Methodist Church set up Fund in aid of education

Kumasi, Nov 29, GNA - The Methodist Church of Ghana has established a development fund to support education, health and other social infrastructure, church investment as well as evangelism. Most Reverend Professor Emmanuel K Asante, the Presiding Bishop, said members of the church were making voluntary monthly contributions towards it and encouraged all to help ensure its success.

This was contained in a message he issued at a special service held at the Wesley Methodist Church at Old-Tafo in Kumasi to create more awareness about the fund, christened: "Methodist Development Fund (MDF)." "Oneness in conventionalism, the role of MDF in strengthening the church's finances for accelerated growth", was the theme for the event. Most Rev. Prof. Asante said to ensure its sustainability, the church at its conference in Winneba in August 2008, designated the third or fourth Sunday of November every year as MDF awareness day to be celebrated throughout the country.

He said there should not be any illusion that the project could give tremendously relief to the church in terms of meeting its financial obligations.

Most Rev. Prof. Asante said the MDF has already made available 600,000 Ghana Cedis to the Methodist University College to expand its infrastructure. Hitherto, the church was supporting the University with 30 per cent of its harvest contribution. He said a new manse has been built for the Presiding Bishop with resources from the MDF.

Right Reverend Prof. Osei Sarfo Kantanka, the Kumasi Diocesan Bishop, who preached the sermon, said there was the need to intensify the mobilization of funds for the Dioceses, saying, Christians must cultivate the habit of giving to access the blessings of God. He said by giving, "you open the way for showers of blessing while also helping the church to pursue its programmes of caring for the needy and the pursuit of evangelism."

Major Ablorh Quarcoe, General Director, Board of Finance and Development of the Methodist church, said the awareness day proceeds has been the main source of revenue for the MDF and therefore urged the church members to be more supportive of it.

The Very Rev. Emmanuel Ansah, Synod Secretary of the Kumasi Diocese and Superintendent Minister of Old-Tafo Circuit, said the MDF has a bigger task ahead and as such, the members should accept to do more to enable it to achieve its noble objectives. 29 Nov.10