Rev. Ishmael Dometey Asare has been inducted into office as the 8th Chairperson of the Akuapem Presbytery in an impressive ceremony at the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Koforidua Ascension Congregation.
The service was officiated by the Acting Moderator of the General Assembly of the PCG, Rev. Dr. Victor Okoe Abbey, he was assisted by Rev. Dr. Ayete-Nyampong, Clerk of the General Assembly Council.
Rev. Dr. Abbey, delivering a sermon on the theme “Serving in Humility,” entreated the new Chairperson to, as much as possible; always rally members around in the performance of his duties. He reminded him of God’s calling to serve the church at this time of his ministerial career and he should, in all humility, work hard to see to the spiritual, administrative, and material needs of the Presbytery.
The Acting Moderator noted that all Christians must of necessity study the Word of God very well and not to take as the gospel truth everything that Reverend Ministers and church leaders of today preach or say, adding that there are a lot of charlatans around, whose adulterated teachings and activities are leading lots of people away from the true Word of God.
Rev. Dr. Abbey stated that leadership of the church and especially the Clergy would stand indicted like the Pharisees and the teachers of the law if they failed to teach their congregants the true Word of God as contained in the scriptures and also put into practice what they teach instead of hiding behind the cliché “do what we say and not what we do”.
He called for the support of the Presbytery Council and all who matters in the Akuapem Presbytery to support their new Chairperson to deliver the best for the Presbytery as a Chairperson.
In his address, Rev. I. D. Asare said he accepted the onerous duty as the Chairperson of the Akuapem Presbytery in all humility and was thankful to God and to all his predecessors.
He indicated that he has assumed duty at a time when the Akuapem Presbytery is preparing to host the 2018 General Assembly which would mark the centenary of the first synod of the PCG held in 1918 at Akropong.
The New Chairperson said he would be counting on the support and cooperation of all constituents of the Presbytery to make the event a very big success.
Rev. I. D. Asare noted there are many Congregations and some Districts in the Presbytery which are faced with many daunting challenges, adding that the Presbytery, under his leadership, would strive to empower all such entities to be self-sustaining and thus speed up the forward march of the Church.
He later expressed his desire that the Akuapem Presbytery would support all Presbyterian Educational and Health Institutions in the Presbytery which in no small way brought the PCG into prominence in Ghana.
Rev. I. D. Asare was later decorated with the Chairperson stole as an insignia of his office.