By: Nicholas Osei -Wusu
The Minister for Trade and Industry, Mr. Alan Kyeremateng, says the government’s pre-occupation now is finding a pragmatic solution for the prevailing national economic crisis, having admitted the seriousness of the problem.
According to him, government considers a way out of the problem to be physical and spiritual assuring that, the government is doing everything humanly possible to get the nation out of the quagmire and is seeking the intercession of the Christian and Muslim communities in the country for divine direction and guidance for the leadership in this pursuit.
The Trade and Industry Minister, made the call in Kumasi at a Thanksgiving Church Service to climax the Centenary celebration of the Asante Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana.
The Centenary celebration, which spanned from 2021 involved activities such as clean ups, blood donation, Awards ceremony and a Candlelight Procession.
The theme is “100 Years of Evangelistic and Ecclesiastical Work in Asante; The Past, the Present and the Future.”
At the Thanksgiving Church Service at the Jubilee Park in Kumasi to climax the celebration were people of diverse backgrounds, past and present Presbytery and National Officers of the Presbyterian Church.
The Asafohene, Acheamfuor Asafo Boakye Agyemang Bonsu, who represented the Asantehene, pledged to donate a parcel of land as his contribution toward the Presbytery’s centenary commemorative Hospital project.
The Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, The Right Reverend Joseph Obiri-Yeboah Mantey, chastised politicians for exploiting the prevailing socio-economic difficulties
According to the Presby Moderator, the economic crisis is a global phenomenon that should not be blamed on the Ghana government.
He also asked the President to accept to take pragmatic decisions including cutting down the size of its government to assure the citizens.
”If you are a government official here, let it be known to the government that we are in hard times and that it should take drastic measures to reflect the prevailing situation, even if it means reducing the number of Ministers.”
The Right Rev. Prof. Mantey commended the Asante Presbytery for its contribution to the growth of Presbyterianism.
The Minister for Trade and Industry, Alan Kyeremateng, said the government empathizes with the people in this challenging period.
According to him, the government, having accepted the enormity of the economic crisis, is looking for physical and spiritual solutions to the problem.
He said, while the government is pursuing physical solutions, it is relying on the Christian Community to intercede for divine direction and guidance to turn the situation around.
“The issue is not about the crisis. It is about finding solutions to the crisis…the battle that confronts us as a country is both physical and spiritual. It is the duty of this government to find ways out of the difficulties, something you are all aware we are pursuing. And as the government does its part, you must also help with prayer intercession to guide the government navigate the storm.”
A cake was cut to commemorate the 100th Anniversary.
The Asante Presbytery
The Asante Presbytery was one of the five new Presbyteries created by the Kyebi Synod of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana in 1922 to facilitate the spread of gospel in the then Gold Coast.
It became prominent with the arrival and involvement of Reverend Fritz Ramseyer, one of the Basel Missionaries.
Today, the Asante Presbytery has given birth to six other Presbyteries namely Sekyere, Asante Akyem, Sefwi, Brong, Brong West and Asante South Presbyteries with 41 pastoral Districts under its jurisdiction.
Out of the more than one point-two million Presbyterians in Ghana currently, the Asante Presbytery contributes about 435 thousand constituting one-sixth of the entire membership.
The Presbytery is contributing to socio-economic development through the establishment of circular schools, healthcare facilities among others with the Prempeh College, which the Church built jointly with the Methodist Church, as one of its proud achievements.
