ACCRA DIOCESE EMBRACES NEW CIRCUIT

Story: Sarah Naa Merley Mensah & Emmanuel Ashong

The Accra Diocese of The Methodist Church Ghana has a new Circuit, adding to the existing 23 Circuits within the Diocese. This follows the inauguration of the Osu Circuit at a Church Service held at The Rev Peter Kwei Dagadu Memorial Methodist Chapel, Osu on Saturday, February 27, 2021.

The Constitution and Standing Orders of The Methodist Church Ghana defines a Circuit as “One or more Societies [Methodist chapel] under the Pastoral care of one or more Ministers. It is a distinctive authoritative unit within a Diocese, in which usually several Societies, conveniently situated for the purpose, are banded together for pastoral oversight, mutual support and Christian service.”

Reading the declaration at the Inauguration Service, the Superintendent Minister of the Accra Circuit, The Very Rev Dr Nana Kwesi Bart-Plange noted that, the Osu Circuit was created by the 11^th Biennial & 49^th Conference of The Methodist Church Ghana held at the Wesley Cathedral, Accra in October, 2020 and consists of The Rev Peter Kwei Dagadu Memorial Society as the Circuit Head, Kuku-Hill Society and Labone/Cantonments Society.  

Recounting the genesis of the Osu Circuit, Bro Benjamin Dodoo, who is also the first Circuit Steward of the Osu Circuit, revealed that, the idea of a new Circuit was conceived by a crop of people who felt it was about time The Rev Peter Kwei Dagadu Memorial Society enlarged its boundaries. He recounted that, on 20^th November, 2017, the Leaders’ Meeting moved a motion for the Society to be granted a Circuit status with all 46 members present at the meeting voting in favour of the motion. After initial bottlenecks, the 59^th Annual Synod of the Accra Diocese held at the Mt Olivet Methodist Chapel, Dansoman in July 2020 resolved to move the Osu section of the Accra Circuit to the final stage of becoming a full Circuit.

The Very Rev Godson Nii Amu Akushie was also inducted as the first Superintendent Minister of the Circuit. Hitherto, he was the Minister in-charge of The Rev Peter Kwei Dagadu Memorial Society. Inducting the Superintendent Minister, the Methodist Bishop of Accra, The Rt Rev Samuel Kofi Osabutey, reiterated God’s command to His workers to be holy and charged The Very Rev Akushie to exercise his office with love, sympathy and care for all members without discrimination. Bishop Osabutey also inaugurated officers of the Circuit, Coordinating Offices and Circuit Organisational Executives.

In a brief sermon on leadership, according to the Book of Ezra, The Superintendent Minister of the Accra North Circuit, The Very Rev Dr Samuel Dua Dodd, advised the The Very Rev Akushie to offer himself as a shepherd and not just a leader, adding “The people need a shepherd who will water them”.

The Service was attended by past and serving Ministers and Lay leaders at all levels of the Church, including The Most Rev Titus Kofi Awotwi Pratt, the Immediate Past Presiding Bishop, The Rt Rev Albert Ofoe Wright and The Rt Rev Dr Kwaku Asamoah-Okyere, Past Administrative Bishops of The Methodist Church Ghana.  

As part of the celebration, there was a gallery display of some archival materials of the new Circuit.