PRESIDENT JOHN MAHAMA’S DONATION A MAJOR BOOST FOR NEW AMEDZOFE CHAPEL PROJECT
• E. P. MODERATOR, OSIE ADJA TEKPOR VII AND OKUSIE AKYEM FOLI V IN FULL SUPPORT
• JANET AMENYA STEALS THE SHOW WITH BIBLE READING IN AVATIME LANGUAGE (‘SIDEMESE’)
KAFUI AMEH REPORTING FROM MT. GEMI & AKOFA GUEST HOUSE, AVATIME-AMEDZOFE
Efforts by the Amedzofe E. P. Church to raise funds for the construction of an ultra modern 3,000 sitter chapel complex recently received a major boost when President John Dramani Mahama donated an amount of Ten Thousand Ghana Cedis (GH ? 10,000.00) towards realization of the project.
President Mahama, who was the Special Guest of Honour at the Thanksgiving Service to climax the Amedzofe E. P. Church 125th Anniversary Celebration, made the donation through Deputy Volta Regional Minister, Hon. Theophilus Ganyaglo, who stood in for him at the program.
The theme for the Anniversary Celebration was, “125 Years of Christianity: Quality Education and Service to Humanity.”
President Mahama, a staunch member of the Assemblies of God Church, Ghana, appealed to his party followers (ie NDC) to accept the outcome of the December 7 Elections, whichever way they would go, in the national interest for peace to prevail.
In his comments before the sermon, the Moderator of the General Assembly of the E. P. Church, Ghana, Rev. Dr. Seth Senyo Agidi, lamented about the lack of a large auditorium at Amedzofe in view of the important role the Amedzofe Church has played in Christianity in the country.
He added that considering the unpredictability of the weather, there was no need to be depending on rented canopies, plastic chairs etc. Instead, a multipurpose auditorium could serve the Church, the community, and the Amedzofe E.P. College of Education (EPUCE), which is now a tertiary institution.
When Osie Adja Tekpor VII, Paramount Chief of the Avatime Traditional Area, was given the platform to present his goodwill message, he also emphasized that the traditional authority was fully in support of the Moderator’s viewpoint.
In an exclusive interview with him at his residence (“Osofoe Kepame”) after the program, the Parish Pastor, Rev. Amafu-Dey expressed his personal appreciation as well as that of the E.P Church and Amedzofe Community to President John Dramani Mahama and all who came to participate and make the celebration and fund raising a great success.
THE WAY FORWARD
“Once the awareness of the need for a large multipurpose auditorium has been created, it’s now up to the Church to galvanize both its human and material resources to continue the 3,000 sitting capacity Chapel started in 2014”, Rev. Amafu-Dey said.
He indicated that when completed, the complex will be used to host church related programs and Christian activities such as conferences, training workshops, educational meetings, retreats and other productive social events.
According to Mr. Innocent Gadzeti Megbenu (aka “Efo Kojo Gborzi-Gborzi”), Treasurer of the E. P. Church, a total of about Fifty Four Thousand Ghana Cedis (GH ? 54,000,00) was realized during the 125th anniversary thanksgiving service. This information was confirmed by the Parish Pastor, Rev. S. Y. Amafu-Dey and the hardworking Catechist, Madam Janet Amenya.
Rev. Amafu-Dey made a passionate appeal to all Avatime-Amedzofe citizens and others who would have wished to attend the 125th Anniversary celebration but could not make it for various reasons, to contribute their quota through the Current Account which has been opened at the Stanbic Bank at Ho to facilitate financial transactions in connection with the Chapel Complex Project.
The Parish Pastor said his appeal is equally applicable to all those whose parents and grand-parents from elsewhere, or themselves, benefitted from the sound Christian education provided by the Amedzofe E. P. Primary School, E. P. Training College Demonstration School (ie. Practice School), Amedzofe E. P. Middle School (now known as Amedzofe Junior Secondary School), Amedzofe Technical Institute, and Amedzofe E. P. Training College (now E. P. College of Education, Amedzofe).
