Akufo-Addo attends outdooring ceremony of Anglicanism book

An Anglican cleric has advised the citizenry to strive to nip in the bud what he termed as ‘Pull-Him-Down’ syndrome if the nation is to realise her development aspirations.

“There is so much ‘pull-him-down’ in our endeavours as a nation, and this is not helping the cause of our development,” Most Reverend Professor Daniel Yinkah Sarfo, Primate and Metropolitan Archbishop of the Anglican Province of West Africa and the Internal Province of Ghana, observed.

Sabotage in whatever form, he noted, was counter-productive and an impediment to charting the cause for sustainable growth.

Most Rev. Prof. Sarfo, who was outdooring a book dubbed “St. Cyprian’s Cathedral and Anglicanism in Ashanti”, at a ceremony in Kumasi, indicated that it was expected of the people to put up positive attitudes towards national development issues.

Present at the event was the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, himself an Anglican, who was accompanied by Mr Simon Osei-Mensah, the Ashanti Regional Minister, and his Deputy, Ms. Elizabeth Agyemang.

A copy of the book tracing the history and advent of Anglicanism in Ashanti, was presented to the President.

The book was edited by an editorial team headed by Mr. Yaw Boadu Ayeboafo, a seasoned journalist, and Chairman of the National Media Commission (NMC).

It chronicles the history and influence of Anglican in Ashanti in the early 1900s through the instrumentality of a group of men and women from the coastal towns of the then Gold Coast, who came to Kumasi to work.

“In 1913, the young church was blessed with two personalities, whose selfless devotion helped greatly in the growth and spread of the church - namely Thomas Aubyn, from Sekondi, and Archdeacon Gresham Wynter Morrison, an indomitable missionary of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel,” the book stated.

Being the first church and parish in the history of the Anglican Church in the Ashanti Region, it has played pioneering roles in seeking the spiritual and physical welfare of the people.

The book highlights the commitment and dedication of a number of Ghanaian personalities who worked in diverse ways for the spread and growth of Anglicanism, including; the late Otumfuo Sir Osei Agyemang Prempeh II.

The late Asantehene, according to the book, was instrumental in the processes for the creation of the Kumasi Anglican Diocese, and credited for building a solid foundation for the development of Anglicanism in Ashanti.

“Strengthening the Anglican Faith; the Role of St. Cyprian’s Cathedral”, was the theme for the programme.

Most Rev. Prof. Sarfo said the church was grateful to its foremost leaders for championing the cause of Anglicanism, and advised that the society should endeavour to honour its heroes.

“A nation that does not honour its heroes is not worth dying for.

“We must always learn from the past and envision what we can do for the betterment of our society,” he advised.

President Nana Akufo-Addo, in a brief message, said he was proud to be an Anglican, and lauded the church for being development-oriented

He sought support of the church by way of prayers in order to govern the nation successfully.