society became necessary after the government banned the use of classrooms for church services due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Rev Awuley expressed gratitude to the chiefs and leaders of the various communities for accepting the Methodist Church Ghana while appealing to all to make the Church a strong force in the Oti Region.
Nanai Kwadwo Okropah V, Adontenhene of Nkonya Ntumda, noted that the presence of the Church signified development and a new beginning of the community.
He pledged the continuous support of the traditional authority towards the Church’s interventions and projects within the community.
GNA