Rev. Amafu-Dey, now popularly known as “125th Anniversary Pastor”, gave the assurance that every pesewa, deutchmark, dollar, pound sterling or franc received would be judiciously used to build the temple of God to His glory.
The current account for the chapel complex is operational at Stanbic Bank, Ho Branch. The Account Name is: E. P. Church, Amedzofe.
The Account Number is: 9040003088426
One of the interesting highlights of the Anniversary Thanksgiving Service was the reading of the main scripture in “Sidemese” (ie. The Avatime Language), which was effectively executed by the Catechist, Madam Janet Amenya, who received a thunderous applause at the end of it all. LOOK OUT FOR MORE ON “SIDEMESE” AND OTHER ISSUES. See photos below.
PS: The Writer, Kafui Ameh, an International Christian Journalist, is an Alumnus of SOGASCO, AFS/IEP-Ghana, San Diego Lincoln Hornets, NIMSME India, SPNI Israel 1996, Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ), and the University of Ghana, Legon. He is a former Head of Communication, Marketing and Corporate Relations at World Vision Ghana. Kafui has participated in many courses including the All Africa Church Information Service (ACIS) Training Program for Christian Writers in Nairobi, Kenya (1982), as well as being sponsored to the historic World Council of Churches (WCC) international conference designated as World Convocation on Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation (JPIC), held in Seoul, South Korea (February 1990).
Email: kafuiameh@gmail.com
Tel. O27986582l Whatsapp: O2O2336275
CAPTIONS FOR ARTICLE ON AMEDZOFE E.P. CHURCH 125TH ANNIVERSARY
1. President John Dramani Mahama
2. H.E Christoph Retzlaff, German Ambassador to Ghana.
3. The Proposed Chapel Complex
4. Rev. Dr. S. S. Agidi, Moderator of the General Assembly of E. P. Church
5. Osie Adza Tekpor VII, Paramount Chief of Avatime Traditional Area
6. Togbe Akyem Foli V, Chief of Amedzofe
7. Rev. Samuel Amafu-Dey, the 125th Anniversary Pastor & his wife Mrs. Mercy Akpene Amafu-Dey
8. Kafui with Mrs. Annie Konu, Senior Presbyter
9. Rev. Dr. Johnnie Akoto of Norvisi-Friendship Presby Church, Atlanta, Georgia, USA, with Joseph Average Kofi Ameh, Secretary to Togbe Akyem Foli, and Mercy Atafe Akoto, formerly of GIMPA and Kafui Ameh
10. Lawyer Johnnie Adeku, Co-opted Member of NPC
11. Mrs. Ruth Quamson-- Logistics & Decoration
12. Kafui Ameh with Mrs. Bertha Amedo, Chairman, Food & Hospitality C’ttee.
13. Kafui Ameh with Mrs. Margaret Tetteh during the celebration.
14. Rev. Mrs. Patience Akator
15. Kafui Ameh with Mrs. Kumatse, former National President of Women’s Bible Class.
16. Mr. Innocent Megbenu, Treasurer
17. Madam Janet Amenya, The Dynamic Catechist.
18. Mrs. Janet Agbesi, Wife of Mr. B.E.K Agbesi, History Committee Chairman
19. The 125th anniversary banner at Corner House, Amedzofe.
20. Kafui with David & Beethoven Akotia
21. Rev. Dr. Johnny Y. Atta Akoto of Norvisi- Friendship Presby Church, Atlanta, USA, and Madam Judith Nyahe, a widely respected retired educationist and Senior Presbyter.
22. Pastor Samuel Boateng, Co-opted Member of Planning Committee.
23. Madam Helen Agbemafle (left) and her cousin Somone Dzifa (right)
24. The Cross at Mount Gemi and a partial view of Avatime-Amedzofe