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The Europe Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana (PCG) will be celebrating its tenth anniversary in 2024. The Europe Presbytery is one of the two overseas presbyteries of the Church. Its sister presbytery, the North America-Australia Presbytery is also gearing up for a similar celebration.
In announcing the creation of the two presbyteries at the opening ceremony of the 14th General Assembly of the Church, at Abetifi in August 2014, the then Moderator, the Rt. Rev Prof. E. M. Martey, explained that they were to oversee the growing number of congregations in Europe, North America, and Australia.
The Europe Presbytery
The Europe Presbytery was inaugurated on 13th July 2014 with its headquarters in London. Its first Chairperson, the Rev Peter Kofi Nyarko, doubled as the District Minister of the South London District until September 2017 when the chairperson’s office was detached from the South London District Minister’s office.
Currently, the presbytery has oversight of three Districts in the UK and four in Europe covering congregations in Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and the Czech Republic. The presbytery has over 7,000 members in 54 congregations, 24 preaching points, and 6 Global Presbyterian Worship Centres (GPWCs). Rev Abamfo Ofori Atiemo is the current chairperson of the presbytery.
Having a presbytery of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana overseeing more than fifty congregations in eleven countries of Europe, and still expanding, is a significant development. It links up neatly with the history of the 19th-century European Protestant Missionary enterprise to Ghana. In this case, the African Christians of the PCG in Europe feel an affinity with several denominations because of their historical connections with the Basel Mission whose workers were from different countries and denominations.
The opportunity this development offers for practical expressions of Christian unity and ecumenism is unprecedented. Ordinary Christians from Africa and Europe are thrown into a direct encounter in which they can learn and share a common heritage of faith in different cultural garments. The GPWCs are missional centres equipped to offer international worship spaces in which persons from different cultural and national backgrounds can feel the love of God.
Through its various districts and congregations, the presbytery provides spiritual and social support to Ghanaians living in Europe and links the Presbyterian Church of Ghana and Ghanaians living abroad. Through regular worship services, Bible studies, and other activities, congregations and church groups, the presbytery seeks to help Ghanaians maintain their faith and cultural identity while living in a foreign land.
Over the years, the Presbyterian Church of Ghana in Europe has grown in size and influence, and it has become an important part of the Ghanaian community in Europe. The presbytery continues to play a vital role in promoting the values and teachings of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana and in supporting Ghanaians living abroad. However, it also maintains a missionary focus and works to reach out beyond Ghanaians to other nationals with the Gospel.
Planned Activities
“We envisage a commemoration of the anniversary with a series of memorable and happy events, which we hope, will both renew our sense of Christian fellowship and serve as a genuine invitation to all and sundry to share in our joy as we thank God for His faithfulness.
“The line-up of activities includes an official launch on 23rd April 2023 at the Asomdwoe mma Congregation in Hamburg, Germany. The planned year-long activities will include showcasing our traditions, our traditional way of worship and our social witness ministry in the various districts and communities such as providing hot food to the homeless, and running a telephone helpline for all people in the communities who need prayer.”
Other activities will be street evangelism, a social impact project in Ghana, health talks, musical concerts, choral nights, a programme by the youth and traditional day celebrations.
The climax of the celebrations will be a thanksgiving service in the UK in 2024.
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