Tema Diocese holds maiden lecture to honour stalwarts

The Tema Diocese Lay Movement Council of the Methodist Church Ghana held its maiden lecture with a call on church leaders to embrace change, provide adequate training and development and offer mentorship and opportunities for young people to accelerate the growth of the church. 

The event, which was held last Saturday at the Bethel Society of the church in Community 8, Tema in the Greater Accra Region was to honour Rt Rev Joseph Yedu Bannerman, the Rt Rev Dr Seth Aryee, both deceased and Emmanuel Nii Laryea for their significant contributions to the church and the nation at large.

Rt. Rev Bannerman was the industrial Minister who sowed the seed of Methodism in the Tema Metropolis while the Rt. Rev Dr Aryee was the first Bishop of the Tema Diocese.  Mr Laryea on the other hand was the first Lay Chairman of the Tema Diocese.

The guest speaker for the event was Professor Kwame Adom-Frimpong, Chairman, General Directorate of Finance and Development of Finance and Development, the Methodist Church Ghana, who delivered a lecture on the topic, “Growing into Christian Maturity; strengthening church structures at the Society levels for growth.”

Prof. Adom-Frimpong said one of the most significant challenges that a church often faced in its growth journey was resistance to change by Church Leaders.

He said the congregation and the leadership must both have the mentality that change happened and it could be a good thing, adding that “Church growth can be a sign that God is working and growing His people.

We must be open to change and willing to embrace it for the sake of reaching more people with the gospel,” he said.

His presentation highlighted the need for spiritual maturity, which he said did not necessarily speak of how much biblical knowledge one possessed, but rather how willing one had been to allow the Holy Spirit to transform his or her understanding of God and life.

Components

Touching on how the church could strengthen its structures at the societal level for growth, Prof. Adom-Frimpong said a church structure was built around three main components: people, programmes and systems, stressing that these components work together to create a system that helps the church fulfil its mission and serve its community.

He stressed that strengthening church structures at the society (local) level allows for spontaneous growth, leads to good decision-making and governance processes, growth in individuals and ministries, and resources being maximised and used well.

He further said by adhering to these biblical principles, the Church can grow in faith, maturity, and fulfilling its divine mandate to be the body of Christ on earth.

Prof. Adom-Frimpong thus urged the church to put in more effort to ensure that its structures work well for it to grow and achieve its mission.

Rationale

The Tema Diocesan Lay Chairman, Robert Andrew Taylor, explained that taking a cue from the annual S.H Amissah, the first Vice President of the Methodist Church Ghana, conference in the year 2011, by the Connexional Lay Movement Council of the Methodist Church of Ghana, to honour outstanding lay leaders, who have made invaluable contributions to the church over the years, the Tema Diocese organised the lecture to honour some stalwarts in the diocese.

He said subsequent celebrants would be alternated between the clergy and the laity who have served the Tema Diocese.

Call to Action

A former Bishop of the Somanya Diocese of the Methodist Church, Ghana, Rt. Rev Albert Ofoe Wright, who chaired the programme, described the lecture as a call to active action, committed influence and fervent advocacy.

Writer’s email: Benjamin.glover@graphic.com.gh