General News of Friday, 28 October 2005

Source: --

Rev. Kwesi Dickson is dead!

Accra, Oct. 28, GNA - The Most Reverend Emeritus Professor Kwesi A. Dickson, a former President o the Methodist Church of Ghana and the Immediate- Past President of the All African Council of Churches is dead. He was 76.

The Most Rev. Dickson, who was born on July 7, 1929 at Saltpond, died on Wednesday, October 26, 2005 at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Accra. He had his basic education at the Methodist Primary from 1935 to 1943 in Cape Coast and continued to the Mfantsepim School for his second cycle education from 1943 to 1948.

The Most Rev. Dickson entered the Trinity College, Kumasi and now Trinity Theological Seminary, Accra in 1951 as a ministerial student and passed an entrance examination a year later to do Bachelor of Divinity, London degree.

In 1957, he was ordained as a Methodist Minister at the British Conference meeting at Nottingham and became the Minister in charge of the Elmina Methodist Church.

From 1990 to 1997, he was the President of the Methodist Conference and also became the Chairman of the Christian Council of Ghana; Vice President, All African Conference of Churches and President, All African Council of Churches, before he retired in 1999.

The Most Rev. Dickson was the Head of Department of Religion of the University of Ghana and rose to become the Dean of the Faculty of Arts. He was also the Hall Master of Commonwealth Hall.

He was the First Dean of Students and latter became the Director of the Institute of African Studies. He retired from the University in 1998.

He was a Visiting Professor at a number of universities throughout the world.

The Most Rev. Dickson also became the President of the Ghana Academy of Arts and Science for two terms. He wrote at least a dozen of books and a host of chapters in books and articles in journals.

He left behind a widow, Cecilia and four children.