.....as First Executive President
Story by Daakyehene Ofosu Agyeman [Rainbow Radio] The Ghana Baptist Convention has elected the Senior Pastor of Charismatic Baptist Church at Taifa in Accra, Reverend Ernest Adu-Gyamfi, as the First Executive President. This is the first time the Ghana Baptist Convention had elected someone as the First Executive President since the position was formerly called President.
Rev Adu-Gyamfi went unopposed after his only competitor; Rev Dr. Isaac Mills-Owoo of Redemption Baptist Church of Cape Coast in the Central Region withdrew from the contest few minutes before the elections.
Delegates from across the country including pastors, deacons and deaconess and some selected Baptist Church members took part in the voting process for the newly elected First Executive President and the Vice President. The election took place at the Baptist Women’s Retreat Center at the Ejura-Sekyere Dumasi Municipality in the Ashanti Region during the Ghana Baptist Convention’s 50th Annual Session.
Rev Ernest Adu-Gyamfi needed 255 yes votes to be affirmed as the First Executive President.
However, he pulled an astonishing 381 yes votes, representing 89% of valid votes cast, with only 34, representing 8% opposing his candidature (8%) while the remaining 3% votes were declared invalid.
The Senior Pastor of Messiah Baptist Church in Accra, Rev Enoch Nii Narh Thompson, was confirmed the Vice President after winning 87% of the total votes cast with while 11% voted no with 2% absenteeism.
Rev. Fred Deegbe, who presided over the election, declared both Rev. Ernest- Adu-Gyamfi and Rev Enoch Nii Narh Thompson as duly elected First Executive President and Vice President respectively to begin a new era of the convention for the next four years. This year’s Session was under the theme: “Harvest Time Today: Returning the Church to Intentional Disciple Making”.
The Senior Pastor of Grace Baptist Church at Sakumono in Accra Rev Justifier N. N. Ocquaye was the main speaker for the Session. The convention after 50-years in operation decided to change into a new level of administration by electing full time Convention Executives to replace the old system of part-time President and General Secretary who were both pastors of local Churches.
Rev Adu-Gyamfi is a graduate of the Institute of Professional Studies (IPS), Legon, Maranatha University College and the Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond (BTSR), Virginia, U.S.A.
He holds a Master of Divinity Degree with concentration in Christian Education from BTSR. He is currently pursuing his doctor of Ministry degree with concentration on Justice and Peace building from the same institution.
He has served as the Vice and President of the Ghana Baptist Convention Ministers’ Conference, Chairman of the Human Resource Committee and chairman of the International Missions committee of the Convention.
He also served on the Executive committee of the Christian Council of Ghana. Rev Adu-Gyamfi has been a practicing Accounting for twelve years in various organizations and for seventeen years, he was the Managing Director of Multi-Media Technology Ltd., manufacturers of audio cassette tapes and compact discs.
He has forty years of ministry experience and for the last twenty-five years, he has been the Senior Pastor of Charismatic Baptist Church in Taifa, Accra. He is married to Mrs. Juliana Adu Gyamfi with three children.
Rev Adu-Gyamfi in his acceptance speech expressed gratitude to the delegates for the confidence reposed in him and promised to unite and strengthen the Ghana Baptist Convention. He mentioned that the welfare of pastors, especially those in the rural areas as well as pastors’ retirement plan, evangelism, missions, church growth, among others as some of the things he would tackle during his tenure. Rev Adu- Gyamfi revealed the Convention had the intention to start Nursing School at the Ghana Baptist University in Kumasi and start Agriculture College at Ejura where it had a vast land yet to be developed to help the indigenes who were mostly farmers.
The newly elected Vice President, Rev Thompson also promised to work with his President to achieve a common aim for the Convention.
The out-going Convention President, Rev Steve K. Asante, said he believes the Golden Jubilee which has ushered in a new executive presidency would take the Ghana Baptist Convention into a next level of impact in the country.
Rev Asante charged them to be good ambassadors of their calling. The General Secretary, Rev David Nartey Ocansey would continue to be in office for temporally to see to the smooth transition to the new Convention leadership. Nine senior members of the delegates were chosen to form the denominational board to assist the president in his tenure.
In all, 100 churches were honoured for their contribution to the Ghana Baptist Convention where Calvary Baptist Church at Adabraka in Accra won the best contributing church in year 2013. The 4-days Annual Session was climaxed with the ordination of about 50 ministers into the pastoral office.
Timothy Antwi-Otoo {Ebusuapanyin Timoo} News Editor/Head of Production Rainbow Radio International 87.5fm (Accra & London)
026-2992977/027-2992977/0233-2992977/0235-728212/0245-728212
