The Methodist Church, Ghana, on Saturday inaugurated the Osu Circuit, giving it a mandate to direct and control the affairs of three societies as a distinct unit of the church and help them to execute their core mandate.
The societies are the Reverend Peter Kwei Dagadu Memorial Chapel, Osu, the head of the Circuit, where the inauguration ceremony was held, the Kuku Hill Society, and Labone Cantonment Preaching Post.
The Right Reverend Samuel Kofi Osabutey, the Diocesan Bishop of Accra, the Methodist Church, Ghana, who inaugurated the Circuit also inducted the Very Reverend Godson Nii Amu Akushie as the first Superintendent Minister.
He also introduced the Circuit Stewards and Coordinators including; Lay Women Council Executives, Coordinating Officers for Ministry, Education, Finance, and Development among others, who afterwards resolved to work to promote spiritual, financial and psychosocial development within the Circuit.
They also pledged to work in love to enrich themselves in the Lord to undertake religious tasks, to nurture children to grown in the love of Christ.
The Very Rev. Akushie on the other hand, affirmed faith in God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and pledged to avail himself to be used by the Holy Spirit to win souls, to lead exemplary holy life for the children of God.
He also vowed to serve the church and the entire humanity in faithfulness bearing in mind that his life would be brought to light whether good or evil on the judgment day for all to witness.
The gown and garment of the Superintendent Minister were blessed by the Diocesan Bishop with other Ministers to serve as an adornment and give him spiritual authority.
The usual shaking of hands given by the Ministers to the inductee as a way of congratulating him was this time around replaced with a hand wave or a sign of prayer in the quest to observing the COVID-19 safety protocols.
The Rt. Rev. Osabutey advised the Supt. Minister to take charge of the Circuit and give it pastoral care and supervision, and encouraged the Lay members within the Circuit to receive him as a servant of God and the Gospel with honour and cooperation to achieve the mandate and purpose of the Church.
In an interview with the Superintendent Minister, he said being chosen for the position was by the grace of God, though it was a challenging one.
“Even though it is a privilege to serve in God’s vineyard, I need grace to be humble to receive all the directions to take the circuit to where God wants us to go,” he said.
The Very Reverend Dr. Samuel Dua Dodd, the Superintendent Minister of the Accra North Circuit, who delivered a sermon, said in the midst of chaos, loss of focus and discouragement, that was when God raised a leader.
He advised the Very Rev. Akushie to make the qualities in him as a Leader and a Shepherd of God visible to all, in order to teach them to live like Jesus Christ and give them directions to get them out of their trials and tribulations.
These, he said, would help to return church members who had been absent for a long time.
“We are in a moment, where the commitment of members of the church is conditioned on their convenience, schedule, and free time or mood, however, it is during a moment like this that God brings up a leader to help to find the lost sheep,” he said.
“The Circuit needs to place its priorities right. Can you as a Superintendent Minister, take members of the Circuit back to the period where voice notes and text messages were used to remind children of God to be punctual at church and remain committed?”
The Most Reverend Dr. Paul Kwabena Boafo, the Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church, Ghana, in a goodwill message, reminded the Circuit to bear in mind that evangelism was the core business of the Church and put in appropriate mechanisms to return former members of the Church and regain more souls.
He also asked the Circuit to draw attention of members to the reality that the COVID-19 pandemic still lived among the citizenry, hence the need to adhere to the protocols even when the nationwide vaccination exercise commenced.
