50TH METHODIST CONFERENCE APPROVES CREATION OF 2 NEW DIOCESES AND A NEW CONSTITUTION

Story: Emmanuel Ashong, Winneba

Delegates at the 50^th Annual and 12^th Biennial Conference of The Methodist Church Ghana, currently underway at the Ebenezer Methodist Cathedral, Winneba have approved the creation of two new Dioceses and a revised Church Constitution.

The Conference which officially opened on Thursday, August 18, 2022, approved the creation of the North America Diocese and confirmed the Bishop’s Deputy, the Very Rev Prof Emmanuel Y. Lartey as the Bishop-elect to take office as Diocesan Bishop effective October 01, 2022.

The new Diocese which comprises of four Circuits - Newark NJ, Atlanta, Washington DC and Toronto Circuits, has the Emmanuel Methodist Chapel, Newark as the Cathedral.

Delegates at the Representative Session of Conference on Friday, August 19, 2022 also approved the creation of the Ho Diocese from the Tema Diocese and approved the election of the Very Rev Matthew Zikpi as Bishop-elect to take office from October 01, 2022.

The Circuits constituting the Ho Diocese are Ho, Awudome, Peki, Juapong, Aveyime and Hohoe Circuits with the Emmanuel Chapel, Ho as the Cathedral.

The two new Dioceses add to the existing twenty Dioceses of the Church with three other proposed Dioceses from the present Kumasi, Tamale and Effiduase Dioceses at different stages of progress.

Following the completion of work of a Committee set up by the Church in 2018 to review obsolete provisions in the Methodist Constitution and Standing Orders, Conference approved a new Constitution for the Church. Unlike the present one, the new Constitution will be simply called the Methodist Constitution with its provisions referred to as S.Os.  

The new Constitution provides a more structured system for Counselling and Pastoral Care; places a requirement for candidates to the office of Lay President and Lay Chairman to be accredited Lay Preachers of the Church; creates a provision for Evangelists Order and Caretakers, covering the training, commissioning, remuneration and pension of Lay Evangelists.

Other provisions in the new Constitution are the creation of a new General Directorate for Legal and Corporate Affairs. In the area of Ministerial Training and Formation, the new Constitution provides that a candidate for the Ministry under S.O 54 must not be more than 35years and those coming under S.O 55, must not be more than 45years except under very special circumstances.

Conference will on Saturday, August 20, 2022 elect a new Lay President to take over from the incumbent, Bro William Orleans Oduro [Esq] whose tenure of office ends in September 2023.