On Saturday 10th September, 2022, Pastor Thompson Okoffo Tachei, the District Pastor of the above named district of the Seventh – day Adventist Church in the Mid – Central Ghana Conference territory, together with the entire membership of the district held a dedicatory service at the district headquarters Church at Tafo in Kumasi.
It was a joyous moment for the members in the district and the Conference at large. After the thanksgiving service, the President of the Conference, Pastor Osei Kofi, flanked with his executive Secretary, Pastor Alexander Marfo, the Treasurer, Elder Samuel Kutin, the Communication Director, Pastor Stephen Kwadwo Adusei and the district Pastor lead the congregation to the left front side of the Church building where the district parsonage situates and was ready for dedication.
After a short words of commendation from the situs judi online President to the elders and the members of the district for their concerted effort that had given rise to that good-looking edifice, the Executive Secretary was then invited to offer the dedicatory prayer, after which the Conference President took steps forward and cut the ribbon to officially open the building for use. The parsonage will house two ministers and their families, one on top and one on the ground apartment.
For evangelism to flourish, there is the need to make prayer the first thing. Prayer is the key to the heaven’s treasure house. Little did Mrs. Angela know that her little prayer whispered into the air could get to the Lord for positive results.
With a sense of purpose driven ministry, the couple teamed up and prayed for successful ministry to disciple others to have deeper relationship with Jesus. Not only did Pastor Richard preach to have souls baptized, Mrs. Angela did, even to the extent that through her prayer to solicit for guests to Church on one Sabbath. As a foreigner without knowing anyone in Kumasi, lifeless objects were ordered up to win souls for Jesus Christ through her prayer.
It was on Friday 11th February, 2022. Mrs. Angela Jackson intended to attend Church in her newly gifted fabric the next morning. She had to get to a dressmaking shop and had it sewed into a blouse before Sabbath hours caught up. As the couple dropped off in town at a dress maker’s shop, she handed it over and was measured up for the blouse. The thought of getting a visitor to church the next morning flashed back into memory again and again.
As her quest for visitors heightened, a chapter of conversation opened up, beginning with a question trying to figure out if the dressmaker was a Seventh -day Adventist Church member. As if it was by design. Yes, was the answer. A follow up request to visit the Church as the guests of the Jacksons was then lobbed in direct to the dressmaker and the apprentices. Low and behold, the request was granted.
The Sabbath worship at Nkontwima where the Jacksons worshiped welcome the dressmaker and the apprentices at the portals of the Church. Mrs. Angela Jackson was the happiest person at Church that Sabbath to have had her little prayer answered. At the end of the worship when Pastor Jackson, the preacher of the Sabbath appealed to the listeners to make decision to surrender to Jesus Christ. To Angela’s utter surprise, her guest, the apprentice of the dressmaker, the Non -Adventist sprang up, marched in a soldier- like manner upfront in response to the call of the Master.
Currently, one apprentice got baptized and one is being prepared for baptism in Nkontwima Seventh-day Adventists Church within the Mid-Central Ghana Conference through a sheer noiseless blouse of Mrs. Angela Jackson of the United Kingdom.
The urgency of the Great Commission to Christians that constitutes the “Magna Carta” of the Seventh-day Adventist Church and Christianity at large enjoins all believers do serious missions in whichever means possible one finds himself. It therefore explains the fact that once a person converts he is duty bound to disciple others, for Christ has saved us to serve and save others throughout the whole wide World.
Surely, it is upon this charge that many were driven into martyrdom, paving way for others to get into the light of the truth. Some travelled overseas to share the story of Calvary that fortunately, we Africans might have the privilege and hope of salvation.
Pastor Richard Jackson, a Caribbean and a Jamaican British national Seventh -day Adventist Minister of the gospel from the England Conference, together with his wife could not wait, considering the value of their calling into the ministry, other than to track down their roots to Kumasi, Ghana, within the Sub Saharan region of Africa and fulfill their commitment to the Great Commission charge to them. Upon invitation, through Mid-Central Ghana Conference, the Jackson family flew over here in Ghana to share the gospel within a couple of weeks.
On Monday 7th March, 2022 having accepted the invitation, the Jackson family touched the soil of Ghana where they had probably learned or through traditional historical practice, heard about their ancestral descent, the place where the great grandparents of theirs’ had their birth.
