First Lady inaugurates Anglican National Secretariat

Mrs Rebecca Akufo-Addo, the first lady has inaugurated the National Secretariat of the Anglican Church, Internal Province of Ghana (IPG), to serve as a centralized point for church administration.

The facility, located at Teshie Nungua, was jointly funded by the President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II Asantehene and his wife, Lady Julia Osei Tutu and other contributors.

With separate office spaces for the Archbishop and other administrative staff, the facility is expected to enhance the national and international visibility of the Anglican Church in Ghana.

Mrs Akufo-Addo while commending the church for being visionary and in tune with the exigencies of time, said: “our beliefs as Anglicans, are deeply rooted in the word of God; these beliefs have sustained the work of the Anglicans Church through many generations.”

She said many had come to the saving knowledge of Christ and the message of redemption as a result of the Anglian Church as that was made possible by the grace of God, the power of the Holy Spirit and the systems and structures of the Church.

The First Lady, acknowledged the enormous support of Anglican towards the development and transformation of the Anglian Church and the country as a whole, and appealed to other members to emulate the church’s exemplary leadership by actively supporting its vision.

“I encourage all Anglicans, especially the seasoned ones to reach out to our youth; teach them to love God and Country; encourage them to live by biblical principles and create spaces where our youth are welcome,” she said.

She said the global COVID-19 pandemic called for all stakeholders, including the church, to come together to combat it, stressing that the battle against the pandemic required the church to be active and supportive of measures rolled out by the government.

The Most Reverend Dr Cyril Kobina Ben-Smith the Archbishop of the Internal Province of Ghana, who initiated the project barely two months after his enthronement, noted that the secretariat must be the agent of change for the Anglican Church in Ghana.

He said: “It must be a unifier, the pivot for the transformation and revitalization of the Anglican Church in Ghana; the hinge for repositioning and enhancement of visibility as well as a sense of belongingness.”

The Archbishop, who is also the Bishop of Asante Mampong, told the Ghana News Agency on the sidelines that, the church had embarked on a proactive strategic plan to influence a roadmap for the transformation and revitalization of the province.

“Indeed we are being strategic in terms of carrying out projects and activities that will bring us together, ensure growth and enhance the national presence of the church,” he said.

The inaugural ceremony was attended by Madam Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration; Mr Bernard Okoe Boye, former Member of Parliament for Ledzokuku; all Diocesan Bishops; past Provincial Archbishops including; Archbishop Emeritus Most Rev. Dr Justice Ofei Akrofi, Member of the Council of State; senior Clergymen and the laity amongst others.