Anglican Communion of West Africa announces new changes

Accra, Oct. 10, GNA – The Church of the Province of West Africa (CPWA) has created two new administrative internal provinces as planned during the mission's synod in Conakry-Guinea on March 21, 2011.

The provinces are the internal province of Ghana to comprise the Dioceses in Ghana and the internal province of West Africa made up of Dioceses in Bo, Freetown, Cameroon, The Gambia, Guinea and Liberia.

Each of the internal provinces would be headed by an Archbishop, a statement issued by the Provincial Secretariat of the Church of the Province of West Africa in Accra has said.

The Right Reverend Dr Daniel Yinka Sarfo, Bishop of Kumasi was elected as Archbishop and would head the internal province of Ghana while Right Reverend Dr S. Tilewa Johnson, Bishop of The Gambia was also elected Archbishop to lead the province of West Africa for a 10- year tenure of office each.

The changes in the administration in the Anglican Communion of West Africa were made possible following the church's recent Special Provincial Synod and Electoral College held in Liberia on September 27 to approve the amendments to its constitution.

The statement explained that the Electoral Colleges of the two internal provinces had also come together to elect Ninth Primate and Metropolitan of the Church of Province of West Africa from among the two elected Archbishops.

Archbishop Johnson was elected to man the position for five years after which his Ghanaian counterpart would take over.

The statement said Archbishop Johnson would take over from the Eighth Primate and Metropolitan, Most Reverent Dr Justice O. Akrofi who would be retiring on October 29.

GNA