THE NEW GHANAIAN | 36 | FOCUSING MORE ON THE COMMUNITY
METHODIST CHURCH GHANA CHALKS A “HISTORIC FIRST” IN NORTH AMERICA Story by Ayitey Martins
The Methodist Church Ghana on Saturday, October 1, 2011 chalked a ‘historic first’ with the arrival to assume his ministry, of the Right Rev. Bishop Benjamin Kwabena Asare. (SMC). The Bishop will, primarily, be the Resident Minister of the Ebenezer Methodist Church, Hyattsville, MD. which has, for a long time, been logged as a “one wanted” society in the Methodist Church Ghana Almanac. At precisely 6.25 a.m. the United Airlines plane bringing in the Bishop and his wife, Mrs. Elizabeth Amma Asare, touched down at the Dulles International Airport in Washington DC, where a protocol committee of 6 composed of members of the Ebenezer Methodist Church, Hyattsville, MD, (EMC), and the Ghana Resurrection Methodist Church, Alexandria, VA (GRMC) were anxiously waiting. To be sure nothing went amiss, the committee members, comprising Church Elder Wofa Addai, Bro. Ernest Tetteh, Bro. Nana Dankwa, Bro. Jonas Osei Bonsu, of the EMC, as well as those from Virginia had left their respective Church premises in Maryland and Virginia at 5.a.m. for the Saturday morning drive to the airport. The GRMC group, comprising Bro. Kofi Anan and Sis. Sophia Awuah, linked up with their counterparts. The Very Rev. Dr. Akwasi KwakyeNuako, Resident Minister of the GRMC, Bro. Baffour Amoateng, Caretaker of the Calvary Redeeming Methodist Church of Rockville, MD., were already waiting at the Arrivals Lounge to meet and introduce the Bishop to members of the welcoming party. Also present were Kwesi Orleans-Lindsay and Richard Fiscian of the EMC transportation committee. After some warm and enthusiastic exchanges of courtesies, the Bishop and Mrs. Asare were chauffeured for the 53-mile drive to the EMC-FRANCES MARSH MISSION HOUSE in Laurel, MD. Very Rev. Dr. John A.K. Bonful, the immediate past chairman of the North America Methodist Mission Churches and Very Rev. Kofi Bart-Martin, the current Chairman, offered the welcome prayers while the members present sang “Bless This House”. There were informal interactions and exchanges of welcome with the Bishop until about 11a.m. when the Bishop and his wife, having now been ushered to their living quarters, retired to have a rest after their long flight from Ghana. The arrival of Bishop Asare as the substantive Bishop marks the first time that such a high-ranking minister of the Methodist Church Ghana (MCG) has been stationed in the United States and Canada. The Bishop will also serve as the liaison between the North America Churches and the MCG Headquarters. In addition to being the Resident Minister of EMC, the Bishop will be the direct representative of the Presiding Bishop of the MCG. His concurrent ministerial responsibilities as the Supervising Missions Coordinator (SMC) will cover the following categories of Methodist Churches in the U.S and Canada: Ghana Methodist Churches directly linked to the Methodist Church Ghana, Ghana United Methodist Churches who are members of the United Methodist Church - USA Ghana Methodist Churches within the United Church of Canada, and Ghanaian Methodists in the United Methodist Church, the United Church of Canada and other Christian Churches in North America. According to a Policy Document adopted at a stakeholders’ conference held in May 2010 at Aburi in Ghana, and which was attended by delegates from all the Ghana Methodist Churches in North America, the vision for this rejuvenation of the Ghana Methodist Churches in the U.S. and Canada will be “to bring freshness and hope into the lives of Ghanaian immigrants and others in North America”. The missionary focus of the Church is “to preach the Christian Gospel and worship in the African and Wesleyan tradition and, selflessly and with integrity, engage in innovative and caring social interventions”. The Churches in the U.S. and Canada, now under the wings of a Bishop as Supervising Missions
Very Rev. Dr. Kwakye-Nuako welcoming the Rt. Rev. Bishop Asare
A section of the EMC Youth Fellowship
Very Rev. Dr. Kwakye Nuako formally welcoming the Bishop and Mrs. Elizabeth Asare. With them is Sis. Ekua Banson, President of the EMC Women's Fellowship.
Bishop Asare administering the Communion elements.
Very Rev. Kofi Bart-Martin sharing the Communion wine
The massed Choirs of EMC and GRMC singing "Meni Otsu?" for the Introit
The Rt. Rev. Bishop Asare
Bro. Ben Andorful
A view of the congregation
Coordinator, will have, as their core values, Integrity, Inclusiveness, Love for one another, Selflessness, Responsibility and Togetherness. According to the Policy Document for Mission Work in North America, the SMC will endeavor to foster peace and harmony among all Ghana Methodist Churches in North America. And, in matters of ecumenical relations, facilitate communication between the MCG, Cont’d on page 37
A view of the congregation