Anglican Diocese of Tamale elects new bishop

Venerable Canon Dennis Tong, Parish Priest of the Saint Cyprian Anglican Church in Bolgatanga has been elected the Bishop of the Tamale Diocese of the Anglican Church.

He takes over from the Right Reverend Dr Jacob Kofi Ayeebo, who died in February this year.

Venerable Tong polled 74 votes out of a total of 111 delegates who cast their votes, to beat his main contestant, Very Reverend Clement Azure, Dean of the Cathedral, who got 37 votes after the two were picked from three contestants to contest the final round, having contested a first round election and failed to meet the constitutional requirement of two thirds of total votes cast.

The election was described by the delegates as wonderfully peaceful, soberly conducted and spirit filled.

The delegates were drawn from the 14 parishes comprising 34 outstations made up of 40 clergy and 81 laity who constituted the Electoral College.

The church would later prepare all the necessary formalities and documentations, and communicate his election to the Archbishop of the Internal Province of Ghana for his advice.

After a satisfactory response from the Archbishop, the newly elected Bishop would formally be consecrated and enthroned as Bishop of the diocese.

The Tamale Diocese was carved from the Sunyani Diocese of the Anglican Church in 1997.

Venerable Tong becomes the third Bishop of Diocese after the first Bishop, Rt. Rev. Emmanuel Anyindana Arongo and the Right Rev. Dr Jacob Kofi Ayeebo.

Venerable Tong after his ordination and long and dedicated service in the Diocese, rose to become Archdeacon of the Bolga-Binaba Archdeaconry - a positon he currently holds.

The position of Archdeacon is one of the senior and respected positions in the Anglican Communion.

He holds a certificate in Ecumenical studies from the Bossey Ecumenical Institute in Geneva, Switzerland, and had his licentiate in Theology from the Saint Nicholas Seminary in Cape Coast.

He attended the Tamale Polytechnic where he pursued Carpentry and Joinery to the grade 2 level, and a pioneer at the defunct Anglican Vocational School (AVOSCO) in the early 1980s at Zuarungu.

The Venerable Tong has held several positions in various church Associations and groupings, including chairman of Christian Council Churches in the Upper East Region, a member of the Upper East Regional Media Advisory Committee, a member of the Upper East Regional Peace Council, and a member of the Upper East Regional Prisons Ministry.