Introduction
Mr. Chairman, Distinguished Elders, Colleague Ministers and Workers, Ladies and Gentlemen. I am privileged to present to you a brief report on the above ministries as a departmental director. Mr. Chairman, as a Church in this worldwide ministry, we are enjoined of making known the liberty, healing and hope taken hold of in Jesus Christ. Therefore, the Communication ministry of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in its role, interlaces with the other departments or ministries for the best accomplishment of the mission Christ bids us.
In this regard, our focus is to ensure that programs that are carried out by other departments are well communicated, fully covered and reported. In sum this report covers the abridgement of activities carried out within the period of January – December, 2019 but Mr., Chairman, due to the handing over of administration as well as departmental directors within the period of transition, the report covers events from March to the end of the year.
MICG 2nd Quadrennial Session -2019
This great program took place at the Barekese SDA Nursing and Midwifery Training College Campus from Wednesday 23rd to Sunday 27th January, 2019 with the theme, “Faithfulness to His Prophets”. This spiritual convocation was meant for revival, accountability of the previous administration and election of new leaders for the Conference, for the next five years tenure of office.
After two days of report presentations by the former Conference President, Executive Secretary and the Treasurer of the previous administration, the Northern Ghana Union President, Pastor Kwame Kwanin, assisted by the Executive Secretary, Pastor Kwame Annor Boahen and the Treasurer, Pastor Osafo Marfo led to form the nomination committee for the election of Officers or leaders. This was done for the election process to commence. After a protracted period of deliberations, the under listed names were submitted or recommended by the Nominating Committee for approval. This was voted on and was finally accepted as the next leaders of the Mid – Central Ghana Conference as their appointments stated against their names below:
Pastor Osei Kofi – President
Pastor Alexander Marfo – Executive Secretary
Elder Samuel Kutten – Treasurer
Pastor Agyemang Badu -Ministerial Secretary
Pastor Eric Frimpong – Director, Stewardship
Pastor Kyei Baffour Jnr – Director, Personal Ministries, Sabbath School and Adventist Men Ministries
Pastor Robert Nyarko – Director, Youth, Heath and Chaplaincy Ministries
Pastor Stephen Kwadwo Adusei – Director, Communication, Publishing, Public Relation Affairs and Religious Liberty and Global Missions
Eder Charles Ankra – Director Education
Elder Osei Boaten – Associate Treasurer
Mrs Veronica Sarpong – Director, Women and Children Ministries
Additional Executive Members
All the earlier stated appointments form part of the executive Committee.
Mrs. Martha Owusua Antwi – Head of Institution
Elder Raphael Ziga – Akomadan/ Nkenkasu Rep
Elder Fredrick Forkuo – Bohyen Rep
Elder Kofi Brenya – Bantama Rep
Elder Osei Bempa – Member
Elder Martin Kyeremateng – member
Pastor Thompson Okofo Takyi – Rep for ordained ministers
Elder Maxwell Asamoah – member
Miss Adom Fremah – Lawyer
Prof EB Amponsah – Finance Comm. Chair
Elder Gabriel Amoako – Finance Comm. Vice-Chair
Elder Francis Acheampong – Lawyer
Elder Evans Oteng – Member
Trustees
Pastor Osei Kofi
Pastor Samuel Essien
Elder Samuel Kutten
MICG ADMINISTRATION MEETS WITH ELDERS ON TEN PERCENT MONTHLY OFFERING
On Sunday 17th March 2019 the Mid-Central Ghana Conference new Administration met in the Church of Bantama to decide on whether to continue or discontinue districts’ ten percent monthly offering proceed to the Conference with the elders.
In a devotion which Pastor Alexander Marfo, the executive secretary of the new administration led in his sermon captioned, “follow me with all your heart”, he threw light on how true discipleship is attained from the foundations of commitment. Thus as leaders and elders of God’s Church the Master urges them to follow Him with all their hearts and souls, in other words carry out the biddings of the Lord without any reservation, since the only property Christ has on earth is His Church.
In bringing the devotion to a close, a minister and two elders or lay persons were invited to pray to invoke the Holy Spirit unction upon our elders and leaders as they embarked on the work of God.
Meeting Proceedings for the Day
After a short prayer of commencement, a vote was taken to begin the day’s business. After a short statement of welcome and commendation from Pastor Osei Kofi, the President of the new administration to the elders, he outlined the items of the meeting.
Evangelism Goal for the quinquennium
On this item, the President made the house to understand that the administration had schemed to increase the membership of the Conference by planting thirty-five (35) new Churches, and to achieve that goal, the idea of one district, one church per year was submitted for discussion and adoption. The vote was carried for accepting that idea.
Building Of Parsonages
This was the second item proposed by the new administration through the President. Since this proposal was part of the previous administration’s plan, and was underway, time was not wasted for its acceptance and adoption.
