METHODISTS IN GHANA BEGIN NEW YEAR TODAY

Story: Emmanuel Ashong, Accra

The Methodist Church Ghana begins a new Church Year today, October 01, 2022.

The day marks the commencement of key activities within the Church including appointments to new positions, stationing of Ministers and Missionaries home and abroad, expiration of tenure of office of key officers of the Church at the Connexional, Diocesan, Circuit and Society levels as well as the superannuation of Ministers who have attained 70-years.

This new Church Year ushers in two new Dioceses in addition to the existing twenty Dioceses of the Church, following the decision of the 50^th Annual and 12^th Biennial Conference held at Winneba in August 2022, to approve the creation of the Ho Diocese and the North America Diocese.

Five new Bishops will commence their tenure of office from today. They are the Rt Rev Emmanuel K. Ansah, Sekondi Diocese; the Rt Rev Dr Samuel Dua Dodd, Tarkwa Diocese and the Rt Rev Atto Barfi Himbson, Nkawkaw Diocese. The rest are the Rt Rev Matthew Zikpi, Ho Diocese and the Rt Rev Prof Emmanuel Yartey Lartey, North America Diocese.

The year also kicks in a new Methodist Constitution which among others, provides for the creation of a new General Directorate for Legal and Corporate Affairs and sets new age limits for candidates for the Ministry.

In the Accra Diocese, Sis Agatha Nana Ama Ennin Osei makes way for Bro Joseph Eduam to take office as the new Lay Chairman of the Diocese while the Very Rev Doris Saah takes over from the Very Rev Victor B. B. Boyetey as the new Synod Secretary of the Diocese, to be assisted by the Very Rev George K. Affum as Assistant Synod Secretary.

Twelve other Dioceses namely, Cape Coast Diocese, Kumasi Diocese, Sekondi Diocese, Winneba Diocese, Koforidua Diocese, Sunyani Diocese, Tamale Diocese, Akyem Oda Diocese, Effiduase Diocese, Obuasi Diocese, Tema Diocese and Nkawkaw Diocese will see new Lay Chairmen beginning their respective three-year mandate from today.

The Church Year 2022/2023 will effective, January 01, 2023, retain the Church Theme for 2022 – "Discipleship: Living the Transformed Life in Jesus Christ" with Romans 12:1-2 as the scriptural foundation and Methodist Hymn 400 as the hymn of focus.