Highest E.P Church decision-making body now General Assembly

Ho, Aug. 25, GNA - Synod, the highest decision making body of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church, Ghana has been redesignated the General Assembly with effect from Saturday, August 23, 2008. This is to bring the Church in line with international practice. The decision was one of the high points at the just ended 67th Synod of the church held in Ho under the theme: "Called to Serve". The Reverend Frank Anku, outgoing Synod Clerk announced this at the thanksgiving and ordination service on Sunday to mark the end of the week-long Synod.

He said the first General Assembly of the Church will be held in Ho next year. Rev. Anku said by the change, the Moderator and Synod Clerk respectively become Moderator of the General Assembly and the Clerk of the General Assembly. He said the Presbyteries now become Synods and Presbytery Chairmen, Moderators of the Synod.

Similarly, the Synod Committee becomes the Council of Synod. Other major events during the Synod were the election of Rev Francis Amenu, 56, of the Madina branch of the Church as the Moderator of now General Assembly and Rev Godwin K. Osiakwa, 57, of the Jasikan branch of the Church as the new Clerk of the General Assembly. Rev Amenu holds a Masters degree in Sacred Theology from the Christian Theological Seminary, Indianapolis, Indiana USA. Before entering the Christian Ministry, Rev Amenu was a Practising Mining Engineer, a graduate of the KNUST. Rev Osiakwa on the other hand holds a Masters Degree in Pastoral Psychology from the Anglia Polytechnic University, Cambridge in the United Kingdom.

The Synod also honoured some personalities for their distinguished service to the Church. Prominent among them was Nana Batafo Akyeampong Nti II, Konongohene.

The citation in his honour said in part, "You exhibited a rare sense of a leader and a Traditional Ruler". "You parted with 16 plots, four acres of parcel of land to the E.P. church to pave the way for a school project". "This shows volumes, the contemporary leader you are and one who also understands the positive impact education brings to bear on his people". "May your kingdom blossom and grow from strength to strength", the citation said.