The Presbyterian Church of Ghana (PCG) dedicated its new church office (Church House) in Accra on Friday, 13th November, 2015. The dedication coincided with the 187 years of the Church in Ghana making it the oldest continues existing Church in Ghana.
The dedication service which lasted for almost 4 hours attracted high profile personalities from all walks of life, heads from sister churches, politician, businessmen, students, academicians, theologians, Chairpersons from almost all the 20 Presbyteries, the General Assembly Council Members, both past and present, former officers of the Church, Moderator, Clerks and the Clergy.
Amidst singing and dancing those gathered at the function praised God for His favour on the Presbyterian Church of Ghana over the past 187 years of existence as well as the great infrastructural development in the history of the P.C.G.
The ultra-modern with fiber optic five-storey building which is located at Kuku Hill Osu in Accra was constructed at a cost of about GH¢23 million through a loan facility from the HFC Bank, as well as financial contributions of members of the church.
Address by the Moderator
The Rt. Prof. Rev. Emmanuel Martey, Moderator of the General Assembly of PCG in address based on Psalms 150, pointed out that the dedication of the complex was symbolic, adding thatthe new face of achievement in the PCG should give members the cost to give thanks to God as well as to preach the Gospel.
Prof. Martey underscored that the ultra-modern high fiber optic office complex has space for a wide range of activities, thanking God for helping the Church to build such a beautiful edifice.
The Moderator asked church members to join the leadership of the Church to use the opportunity in the 187years achievement of a new Church House to pray to God to protect members of the church as well as the office.
The Church House, he said, has beautified the whole of Kuku Hill, adding that the new office boasts of an Information Communication Technology (ICT) centre, restaurant, spacious car park, conference rooms, security post, among others was constructed by Nichona Construction Limited.
Rev. Dr. Samuel Ayete-Nyampong the Clerk of the General Assembly, noted that the new Church House complex is one of the best buildings in the world to be owned by a church.
He read the historical background of the first and second Head Offices of the Church at Osu and a Mokola respectively.
Dignitaries present
A host of church leaders present at the ceremony include; Very Rev. Sam Prempeh (former Moderator, PCG), Rev. Prof. OfosuAdutwum (former Clerk, PCG), Rev. NiiTeikoDagadu (former Ag. Clerk), Rev. Herbert AnimOpong (Immediate Past Clerk, PCG, now Chairperson, North America Presbytery of the PCG), Rev. Prof. J. O. Y. Mante (President, Trinity Theological Seminary, Legon), Rev. Dr. KwabenaOpuni Frimpong (General Secretary, CCG), Rev. Prof. Cephas Omenyo (Provost, University of Ghana, Legon), Rev. Dr. Nana Opare Kwakye (Lecturer, Religious Department UG, Legon), (Methodist Bishop, Accra Diocese)
The rest were; Hon. Nkrabia Affa Dartey, Rev. Dr. Godwin Nii Noi Odonkor (immediate past Ga Presbytery Chairperson), Rev. Dr. Effah Ababio (immediate past Chairperson, West Brong Presbytery), Rev. Akonnor (District Minister, Adabraka Official Town), Rev. G. M. Anim Tetey (former Director of Finance, PCG Head Office) among other District Ministers and congregational Ministers.
Side attraction
Singing groups which sang to grace the occasion were: the El Duanamis, Epiphany Echoes, the Gospel Singers, Basel Chorale, Ga Presbytery Singing Band Union, Ga Presbytery Choir Union and musicians Ernest Addo and Nana Akosah entertain the gathering with nice songs.
The Northern Outreach Ministry dance drama group in the Ga Presbytery was not left out of the memorial ceremony.
MCs
Rev. Kofi Acheapong (Second Minister, Kaneshie PCG) and Rev. Kofi Antwi (Public Relation Officer, PUC) were the MCs for the occasion.
Brief History on the Location of the PCG Head Office
It is stated that the Head Office of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana has a long history beginning from the institution of Synod as the highest decision making body of the church in 1918. The Basel Mission, prior to this period, had a system in which it Superintendent or Field Chairman in then Gold Coast operated from wherever he was stationed. Which was Osu or Akropong stations of the mission also served as offices for the leaders of the mission until the beginning of the 20th century.
After the First World War and the arrival of the Scottish Mission in 1918 and the election of the African (Ghanaian) Moderator and Synod Clerk signaled a new era in the administration of the mission but did not immediately result in the creation of office space for the principal officers.
According to records, the Moderator was for many years also a District Pastor and therefore exercised his functions from his District office. The office of the Synod Clerk also started in similar manner but remained part time for only four years until 1922 when Synod decided to make it a full time position.
The history says when the first Synod Clerk was made a full time job the then Clerk still operated from his Manse at Adawso, where he lived and periodically travelled to Accra to consult with the Secretary of the Scottish Mission who also lived and operated from Kuku Hill, Osu his residence.
In 1993, the Clerk was relocated to Manfe Akuapem where the Church had acquired a house which he used as both home and office for about five years. In 1939, Synod decided that both Moderator and Clerk should operate from Akropong where their permanent residences and offices would also be located and the church started to raise funds towards the project. The plan however failed to materialized but in two years later in 1941 Synod changed its mind and decided to permanently located the Head Office in Accra since all the other major missions had either relocated to Accra the capital city.
The move to Accra occurred in 1946 and both the incumbent Moderator (S. S. Odonkor) and Synod Clerk (M. A. Obeng) operated from different building in Osu until they both completed their terms in office.
Their successors, E. V. Asihene and C. H. Clerk respectively, also worked for a while from their homes in Osu before the first properly established head office block was completed in 1951. The first office was located at the Mokola premises that later came to be used by the Presbyterian Book Depot Ltd (and Christian Messenger newspaper) as offices.
The first dedication of the office block was done in 1951 and the Moderator and Synod Clerk both moved in the same year.
Later the construction of the four storey office block that stands next to the first structure, which has served as the Church’s Head Office for many decades, was started in 1963 and was completed in 1965.
Its history is closely related to that of the Praetorius Memorial Church (later renamed Church of the Resurrection) which was pulled down by the government of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah as part of efforts to implement a number of development projects aimed at upgrading various portion of the city.
The Church was pulled down together with the Basel Mission Factory both of which were located were the city car park currently stands on the AsofoitseNettey road. The government later compensated the church with the land on which the old four storey head office stands now.
In the years 1965 the then Moderator E. M. L. Odjidja performed the dedication ceremony of what was at the time one of the imposing edifices in the vicinity. He and the Synod Clerk, Rev. A. L. Kwansa were the first principal officers to work from this modern building which served the purpose for fifty years.