Continuation of the Ten Percent Offering Towards Conference Office Complex
Finally, this proposal was also presented to be adopted since it had been part of the plans of the previous administration and is also ongoing. This proposal was confronted with a lot of misgivings among participants since elders felt local Churches had been financially overburdened for long and it was about time they were left to rest. After a lengthy deliberation on this issue, it was voted to continue since the office complex had not received its complete glamor yet however, it was on condition that a time span of two years be set for that exercise, hoping that the office complex would have been completed, and the local Churches to discontinue paying any more ten percent. In sum the meeting ended with all the proposals presented by the Conference administration voted on and accepted for adoption.
Evangelistic Activities on Media Stations and Information Centers
The Communication Ministry in the Conference as a bridge builder as far as church activity is concerned took on evangelism through the Radio, Television and Information Centers. Currently, Bantama district has a regular airtime morning devotion on Royal TV and sporadic schedules of radio evangelism on the Garden City Station.
The following Churches and Districts have same programs in the various Information Centers around their communities.
Old Tafo Mile 3
Pankrono Estate
Abofuor
NOGH YOUTH LEADERS CONGRESS
About six hundred and twenty-two young adults drawn from the fields within the length and breadth of the Northern Ghana Union Mission assembled at the Barekese SDA Nurses and Midwifery Training College campus for leadership training and service program. This program was scheduled to start from Wednesday 12th to Sunday 16th June 2019.
Within this period of training, participants were purposed to go through physical training, leadership lectures, drill and marching exercises for physical and spiritual growth as well as intellectual leadership skills. This leadership training was a very interesting one for not only did it call for the young adult leaders, all district pastors and directors got involved.
At the day of closure, the West Central African Division youth Ministry director called on this program to crown it all to a successful end after he had been welcome with a smart and delightful quarter guard at the portal of the Campus where the program was organized. Shortly after the quarter guard inspection, he was flanked by the Northern Ghana Union Mission youth director, Pastor Dan Kwaku Owusu Ansah and the other field directors to review the guard of honor parade that marked the closure of the leadership congress. After his short address, commending participants for having comporting themselves throughout the span of the training program, he admonished them to keep the faith after the button had been passed on to them.
Additionally, he urged them to take on the world with the skills so acquired in order that the light of Calvary’s story will be illuminated in all corners of the universe as the second coming of the our Lord and King Jesus Christ is here.
COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGICAL PROGRESS
Mid – Central Ghana Conference moved into its new permanent office complex headquarters that situates at Atafoa during the early part of the first month, Sunday 13th January, 2019 to be precise. Since communication forms a very vital ingredient in all facets of human existence, the department started to connect the Conference to the global link.
Currently, the Conference has established a modern technological communication systems raging from website, postal address and telephone linkages through the communication department within and external offices outside its domain.
Website Address: www.micg.adventist.org
Postal Address: P. O. Box 9742. Kumasi. Ashanti. Ghana – West Africa
Main Telephone line: 020-026-8343.
NOGH COMMUNICATION WORKSHOP
This was a long awaited workshop which was initially scheduled for the month of May, 2019 but due some hitches that confronted the communication director from the General Conference who was the main facilitator, coupled with other constraints, it finally came on from Monday 11th – Wednesday 13th November, 2019 at the Christian village.
This workshop was meant to elapse for a week but for the already stated reasons it was abridged for that three day’s period but the content remained unchanged; it was a very busy program. Notwithstanding the uneasiness that participants went through, it was a very interesting and rewarding workshop.
Unfortunately, due to the new date scheduled for the program which some complained about not favorable enough, participants had little or no time for adequate arrangements and preparation towards the program; response was strained and finally failed to meet the most optimal participation.
CAMP MEETING -2019
The month of August was the Camp meeting season. All eighteen districts had their turn in a weeklong camp activities ranging from devotions, departmental activities, testimony segments, lectures on social subjects and economic activities as well as worship.
The Sabbath of all eighteen districts witnessed festival of baptisms which the outcome were later submitted to the personal ministry departmental director and the Conference Administration Secretary for generation of statistical reports.
YOUTH CAMP -2019
This yearly spiritual convocation circle of the Adventist youth was observed this year too, from Sunday 22nd – Tuesday 31st December, 2019. All the youth department in the various districts took part in this program. Youth Camp – 2019 was directed to be observed in districts lot. However, at other places within the Conference, some districts merged up with others. For instance, Barekese, Ohwim and Suame districts camped at Osei Tutu II College campus in Tetrem within Boamang district. Old Tafo Mile3 district held theirs at the Ghana Christian International high school at Hweremoase in the Ashanti South Ghana Conference territory, among others.
The ten days Youth camp activity programs covered physical training or exercises, devotions, worship services, lectures on leadership training, hiking, drill appraisal and entrepreneurship. Most sites commented that they had very blissful and spiritual experience.
Challenges
1. Lack of necessary materials to undertake or carry out the work.
2. Lack of coordination between Local Churches, Districts and the Conference director with regards to the necessary information of events that are carried out within Churches and districts.
Gratitude
We really appreciate how far the Lord has led us. It is our prayer that as we have set pace in the new year, may He guide us through His will in order to accomplish our set goals.
Submitted by,
Pastor Stephen Kwadwo Adusei
Director, Communication Ministry
