Anglican Diocese of Sekondi Making Strides

The Bishop of the Sekondi Diocese of the Anglican Church, Right Reverend Alexander Kobina Asmah, has reiterated the Church's avowed commitment to its core mandate in the areas of Evangelism, Health, Education, Agriculture and the provision of social amenities to better the lot of society.

According to him, the move was in fulfilment of the great commission where the Lord and Master Jesus Christ went about healing, feeding and ensuring the general well-being of society.

The Rt. Rev. Asmah said this in a sermon at a special thanksgiving service to commemorate the 36th anniversary celebration of the Sekondi Diocese.

The occasion also marked the climax of the first Episcopacy of the Bishop since he assumed office at the St. Andrews Anglican Cathedral at Sekondi. The day coincided with the 21st Sunday of the Church after Trinity.

Preaching on the theme, "What I shall render to the Lord for all his benefits to us", the Bishop admonished the congregation to acknowledge the tender mercies and plenteous blessings of God in the life of the Sekondi Diocese.

Bishop Asmah reminded the Church that in the midst of turbulent periods, internal wrangling, conflicts and financial constraints, the Diocese continued to triumph with marked improvement.

He used the occasion to pay glowing tribute to members who stood through thick and thin to restore the Church to its former glory and urged them to put quarrels, bickering and acrimony behind them and forge ahead in unity.

He also paid tribute to the first Bishop of the Diocese, the Rt. Rev. T. S. A. Annobil, his successor, the Rt. Rev. Kweku Faakye Okoh and the Rt. Rev. Col. (Rtd.) J. K. Otoo for their selfless dedication to the work of God.

Rt. Rev. Asmah observed that the instability which rocked the Church in the past had stifled progressive initiatives, thereby stagnating development of the Diocese.

He advised the faithful to reflect on the past and the reconstruction of the Diocese to fulfil its mandate to the glory of God, adding that under his leadership, the conflict in the Diocese, which bordered on power sharing, has died down and given way to peace, love, unity and development.

Rt. Rev. Asmah outlined his achievement in the past one year to include the elevation of the Enchi branch to an Archdeaconry status with a shuttle vehicle, the Commissioning of an Episcopal Clinic at Nyankamam, a cocoa farming community near Enchi, with Tikobo No.2 in the Jomoro District as one of the designated areas to pitch one of such Clinics as well as the donation of a vehicle to the St Andrews Anglican Church at Sekondi.

Others are the elevation of the Kansaworado and Komfeiku local branches of the Church to full Parish status as well as the commissioning of a branch of the Church in La Cote' D'Ivoire.

He said the Diocese had instituted a Youth Bible Quiz competition to help the youth engender the spirit and skills to learn the Bible as part of revitalizing the core values of Christianity through scriptures.

Messrs. Festus Entsua Mensah and Kelvin Damtse of the Takoradi Archdeaconry branch who emerged first in the quiz competition, took home GHȼ500.00, a Bible, certificate and a shield.

The second competitor from the Essikado Archdeaconry, took home, GHȼ300.00, Bible and a certificate and the third competitor from the Tarkwa Archdeaconry, received GHȼ200.00, Bible and a certificate.

The Bishop also announced the creation of another Archdeaconry for the Essikado branch in due course and also cut the sod for the construction of a hostel facility at Effiakuma, a suburb of Takoradi.

On Education, Rt. Rev. Asmah announced that the Church had acquired a-30-acre tract of land for the construction of an Anglican University between Bordee and Asankragua with agriculture as its main strategic plan to take care of the chunks of cocoa produced in the Western Region.

He said the Diocese would soon inaugurate a theological committee to build the capacity level of priests to restore sanity into the fold of the flock and advance the kingdom of God.

The Bishop also hinted that an Anglican Senior High School (SHS) would be established in the Sekondi/Takoradi Metropolis as well as develop the Essikado local Church as the first point of touch of Anglicanism in the Western Region.