Methodist Church inducts new Presiding Bishop into office in Cape Coast

The Methodist Church of Ghana has inducted into office Most Rev. Dr. Paul Kwabena Boafo as the new Presiding Bishop of the Church at the Premier Cathedral, Wesley Cathedral at Cape Coast in the Central Region.

He replaces Most Rev. Titus Kofi Awortwe Pratt as the Presiding Bishop of the Church.

Most Rev. Dr. Kwabena Boafo, before his election as the new Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church was the Administrative Bishop for two years; from 2016-2018.

He is the first Presiding Bishop to ascend from the throne of Administrative Bishop to Presiding Bishop since the Methodist Church entered into Episcopacy 18 years ago in 2000.

Most Rev. Dr. Kwabena Boafo is also the first Presiding Bishop that was inducted into office at the Premier Cathedral of the Methodist Church of Ghana at Cape Coast.

He was elected as the new Presiding Bishop at the 10th Biennial and 48th Delegates Conference of the Methodist Church at Sekondi in the Western Region.

His assumption to the highest position of the Church makes him the 5th Presiding Bishop since the Church entered into the Episcopacy.

The Presiding Bishop position is the Head of the Methodist Church of Ghana and exercises pastoral and spiritual oversight over the entire church.

The Constitution of the Church and Standing Orders stipulate that one needs to have served a minimum of twenty continuous years after ordination as a minister of the Church to qualify to be elected for the highest position of the Church, and it is a six year non-renewable term of office.

The Immediate Past Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church, Most Rev. Titus Kofi Awortwe Pratt who performed the induction ceremony at the Wesley Methodist Cathedral, the Premier Cathedral at Cape Coast in the Central Region charged the new Presiding Bishop to bear his calling in the presence of God and the entire members of the Church at large.

He was supported by His Eminence Dr. Samuel Chukwuemeka Kano Uche, the Prelate of the Methodist Church of Nigeria, Bro. Bernard Clement K. Botwe, the Lay President, Rt. Rev. Michael Agyakwa Bossman, the Administrative Bishop, Rt. Rev. Dr. Michael Olusegun Akinwale, the Secretary of Conference of Nigeria, Most Rev. Prof. Emmanuel K. Asante, Past Presiding Bishop, Most Rev. Robert Aboagye Mensah, Past Presiding Bishop and Rt. Rev. Kwaku Asamoah-Okyere, the Past Administrative Bishop, the General Secretary of the Christian Council of Ghana, all the 20 Diocesan Bishops of the Methodist Church, Superintendent Ministers and other Ministers of the Gospel.

The Vice President Alhaji Dr. Mahamudu Bawamia led the government delegation which was included by the Central Regional Minister Kwamena Duncan, Deputy Minister for Education, Barbara Ayisi and other government officials.

Other dignitaries that graced the occasion was the traditional leaders and among others.

As part of the activities to commemorate the induction ceremony was handing over ceremony on Saturday evening at the Premier Cathedral in Cape Coast.

The handing over ceremony was to officially hand over the administration of the Church to the newly elected Presiding Bishop, Diocesan Bishops, Diocesan Lay Chairman and General Directors of the Methodist Church of Ghana.

They were taken through a training retreat and prayer sessions.

Most Rev. Dr. Paul Kwabena Boafo was born at Asankraqwa of the Western Region to a Roman Catholic couple, Opanyin Paul Kwaw Boafo of blessed memory and Mrs. Agartha Ama Asamoah Boafo.

He started his education at the Asankraqwa Catholic Primary in 1963 and continued his education at the Wa Experimental Primary School and later moved to other schools in Mangu near Wa, Mim and Kenyasi Number 2 in the Brong-Ahafo Region, Sefwi Wiawso, Sefwi Bekwai in the Western Region due to the itinerant ministry of his uncle.

He became an accredited Lay Preacher as a member of the Wesley College Preaching Band. As a teacher at the Mpasatia Methodist School, he was a leader, Lay Preacher, Brigade Captain, Circuit Choir Secretary, the Leaders' and Quarterly Meeting Secretaries.

From 1983 to 1986 he enrolled at the Trinity Theological Seminary at Legon in Accra and obtained a Diploma in Theology. He served as the Missionary Harvest Secretary in the final year of his studies.

He was commissioned as a Minister of the Methodist Church on Sunday, 8th June, 1986 at the Wesley Cathedral in Accra.

Having completed his three-year probation, he was ordained On Sunday 27th August, 1989 at the Wesley Cathedral in Sunyani.

He also served as the Protestant Chaplain of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology(KNUST).

A prayer was said for the President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the Vice President Alhaji Dr. Mahamudu Bawamia and the entire nation by the Past Presiding Bishop, Most Rev. Robert Aboagye Mensah.