By Mercy Arthur
Tema. Sept 18, GNA – Susanna Wesley Mission Auxiliary (SUWMA), an organisation of the Methodist Church Ghana Mount Zion Society, Tema West Circuit, has commissioned the Wesleyan Cafeteria at Sakumono within the church premises.
The commissioning, dedication, and unveiling were jointly done by the Right Reverend Samuel Ofori-Akyea, Bishop of Tema Diocese, and assisted by the Very Rev. Ebenezer Popeson Adjei, Synod Secretary and Superintendent Minister of Tema West Circuit.
Other are Mr. Robert Andrews Taylor, Lay Chairman, Tema Diocese; Rev. Solomon Tetteh Nortey, Circuit Minister; Mr. Duke Osam-Duodo, Mt Zion Society Lay Movement Council Chairman; and Mrs. Agnes Sikanartey, Past Diocesan President, among other executives.
Mrs. Emma Obeng, President of Mt. Zion SUWMA, explained in an interview with Ghana News Agency that the vision to start a Christ-centred cafeteria was stated in 1997 as part of an income-generating initiative by SUWMA to support its missions and church activities.
She said members undertook due diligence, consulted, and, through the feasibility studies backed by prayers, affirmed the need for a convenient Christ-centred snack bar within the church premises for congregants and others.
Mrs. Obeng said in 2018, Supt. Minister Very Rev. Ebenezer Popeson Adjei, who assumed office, supported the project and encouraged the leadership to pursue the vision and fast-track the process for its complexion.
She said the construction was undertaken with financial support from members through fund-raising, and other philanthropic personalities in the church donated cash and in kind for the project.
“The Wesleyan Cafeteria” was christened by the Very Rev. Ebenezer Popeson Adjei in honour of Susanna Wesley, the mother of John Wesley and Charles Wesley, whose model and character the organisation SUWMA exhibited.
Mrs. Agnes Sikanartey, Past Society President, whose tenure saw the beginning of the project, commended the leadership of the church and all leaders of SUWMA for holding on to the light to build a Christ-centre cafeteria for the church.
She recalled that SUWMA’s main duty was to visit orphanages, hospitals, and prisons to share the word of God and to donate items to them.
She said the duty of visiting involves a lot of revenue, so they needed to do something to enable them to raise more funds, “to generate funds to support the visitation mission that started selling in 1997 and the idea to develop it into a full-time cafeteria.”.
“We normally sold on Sundays when we started, but now we operate from Monday to Sunday,” she stated.
GNA