Very Rev. Ollennu is new Methodist Bishop of Accra
The Synod of the Accra Diocese of the Methodist Church Ghana has elected the Very Rev. Dr Samuel Nii Nmai Ollennu, a former national head of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), as the next Bishop of the Accra Diocese of the church.
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He got 122 votes, representing 52.6 per cent, to beat the other contenders for the position: the Very Rev. Emmanuel Aryee, who got 95 votes, representing 40.9 per cent, and the Very Rev. George Wesley Tagoe, who got 15 votes, representing 6.5 per cent.
The election took place at the 63rd Synod of the Accra Diocese held at the Mt Zion Society of the Methodist Church in the Korle Gonno Circuit. By his election, Very Rev. Dr Ollenu would take over from the current Bishop of Accra, Right Rev. Emmanuel Borlabi Bortey, who would leave office in September this year after attaining the church's superannuating year for ministers at 70 years.
This was after a report of the election had been sent for approval by conference, the highest decision-making body of the Methodist Church, Ghana. Synod of the Methodist Church Ghana is the highest decision-making body of the church at the diocesan level.
All circuits in a diocese are represented at Synod so it is the general forum of the church at the diocesan level.
Very Rev. Dr Ollenu
The Very Rev. Ollennu is a native of La-Accra. He holds a PhD in Business Administration, an MA in Educational Measurement and Evaluation, a Post-Graduate Diploma in Public Administration and a B.Sc. (Hons) in Chemistry with Mathematics.
In 1984, he joined WAEC where he worked for 34 years; six of which he was at the apex position as Head of the Ghana National Office. He had his ministerial training through the Theological Education by Extension (TEE) pathway and was commissioned into the ministry in 1996.
After his commissioning into the ministry, then Rev. Ollennu served the Freeman, the Mt Olivet and the Korle Nkwanta Societies all in the Koforidua Diocese. He also served as the Diocesan Choir Chaplain, the Assistant Journal Secretary for the Koforidua Synod and the Local Preachers Coordinator for the Koforidua Circuit. He served in the Koforidua Diocese from 1996 to 2003.
Service
Cumulatively, he served in the Accra Diocese from 2003 to 2023. Additionally, Rev. Ollennu once performed the role of Daily Records Secretary for the Synod.
In 2023, Very Rev. Dr. Ollennu was transferred to the Northern Accra Diocese and stationed at the Bethel Society, West Adentan in the Adentan Circuit where he is the minister-in-charge to date.
Overlappingly, Very Rev. Dr Ollennu served the Methodist University, Ghana as Chaplain and the Head of Religious Affairs Unit. He also worked as a senior lecturer in the Faculty of Business Administration. While in the university, he supervised a PhD thesis and master’s dissertations.
Currently, in addition to his circuit duties, the Very Rev. Dr Ollennu serves the Methodist Church Ghana as the Director of Tertiary Education, a Member of the Faith and Order Committee, and in other positions at the Connexional level. He also facilitates premarital and family life education.