For about ten days, Pastor Richard and Mrs. Angela Jackson tirelessly engaged in a seven day spiritual emphasis morning activity in the Adventist Senior High School where a band of thirty -four (34) students got converted and baptized at the end.
Moreover, on Tuesday 10th February, 2022, the Jacksons visited Abena Kwabena Junior Secondary School to inspect a project which had been initiated before the visit under the auspices of the Jacksons at Achiase. In addition to the ongoing project, the Jacksons and friends had sponsored the education of fifteen students from the same school and two others from the Andrews Academy at Maakro.
Friday 11th to Sunday 13th February, 2022 was a period the Jacksons committed to the ministerial staff and their spouses. This was the period where the couple in Diaspora taught lesson on effective ministry, among others were ethical leadership as well as sharing the rich ministerial experience with the ministers and their spouses. The Jacksons visit was a fleeting one yet, it was seen as a prolific missionary trail which will hardly be forgotten.
Saturday 2nd October 2021 marked Ahenkro Seventh-day Adventist Church in the Boamang District of Mid-Central Ghana Conference attained two scores. The Sabbath marked a very outstanding event for the church members of Ahenkro all over the world, since it was organized as a home coming event for all Ahenkro Seventh-day Adventist church members. The fortieth (40th) anniversary celebration of the church at Ahenkro spanned from Sunday 26th September, 2021 through to Saturday 2nd October, 2021 with public development activities and that of the local church. On Sunday 26th September 2021, the Church members thronged through the town, clearing areas overgrown with bushes, cleaning gutters of the principal streets, public centers and the Ahenkro Clinic site ended that segment on Friday 1st October, 2021. Saturday 2nd October, 2021 which marked the actual day of commemoration was the Sabbath, a day of rest, joy and to worship the Creator. On this great day, Church members of Boamang District collaborated with the Ahenkro local church members, the chief of the town, Nana Ahenkro Osei Opoku IV and Hon. Akwasi Karikari Achiamfour, the District Chief Executive, all numbered about one thousand church and unchurch members met, praised and worshipped the Lord on behalf of Ahenkro Seventh-day Adventist Church members for good health, longevity, peace, spiritual and numerical growth of the church. During the Divine Service of the worship period, Pastor Osei Kofi, the president of the Mid-Central Ghana Conference, mounted the podium, flanked with his other officers of the administration, reechoed the voice of the worshipers for the fact that God is worthy of praise through His grace, having profoundly dealt ardently with humanity especially in the case of Ahenkro Seventh-day Adventist church members for a period of forty years. The celebrants climaxed their celebration and worship with a harvest that day, a period of showing loyalty and to God through giving. At the end of the program, the harvest yielded two hundred and thirty thousand Ghana cedis.
The Seventh-day Adventist Church yearly celebrates the sharing of literature as a segment of the gospel commission borne by the church. It is equally an indispensable arm of the publishing and evangelism ministries of the Seventh-day Adventist church.
As already mentioned, Sunday 18th – Saturday 24th April, 2021 marked the impact week of the literature evangelism week; to commemorate the event, the Mid-Central Ghana Conference Administration did their part by presenting fourteen boxes of Steps to Christ, two thousand (2,000) copies of the above named literature of the Seventh-day Adventist Church to Adventist Senior High School – Bantama.
It was Tuesday 13th April that the Officers of Mid-Central Ghana Conference together with the publishing Ministry director presented this literature to the headmistress of this Adventist Senior High School – Bantama at about 10:00 am.
This presentation was officiated by Pastor Osei Kofi, the president of the conference, flanked by Pastor Alexander Marfoh, the Executive Secretary, Elder Samuel Kutin, the Treasurer, and Pastor Stephen Kwadwo Adusei, the Publishing director. In his address, the president broke open the mission of their visit. He said, it was necessary to present the books as part of the literature evangelism impact exercise. He added that as students, they were to additionally read such books to enrich their spiritual growth as they get engulf in their academic endeavors. After the presentation, the headmistress of the school, Mrs. Grace Kafui Ayi in her appreciation remarks, commended the president of the conference and his entourage for such a kind gesture. She therefore urged the students to use the books in a manner that would be prolific to them in the future, though considering their heavy academic schedules.
In all spheres of life, the optimal leadership result of any human endeavor rests on stewardship and accountability. The Scripture also testifies that this indispensable aspects of reality could be found in Matthew 25:19-23 where the Master of the three stewards recompensed the first two industrious servants who assiduously managed their respective given talents received favorable commendations and rewarded. On the contrary, the idle servant was rebuked, shunned and expelled from office, because his adduction lacked or missed the threshold of leadership.
