The Internal Province of Ghana of the Church of the Province of West Africa took a closer step to autonomy last week when it opened a National Secretariat office to serve as the central administrative hub for the church in Ghana.
On 30 April 2021, Mrs. Rebecca Akufo-Addo, wife of Ghana’s president Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, opened the new building located in Teshie Nungua. She was joined by the Ghanaian House of Bishops, former Archbishop Justice Akrofi, members of parliament, and foreign minister Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey. The cost of the building was underwritten by President Akufo-Addo and the King of Ashanteland, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II.
The Ghana News Agency reported Mrs. Akufo-Addo told the gathering “our beliefs as Anglicans, are deeply rooted in the word of God; these beliefs have sustained the work of the Anglicans Church through many generations.”
The church had played a key role in the moral, social and economic development of the country, she noted, adding this work must continue. “I encourage all Anglicans, especially the seasoned ones to reach out to our youth; teach them to love God and Country; encourage them to live by biblical principles and create spaces where our youth are welcome,” she said.
The Most Rev. Cyril Ben-Smith, Archbishop of the Internal Province of Ghana, told the gathering, the new center would serve as a “unifier, the pivot for the transformation and revitalization of the Anglican Church in Ghana; the hinge for repositioning and enhancement of visibility as well as a sense of belongingness.”
The Archbishop, who is also the Bishop of Asante Mampong, told the Ghana News Agency on the sidelines that, the church had embarked on a proactive strategic plan to influence a roadmap for the transformation and revitalization of the province.
“Indeed we are being strategic in terms of carrying out projects and activities that will bring us together, ensure growth and enhance the national presence of the church,” he said.
