VERY REV MRS DORIS SAAH IS FIRST FEMALE SYNOD SECRETARY OF ACCRA DIOCESE

Story: Emmanuel Ashong, Accra

The Very Rev Mrs Doris Saah made history last Sunday, November 13, 2022 as she was inducted into office as the first female Synod Secretary of the Accra Diocese of The Methodist Church Ghana.

She’s the third female to occupy that position in the entire Ghana Methodist Connexion, following earlier feats by the Very Rev Comfort Ruth Quartey-Papafio, who is the Immediate Past Synod Secretary of the Sekondi Diocese and the Very Rev Mrs Jane D. Dor, the incumbent Synod Secretary of the Somanya Diocese in that order.

The Induction Service which was held at the Wesley Cathedral, Accra was witnessed by the Immediate Past Presiding Bishop of The Methodist Church Ghana, the Most Rev Titus Awotwi Pratt and a Past Administrative Bishop of the Church, the Rt Rev Albert Ofoe Wright among other prominent past and serving officers of the Church from the Connexional, Diocesan, Circuit and Society levels.

Inducting the Very Rev Mrs Saah into office, the Methodist Bishop of Accra Diocese, the Rt Rev Emmanuel Borlabi Bortey indicated that, “Positions are not for showing ourselves that I am the ‘Oga’. Positions are meant to be a means by which we facilitate the work of God”. 

“It is Christ Jesus who builds His church and we are mere servants, so He calls us to serve”, Bishop Borlabi Bortey stressed. 

He prayed for the newly inducted Synod Secretary and asked that “may the Lord grant you grace to so distinguish yourself that men will see that indeed with God, all things are possible and He has called you and equipped you for the task He has sent you”.

Commenting on the need for periodic changes in ministerial stationing, Bishop Borlabi Bortey noted that “Nobody owns a particular congregation. It is to show that the church belongs to Christ. It doesn’t belong to any human being” adding, “The survival of the church or any society does not depend on only one person”.

For her part, Very Rev Mrs Saah thanked past and present leaders of the Church for their role in nurturing her in ministry. She also expressed appreciation to her family for their support.

The Synod Secretary together with the Bishop and Lay Chairman of a Methodist Diocese constitute the Diocesan Executive and is primarily responsible for assisting the Diocesan Bishop in ensuring that the decisions of the Synod are put into effect, according to the Methodist Constitution. In the Accra Diocese, the Synod Secretary is also the full-time Administrator of the Diocesan Secretariat and executes such duties as assigned by the Bishop from time-to-time.

Very Rev Mrs Saah comes to her position with 16 years of experience as a Methodist Minister, having previously served in various capacities within and outside the Church, the last being Superintendent Minister of the Kokomlemle Circuit.

She holds a Diploma in Ministry and a Bachelor of Theology both from the Trinity Theological Seminary, Legon as well as a Master of Arts in Religions and a Master of Philosophy all awarded by the University of Ghana.