It is upon this premise that the Administration of this conference sought to render faithful stewardship and accountability to the church in elders council meetings yearly till the five year period of office.
As a yearly routine within the five year span of leadership duty since the year 2019, this elder’s council meeting was convened at Otumfour Newsite SDA Church, Ohwim-Atafoa opposite the office complex building on Sunday, 14th March, 2021.
The program met two hundred and five (205) men and women in leadership from churches and districts within the ambit of the conference to this council meeting which commenced proceedings at 0930hours with a devotion led by Pastor Daniel Kyei Baffour Jnr.
He Preached on the topic, “I will go, my response to the grace of God”. Drawing his sermon from the gospel of Luke 24:29, he cautioned church leaders on their attitude of indifference towards the gospel commission and the need for “I will go” the general theme for the SDA church be taken seriously, a theme adopted by the General Conference to the World church.
He stated that the response to discipleship is costly; it took the lives of the Apostle Paul, James, Peter, some of the Christian fathers, among others; to trivialize with this concept of evangelistic spirit, and drive amounts to the neglect of joining the train of the grafted few who have accepted the commission, proclaiming to the dying world, the mighty acts of Him that called us from darkness into His marvelous light. The devotion closed with a prayer request that the leaders of God’s church be unctioned to be reenergized and respond positively for God’s course.
After a short period allowed for Adventist Heritage promotion which Mr. Samuel Oti-Boadi introduced to the congregants the new policies for registration as, “Manidaso”, “Me daakye” accounts, he invited all to contact them for registration forms.
Introduction and Welcome Address
Next, Pastor Alexander Marfoh, the executive secretary of the conference mounted the podium to welcome participants and introduced them and their Pastors according to their district lot, after which he took a motion for the commencement of the main business of the meeting. It was right away seconded for that purpose.
Project Committee’s Report
The project committee chairman, Elder Koduah outlined the activities the committee had spearheaded and accomplished since they took office. Below find a few totaling three hundred and ninety-two thousand, eight hundred and sixty seven Ghana cedis, thirty-one pesewas (Ȼ392,867.31)
Security Post.
Insertion and installation of anti-thunder for the building against thunder strikes.
Plumbing of the office complex.
Landscaping.
Installation of air Conditioners in offices.
Planning of lamb shelter church structures.
Polytank for storage of water.
Continuation or Discontinuation of 10% office Complex fund to the Conference
This issue met a protracted discussion of participants but finally it was decided and voted that the fund to still continue its normal submission trend to the conference, however, it should be towards the building of the lamb shelter structures for churches under trees which COVID-19 had banned their worship in school classrooms.
Promotion of Conference Official Vehicle
On this issue, it was pronounced to the house that another felt need of the conference is a new Toyota land cruiser Prado SUV vehicle for the conference for its official duties, it was unanimously accepted for this purpose and all pledged towards the purchase of this car, after pieces of paper had been collected from participants on their respective pledges, a vote was taken and seconded to bring the elders council meeting to a close. A prayer of thanksgiving and protection was said finally to end the meeting.
It is best said by the wise men or the elders that while gathered at a meeting of elders, and drinking, there, the best ideas and plans are hatched.
Since Mid-Central Ghana Conference was given birth to, and needed everything that it takes to be worthy of its name and status as a conference sought to use breakfast meeting as a medium of sharing plans, challenges and recommendations to church members and non-church members for assistance and development.
On Sunday 7th March, 2021 the Administration of the above named conference met about one hundred invited church and non-church members at the conference hall of the office complex at about 0800hours local time, in a breakfast meeting.
Devotion
In the devotion of this meeting, the President of the conference, Pastor Osei Kofi Broke open the purpose of the meeting in his sermon as prelude of the breakfast meeting. Upon the key text of his sermon, which was taken from Exodus 35:5, a command given by God to Moses to inform the Israelites to take offering to the Lord towards the construction of a Tabernacle of His dwelling among His people.
Bringing his sermon to a close, he reiterated the free giving response offering of the people of Israel until they were told to restrain their giving, a godly practice which he recommended to be emulated by all Seventh-day Adventist Church leaders and members in this coda of Christ’s second coming.
The devotion came to a close after two prayer requests, for God’s unction upon His people at this end time to give unreservedly towards His course, and proceedings of the meeting in the hands of God. These prayer points were offered by Elder Luis Adu Gyamfi, Achiase district elder and Pastor Agyeman-Badu, the Ministerial Secretary of the conference respectively.
