Reverend Lt Col (Rtd) Bliss Divine Kofi Agbeko has been inducted as the Moderator of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church, Ghana.
He was from 2016 to 2018, the Deputy Director for Religious Affairs of the Ghana Armed Forces, and until his induction, was the Accra Newtown Branch of the Church’s District Pastor.
Rev. Dr Agbeko, 57, was elected by the Ninth General Assembly of the Church to serve a six-year term, and has become the 14th Moderator.
The induction ceremony was in the presence of the Regional Minister, some heads of the armed forces, and traditional leaders.
Rev Zaphet Ledo, a former Moderator, led the ceremony on behalf of the late immediate past Moderator, Rev. Seth Senyo Agidi.
He declared the day a “new dawn for the Church,” and said all must support the new Moderator to succeed and deliver.
The Moderator, in an induction sermon, said the present generation holds the responsibility of delivering the E. P Church’s mission of “bringing light to where there is darkness.”
He said the Church’s quests to develop education and improve healthcare was “greatly influenced” by government support, and made a strong appeal for the partnership to be sustained.
“It is my prayer that such government support shall go unabated and widen in scope to cover other sectors such as agriculture, in the coming years.
“The task is ahead though daunting, is doable, with God on our side,” Rev. Dr Agbeko said.
He said there was the need for the Church to “strategise, reposition, retool, and think outside the box to do new and relevant things” to glorify God.
“We will have to cherish and uphold the values of Christian love, spirituality, discipline, and faithful stewardship premised on transparency, prudence, and accountability," the Moderator said, and added that his administration desired to hand over a more refined Church.
“Six years from today, this administration would like to hand over a Church that is disciplined, has transparent administration, free from debt, prosperous and financially buoyant; a restored Church made up of glorified, unified, and rejoicing people enjoying God’s favor and blessings.
“This is our desired legacy.”
The Moderator outlined some key initiatives his administration would pursue, and which cut through promoting spirituality, discipline and moral development, and also promote a national evangelical mission that would help create new “multi-ethnic” congregations.
He promised to revise and reform some aspects of the Church to fit it into a new level of “post-modern ministry”.
Rev Dr. Agbeko also said the administration would pursue financial liberation by investing in viable economic opportunities.
He further mentioned training and capacity building for the human resource of the Church, and develop a detailed database of members for easy management.
Rev. Dr. Agbeko expressed gratitude at all who supported him through his journey to the helm, and asked that he should not leave alone on the task.
Dr. Archibald Yaw Letsa, the Volta Regional Minister, said Government would continue to support the Church in developing the Nation.
He advised the Moderator to endeavour to become a solid rock, and to show interest in the wellbeing of his team, and create the right environment for them.
Rev. Dr. Agbeko hails from Adaklu Ahunda in the Volta Region, and is married with four children.