EPCG 12th General Assembly ends with major decisions to guide church for next six years

The 12th General Assembly of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church, Ghana (EPCG) has concluded with far-reaching decisions aimed at strengthening the Church’s governance, finances, training, and mission for the next six years.

The Assembly elected Rev. Prof. Frederick Mawusi Yao Amevenku as the next Moderator of the General Assembly of the EPCG. He is expected to assume office from 1st January, 2027 to 31st December, 2032, succeeding the Rt. Rev. Dr. Lt Col. Bliss Divine Kofi Agbeko.

In receiving the Moderator’s address, the General Assembly expressed gratitude and commended it to Presbyteries, Districts/Parishes and Congregations for study and action. It acknowledged the accomplishments under the outgoing Moderator, including strides in evangelization and mission, the use of modern technology, renovation of the Moderator’s residence, reduction of the Church’s debt burden, establishment of the Prime Water project, empowerment of ministry wings, and legacies of the 175th anniversary celebration.

A major resolution was the review of the EPCG Constitution and Manual of Order. The Assembly noted challenges relating to the nomination and election of principal office bearers, election of Synod Moderators, the size of the General Assembly Executive Council, grievance procedures, and mechanisms for transfer of church agents. Consequently, it mandated the immediate formation of a Constitution Review Committee of between 7 and 9 persons to undertake the exercise.

The Assembly endorsed a 9-member ad hoc Constitution Review Committee with Pr. Mrs. Doris Wunu as Convener. Other members include Pr. Ernest Gbesemete, Clerk of the GA, Director of Human Resource, Pr. Barbara Wutor Esq, Cat. Francis Seigu, Rev. Dr. Bridget Ben-Naimah, Rev. Dr. Vida Asima, and Rev. Felix Fiabu. The Committee is to consider inputs from stakeholders and present proposed amendments to GAEC by the first quarter of 2027, with final promulgation expected at the 13th General Assembly in August 2028.

On finances, the Assembly resolved that the Fund Gathering policy should be reviewed within the next twelve months. The review will focus on the effectiveness of the policy in strengthening Church finances, adequately compensating agents in both endowed and deprived areas, reducing the frequency of fundraising events, and listening to a wide cross-section of the Church.

In the area of ministerial formation, the Assembly called for the review of training to meet current congregational needs. For now, ministerial training will be focused on Trinity Theological Seminary, Legon, a fully accredited, government-chartered institution. The Assembly, however, affirmed the continuing role of Peki Theological Seminary in the formation of catechists and musicians, and urged efforts to secure the necessary accreditation for its programmes.

The Assembly adopted several key policies for immediate implementation. These include the new Youth Policy, Tent Ministry Policy, Agents’ Remuneration Policy, EPCG Business Development Policy, Church Properties Policy, Communication Policy, and the Online Worship, Digital Communication and Social Media Policy.

It also accepted the Health and Finance Policy and the Education Policy for use, and referred their consideration for final adoption to the 13th General Assembly. In addition, the Assembly resolved that extraordinary or special Synod meetings should not be counted in synchronizing the counting of Synod meetings and General Assembly.

The 12th General Assembly expressed appreciation to all delegates and stakeholders whose contributions shaped the decisions. With these resolutions, the Church sets a clear roadmap for governance reforms, financial discipline, ministerial development, and policy alignment ahead of the next General Assembly.