Next was a fleeting general introduction of participants, after which Pastor E.B Amponsah, the finance committee chairman of the conference mounted the podium with the felt need of the conference to the hearing of all.
He declared the conference Administration’s proposal of purchasing a used Toyota Land cruiser Prado SUV vehicle, but when the house learned the price of a brand new of same vehicle at Ȼ49,000.00, a vote was quickly taken to go in for a new one. Without wasting much time the conference Treasurer, Elder Samuel Kutin took his turn to give the situational report on the appropriation of the proceed of the previous breakfast meeting which took place at Okubi Hotel a year ago, that had been used for the development of the Headquarters building.
Silver Collection / Pledges
After the treasurer’s presentation, there was a session of silver collection and pledges towards the purchase of the Toyota land cruiser Prado SUV official vehicle already proposed at the end this period, participants synegized financial effort yielded Ȼ72,700.00 was the seed money towards the conference felt need.
Conclusion
Finally, Pastor E.B Amponsah expressed appreciation on behalf of the conference to participants for such a massive and prompt response towards the need of the conference, after which Sister Benita Kwarteng Amaning was invited to pray to bring all proceedings to a close.
The Breakfast meeting ended at 1145hours local time.
As it had been the religious practice of old for those that responded to the biding of God were anointed, a sacred ritual before the official commencement of duty, Mid-Central and Green View Ghana Conferences advanced six and one gospel ministers respectively for ordination. On Saturday 24th October, 2020, Pastor Albert Mensah, the District Pastor of Barekese, Pastor Isaac Afriyie, the District Pastor of Kodie, Pastor Fred Opoku Agyemang, the District Pastor of Namong, Pastor Frank Amponsah Boateng, the District Pastor of Maakro, Pastor Ebenezer Owusu Banahene, the District Pastor of Abofour and Pastor Stephenson Yaw Baafi, the District Pastor of Achiase, all six ordinants were presented from the Mid-Central Ghana Conference whilst Pastor Stephen Osei was also presented from the Green View Ghana Conference. This Ordination Service which was organized at the premise of the Nkontwima Seventh-day Adventist Church, under the auspices of the Mid-Central Ghana Conference administration was the second of its kind in the history of the above mentioned Conference since its inception. In this Spiritual convocation, Pastor AP Mensah, a retired minister of the gospel delivered the sermon for the service. In his sermon, he admonished the ordinants that whosoever professes to have the responsibility of God’s calling needs to beware, for Satan in his numerous deceptive schemes seeks to destroy the Church of God. In expounding and reiterating his point by quoting the Apostle Paul from the book of 2 Timothy, Chapter 2, verses 14 on, he urged all Church leaders, especially the newly ordained ministers to be careful of the Evil One and do their best to always present themselves to God as leaders approved, workers who do not need to be ashamed, that shun profanity and ungodliness in order not to overthrow their faith. After this admonition, the ordinants were laid hands on by officials and other ordained ministers for ordination prayer. Next, the newly ordained ministers were commissioned to their duties after they had been charged to office by Pastor Dr. Kwame Kwanin Boakye, the President of Northern Ghana Union Mission. It was a very grandeur an occasion since it brought all the officers of the two Unions and all the Conferences together.
As a Church that cares for improving and developing the health of humanity holistically, Seventh-day Adventist Church of the Mid-Central Ghana Conference, on Wednesday 16th September, 2020 commissioned an extension block of the Anyinasuso Polyclinic under the auspices of the Conference. This ceremony commenced at 10:00hrs local time after a short devotion led by Pastor Robert Kwame Nyarko, the Health Ministry director of the Conference admonished the gathering to have trust in the Lord and His word, despite the difficulties, fear of COVID-19 and other misfortunes that might befall the people of God. For He is in control, aware and poised at every pace of his people here on earth. After a short history about how the Clinic had journeyed from the day to the ceremony, Pastor Osei Kofi, the President of the Conference led the procession of the dignitaries to cut the tape where Nana Amankwah Agyeinim Boateng, Chief of Anyinasuso cut the tape to grace the occasion. After that, the gathering were conducted round the new block that had been put up as an extension of the Clinic’s Children and Women ward.
Pr Stephen Kwadwo Adusei
Director of Communication, Mid-Central Ghana Conference of SDA.
