Methodist Presiding Bishop Cautions Newly Inducted Lay President To Stay Within His Constitutional Mandate
The Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church Ghana, The Most Rev. Prof. Johnson K. Asamoah -Gyadu has cautioned the newly inducted Lay President Bro. Alfred Sakyi to stay within their constitutional mandate and operate according to the grace and calling given to him.
The admonition was given during an induction service program at the St Paul Cathedral, Tema.
Giving his sermon , he taught on the process for appointing Deacons for God's ministry in the Church, drawn from Acts Chapter 6.
According to the Presiding Bishop, the early Church provides a clear model for leadership and division of responsibility.
When the Hellenists complained that their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution of food, the twelve apostles did not dismiss the complaint with complaints, but met it with action.
He explained that the Apostles separated their core assignment from the task they delegated to others.
"It is not right that we should neglect the word of God in order to wait on tables. Waiting on tables was not wrong. But that was not their core business," he said, quoting Acts 6:2.
He added that, every leader must stay within what God has called him to do, adding that the provision of the Church Constitution to lay leaders is to guide them to remain within their mandate.
"As a lay president, as a lay chairman, whatever your calling is, whatever your grace is, stay within what God has called you to do. And one of the reasons for giving you a copy of the constitution is so you stay within your constitutional mandate," he stated.
He referenced three key qualifications for Deacons outlined in Scripture - people of good standing whose testimony is strong and can be trusted, persons filled with the Holy Spirit, and persons filled with divine wisdom.
The Most Rev.Prof Asamoah-Gyadu bemoaned instances where the roles of ordained ministers and lay leaders are confused, citing a case he observed on Wesley television where a minister sat down like a chief while lay people distributed Holy Communion.
"I have nothing against lay people assisting with communion. But there's a reason why we take people to Trinity for three years to train them in the Word and sacraments," he said, clarifying that seeking help when the crowd is huge is acceptable, but abdicating the ministerial role is not.
He urged lay leaders not to turn their office into a competitive one with the ordained ministry, but to see their leadership as complementary.
Quoting Romans 12:4-8, he reminded the congregation that "as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function," stressing that everyone has different gifts - prophecy, ministry, teaching, exhortation, giving, leadership and compassion - according to grace.
He concluded that when decisions are made with the promotion of God's work in mind, it brings peace and joy to the whole community.
However, Bro Alfred Sakyi has been inducted as the 10th Lay President of the Conference.
Report filed by PKB
