Joseph & Karen Essiful-Ansah reporting from Gaithersburg, Maryland
Rt. Rev. Joseph Kow Ghunney, Bishop of the Winneba Diocese of The Methodist Church Ghana has challenged all members of the Church to unite in building a spirit filled Methodist Societies devoted to spreading through all the earth abroad the honors of the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. “I am happy to be part of this Camp Meeting which has been a blessing and serves as a testimony that our Church is moving forward outside Ghana”, he noted with joy.
Bishop Ghunney, was preaching at the Divine/Thanksgiving Service that marked the end of the four-day Retreat/Camp Meeting of Societies of The Methodist Church Ghana in United States and Canada. Bishop Ghunney who graced the occasion and preached on the theme, “Time to Worship God in Spirit and in Truth,” assured the Congregation that The Methodist Church Ghana has a great future and that members of the Mission need not be fearful of the future of our great Church, which was founded by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The Bishop also declared that our Church is unique with its own characteristics, standards and discipline and therefore it is wrong to compare her to any other Church or denomination. Bishop Ghunney stressed that it is the Holy Spirit Who enables one to worship God in Spirit and in truth and there is the need to stay connected to the Source. The Holy Spirit, he added, operates in various ways in that direction one of which is Charity and declared that true worship involves loving each other. The Bishop also identified Charisma as another trait of the Holy Spirit and noted that this is a trait of Ghana Methodism, which believes in and practices the gifts of the Holy Spirit as outlined in First Corinthians 12. ‘Our Church is very charismatic’, he declared, “We have these gifts so we can worship God in Spirit and in truth. Each is given his/her gift for service. He further called on members of the North American Mission to strive to worship God with His own Help, the Holy Spirit for victory.”
Earlier in his Opening Address, Very Rev. Dr. J.A.K. Bonful, Chairman of the North American Mission of The Methodist Church Ghana, expressed his gratitude to God for giving the organizers the patience and strength to finalize all arrangements to make the program a success. This is the third consecutive time Societies under the Conference of The Methodist Church Ghana and constitute the North America Mission have left the comforts of their homes to wait on the Lord with fasting, prayer, singing, dancing and great rejoicing.
The Retreat/Camp Meeting hosted by the Washington D.C Circuit of the Church, saw members attending from Montreal and Toronto, Canada all the way to Atlanta, Georgia and from Aurora, Denver, Brooklyn and Queens New York, Newark, New Jersey, Charlotte, North Carolina. Others came from Dallas, Texas; Columbus, Ohio and Providence, Rhodes Island. As a novelty a delegation from Calvary Methodist Church, Hamburg, Germany participated.
Among activities held as part of the programme for the first time was a "Wesley Night” for Choirs of the Mission as part of the Welcome formalities, a Service of Hymns and their Messages led by Very Rev. D. S. Dadzie, a Conference of the Association of Men’s Fellowships of North America and a Mini-Retreat for Young people. Two days before the main Retreat/ Camp Meeting took off the Women’s Fellowship Co-ordinating Council held a Retreat for members, which was addressed Sister Esther Naana Agbosu, Caretaker of the Rev. G. Acquaah Memorial Methodist Church, Virginia.
Addressing members on the theme during the Christian Education Session, Very Rev. Stephen Owusu of Ghana Emmanuel Society, Newark, New Jersey, declared that worship is not to be limited to Church alone. Worship, he added is a way of life and a declaration that the object of one’s worship is worthy of praise and worship. He lamented that true worship hardly exists when members worship at their convenience and time. ‘If we truly know Whom we worship we would be true to it’, Very Rev. Owusu stated. He stressed that true worship of God Almighty begins with a personal experience of Him as Lord and Saviour. This he added is a personal matter and when this is accomplished the Holy Spirit Who indwells the individual enables him/her to worship God in Spirit and in truth.
Brother Joseph Essiful-Ansah addressed the Meeting on the sub-theme “My Christian Challenge a Ghana Methodist in North America”. He stated that Ghana Methodists are Born again first, baptized, confirmed, have their names in Class Books and pay tithes in spirit and in truth. These are challenges for many Societies of the Mission, he added, and indeed worshipping God in North America can be a great challenge. “ Whereas in Ghana our Societies, Circuits and Dioceses are well developed and structured reporting to the Conference Office or Headquarters, in United States and Canada we have to spend time with investment in patience to explain obvious things to people who are not even ready to consider what is existing and established in our Church”, Bro. Essiful-Ansah lamented.
He added that Ghana Methodists are unique in many ways and keeping this identity is itself a challenge. He explained that the way Ghana Methodists worship is different having a ‘balanced diet’ of Psalms (as in Canticles), Hymns and Spiritual Songs including the evergreen Ebibindwom. He called on members to commit themselves in teaching their children and grandchildren to sing Methodist Hymns bearing in mind that Charity begins at home. He called on members to overcome the “grasshopper mentality” and ending debates move to the realm of action. This is because there is much to be done all over North America and the time is now. Chairperson of the Session, Sister Mimi Tetteh of Ghana Ebenezer Society, New York, led members to discuss the Papers and ask questions. Many agreed that it was a good session even though many questions could not be exhausted due to time constraint.
After a day of fasting and prayer by young and old, a Revival Night was held led by Evangelist Edwin Oppong Boateng of Texas. He discussed the theme and called on true Worshippers to eschew sin to prevail in the spiritual warfare. Amidst the singing of Methodism Hymns and Ghanaian Gospel Songs, members were called upon to pray through the problems and believe that righteousness is the key to answered prayer. Before then Very Rev. Charles Fiifi Acquah of Providence, Rhodes Island, had led members through intensive prayer time during which many received gifts of the Holy Spirit, healing and deliverance. He also called on Ghana Methodists to sing Hymns and Spiritual songs reiterating, “Methodists sing their theology”. It was a great joy to see Clergy and Lay alike lift their voices in prayer and praise and sing hymns, psalms and spiritual songs as the Bible admonishes.
The Retreat/Camp Meeting was as usual climaxed by a Thanksgiving Service attended by more members especially those living in the Washington Metropolis. Liturgist Brother Ebenezer Acheampong of Ghana Methodist Church of Toronto led the Congregation to pray to thank God for a successful Camp Meeting among others. Praise and Worship followed appropriately and members sang and danced, as did Israel led by the Prophetess Miriam after the ‘walk through the Red Sea’. The Mass Choir under the baton of Brother Benjamin Ato Richardson of Wesley Methodist Society, New York, rendered Mozart’s “Glorious” to the glory of God and to the delight of members of the Congregation as evidenced by the applause that followed the ministration.
An Induction Service was held for Executive Committee of the Women Fellowship and the Association of Methodist Church Choirs of the North American Mission and a Special Appeal for funds was launched by Evangelist Oppong Boateng to offset the expenses of the Meeting.
A Communion Service was also held after which the Mass Choir once again beautifully rendered the ‘Hallelujah Chorus’ and as the Choir and Clergy recessed, only one phrase came to mind of all who had lived to experience Retreat/Camp Meeting 2009 –“ SOLI DEO GLORIA”.
