The Diocese
of Ho
in the Province of West
Africa
Our History
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The Diocese
of Ho
Our History
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SYNOD ACTA OF 1997 - THE WAY FORWARD At the Diocesan Synod of Koforidua-Ho held at the Pope John’s Secondary School and Minor Seminary, Koforidua in September 1997, the Archbishop charged Synod to work a strategic plan towards the creation of Ho out of the Koforidua-Ho Diocese by the year 2002 A.D. This was adopted and contained in the ACTA of Synod 1997 for implementation. Reasons for the Creation are as follows: 1. The size of two political regions as a diocese is too large for effective administration in terms of communication and transportation. 2. To build and strengthen the life and mission of our churches in towns and remote villages by spreading the gospel of Christ. 3. To create greater awareness and challenge to the members of the new diocese to work harder than before to justify their elevation as a diocese. 4. To make their outreach programmes effective, and enable them to serve their respective communities better by rendering greater service to God and mankind. On Tuesday, February 17, 1998 an inaugural meeting was convened under the chairmanship of the Archbishop, The Most Revd Dr. Robert G. A. Okine, Forty-Two people were in attendance, representing all parishes and congregations within the Volta Region. The outcome of the meeting resulted in the formation of three committees: The Steering Committee, Fund Raising Committee, and Education Committee. For the heavy schedule of the Archbishop in diocesan and provincial matters, the Standing Committee of Synod, at its meeting on June 20, 1998 decided that another person be elected as the chairman for the Steering Committee. The Mantle fell on Archdeacon Matthias of Ho. Mr. E. C. K. Kuewor was elected as the Chairman for the Fund Raising Committee, and Mr. William K. Gbeddy for the Education Committee. At the Diocesan Synod held in December 2001 in the Cathedral Church of St. Peter, Koforidua, there was a progressive step taken to ensure that the vision of the creation of a new diocese in the Volta Region became a reality. A Transitional Team under the chairmanship of Mr. Edward Ohene Gyan - the Regional Manager of Anglican Church Schools in the Eastern Region, was elected to draw up a programme for a smooth split of the two political regions into two autonomous units. TERMS OF REFERENCE: 1. To draw a strategic plan towards the achievement of the diocesan goal of creating a new diocese in Volta Region; 2. To find a Residence for the bishop; 3. To find a Secretariat for the new diocese; 4. To work towards getting a car for the bishop; 5. To raise sufficient money to guarantee the bishop’s stipend for three (3) years, and six month’s stipend and salaries for the diocesan clergy and lay workers respectively.
REPORT OF WORK DONE BY THE COMMITTEE A. FAITH OF THE PEOPLE: There is the need to know the basics of the faith of the people in the Region. Almost everybody, if not all, believes in God. Like the Israelites wandering in the desert, there is nothing else to look up to, except the power they believe controls their entire destiny. They look for this power in stones and other graven images with an absolute faith and trust that their needs would be met one day. This power they refer to, like many of us, as God. In principle, they already have faith in God. In their everyday life, they believe their successes depend mainly on their loyalty to whatever deity they believe in. B. ECONOMIC BACKGROUND OF THE VOLTA REGION: The majority of people in this Region are peasant farmers. A survey of their farms will reveal that what they call farms are rather gardens. Their yearly individual proceeds from their farms are almost the same as five months total income of a civil servant, whereas both of them have to send their children to the same school and pay the same fees. This situation always has a negative impact on the education and social well being of their children: a phenomenon that affects the financial life of the church. C. SIZE OF THE ANGLICAN CHURCH VIS-À-VIS OTHER CHURCHES: The Anglican Church, compared to the dominant churches such as the Evangelical Presbyterian Church, which has its national headquarters in the Region, the Roman Catholic Church that already has three dioceses in Volta, our Church at times looks an eyesore in view of establishment and outreach. The Apostles Revelation Society and the Church of Pentecost are also a force to reckon with, but wherever the Anglican Churches are, the dignity is assured. D. VISION OF THE VOLTA CHURCH: It is the Vision of the Volta Church to work hard and capture places not yet reached by the year 2010. E. STATISTICS: 1. Archdeaconries: There are two (2) Archdeaconries of Ho and Kpando. 2. Deaneries: There are two (2) Deaneries of Agbozume and Worawora 3. Parishes: There are five (5) Parishes namely: St. Paul’s, Agbozume; St. Anthony’s; Penyi; St. George’s, Ho; St. Patrick’s, Kpando; and St. Michael & All Angels, Worawora. 4. Sub-Parishes: There are three (3) Sub-Parishes namely: St. Marks, Dzoanti; St. Luke’s, Hohoe and St. Paul’s, Jasikan which need to be upgraded to parochial status in the near future. 5. Outstations & Congregations: There are also six (6) outstations namely: Tove, Bame, Dafor, Dzigbe, Sogakope, Tokorano and three (3) others: Kpetoe, Horme, Agorvega-Atsikpe congregations.
THE BIRTH OF THE NEW DIOCESEAfter the Koforidua-Ho Diocese had carefully examined the report and found it to be encouraging and challenging to the Anglican Church, it was then forwarded to the Provincial Synod, a body which finally approved of the creation of the new diocese. On 22nd March, 2003 the Anglican Church had a new ‘Baby’. The Diocese of Ho was created from the Koforidua-Ho Diocese, coterminous with the political administrative areas of the Volta Region of the Republic of Ghana with its administrative headquarters at Ho, to the grace and glory of God.
ELECTION OF THE 1ST BISHOP OF THE DIOCESEAnd so, on Saturday, June 7, 2003 we, the Clergy and People of this new Diocese of Ho met in Synod to take a Sacred Decision of Electing one of their sons, the present Archdeacon of Ho, the Venerable Matthias K. Medadues-Badohu as the 1st Bishop of Ho who is being episcopally ordained, consecrated, and enthroned today Sunday, August 17, 2003 at HoThe task before the new Diocese, covering an area of 20,570sq. Kilometres within the Church of the Province of West Africa is, therefore, tremendous but with our Motto: “In God, We Trust’, nothing can stop us from lifting high the banner of Christ onto victory. |
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