Methodist marks Wesley Day at Topease

Topease (E/R), May 23, GNA - As part of a nationwide celebration of 'Methodist Day', about 500 school children on Friday converged at the Topease Methodist Church near Asamankese in the Eastern Region to mark the day.

The children include 400 pupils from the Methodist Basic 'A' and 'B' and 100 from the Methodist Junior High School 'A' and 'B'. This year's programme saw a shift from the previous years' when a week-long programme was organised on May 24 each year, to include a clean-up, route march and Bible quiz.

Madam Rose B. Otchere, Headmistress of the Topease Methodist Basic School, told the Ghana News Agency that since the Day fell on Saturday and for the sake of school children who normally celebrated it, her school could not participate in most of the programmes this year. At a church service here to climax the occasion, Madam Otchere advised the children to be law abiding and to desist from social vices that could label them as agents of destruction.

She advised further that that they learn hard to justify the huge investment being made by their parents and the government. Mr. William Ohene Aryeh, Headmaster of the Methodist Junior High School here, gave a vivid but brief biography of John Wesley, Founder of Methodism and said he was born in 1703.

According to him, Wesley lived with his parents, Samuel Wesley and Susuana Wesley in Epworth in England and that his father was a reverend minister so it was no surprise that the young Wesley grew up to adopt his father's profession. Mr. Aryeh stated that while Wesley was pursuing a course at the university, he was affectionately called a Methodist and explained that the name emanated from the way Wesley went about his activities at the campus, "very methodically".