PCG - National Children's Service Teachers' Fellowship

PCG - National Children's Service Teachers' Fellowship

History of Akyem Abuakwa Presbytery Children's Service

COMMENCEMENT OF THE CHILDREN’S SERVICE:

It all began when the mother Presbytery held its Conference at Otumi in 1988 under the Chairmanship of Rev I. A Tenkorang. After all reports had been presented, there was a general realization that not much was heard about the children’s service. Conference took this serious and immediately appointed Mr. Barima Appiah-Dankwa, an observing participant to coordinate activities of the service. Mr. Appiah-Dankwa a well-trained children’s service instructor who had been hitherto doing the work of organizing the children’s work on voluntary basis. He was assisted by Mr. Vincent Lawer Marji, another well trained Instructor based at Akyem New Tafo who was absent at that meeting.

In February 1989, barely ten months after being appointed, the two coordinators had visited and worked in almost all the eighteen (18) districts in the presbytery. As a result, the first officially organized training seminar for teachers in the presbytery was held at Kyebi. Over one hundred (100) participants from fifteen (15) districts attended. The two Co-ordinators were assisted by a team from the Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF), Eastern Region to run the seminar. The Presbytery Chairman, I. A. Tinkorang, the then Clerk, Rev. C. A Asare and the Presbytery Youth Pastor, Rev. Bennett Aboagye were in attendance as resource persons.

NAMES OF PIONEER TEACHERS AND CHILDREN

Some of the pioneer teachers were Maame Oduraa, Rev Gaskin Reuben Lamptey, Joseph Osei-Nimako, Oppong Kesse, Mina Kyerewaa, Isabella Amoakoa, Gloria Amakye, Richard Agbeshie, Samuel Addo, Felicia Ofosua,  Tete Mantey, Patience Appiah Korang, Paulina Fening, Maame Amaniampong, F. K. Gyapong, Samuel Kwadwo Owusu, Janet Akomeah, Abraham Sebeh, Evang. Clement Bosompem Darko, Elizabeth Frempomaa, Eric Adu Gbagba, Daniel O. Boadi. Some of the children were: Rev Amoako Bekoi, Rev Ernest Damptey, Dr Mrs Gifty Dei Dawson, Mr Eric Owusu Nyarko Banker,  Rev Fred Addo, Linda Annor Attuah, Isaac Ababio, Vera Attuah, Julian Ayeh,  Ivy Boateng, Yvonne Boateng, Wendy Boateng, Christiana Appiah.

FIRST EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

The following were elected to help the two Coordinators do their work effectively:

Mr. Kwasi Annor Atuah (Asamankese)      –     Chairman

Mr. Francis Dankwa (Bunso)      –    Secretary

Miss. Christiana Ntim (Akwatia)   –   Treasurer

Mr. Aboagye Ansah (Asamankese)   –  Member

SPREAD TO OTHER CONGREGATIONS AND DISTRICTS:

After the first training at Kyebi, the children’s work began to take shape. Teachers who previously had little or no knowledge about the children’s work but now adequately resourced, promoted the setting up of children’s services in their districts and congregations. Presbytery executives paid working visit to various districts at different times of the year with the aim of promoting the ministry to children and helping to resolve challenges encountered by teachers. This helped them to have firsthand information. With this, almost all districts were visited throughout the year. District executives also replicated it by visiting their congregations.

This helped executives to know the weak congregations that needed to be strengthened and congregations without children’s services that one had to be established. District Ministers were met after every visit to discuss issues affecting their children’s services. Through this, the children’s service began to spread throughout the presbytery to the glory of God.

ORGANIZATION OF CHILDREN’S SERVICE AT THE PRESBYTERY

With the creation of the children’s desk, Mr. Vincent L. Marji and Mrs. Justina Effah Darko were officially appointed as Presbytery Co-ordinator and Presbytery President respectively in 1992 and served as members of the Children’s Work Central Council (CWCC).

The two appointees later on in the year, took up the challenge and worked feverishly by partitioning the presbytery into five zones comprising the following districts: Zone A (Kukurantimi, New Tafo, Old Tafo, Begoro); Zone B (Kyebi, Asiakwa, Apedwa); Zone C (Anyinam, Osino, Kwabeng, Abomosu, Akyem Akropong); Zone D (Asamankese, Osenase, Akwatia); Zone E. (Kade, Otumi, Asuom). A nine (9) member training team was also formed to help organize training for the Children Service Teachers in the presbytery.

These members were:

Mr. Vincent L. Marji (now Rev. Vincent Lawer Marji) (Presbytery Coordinator), Mrs. Justina Effah Darko (Presbytery President), Mr. John Adu Kumi (Kade), Mr. Barima Appiah-Dankwa(now Rev. Barima Appiah-Dankwa) (Asuom),  Miss. Hannah Appiah (Kwae-Estate),  Mr. Eric Avayevu (Asamankese),  Mr. Okyere Darko (Asamankese), Mr. Ernest Amenuvor- Gawu (Kyebi), Mr. Kwadjo Ampofo (Mid-Tafo).

SUCCESSIVE EXECUTIVES

The following personalities have served the ministry in various capacities:

President: Okyere Darko, Andrews Saban Armah, Rosemond Marji, Ernest Kissi Sarfo

Coordinator: Ernest Amenuvor-Gawu, Ellen Twum-Ampofo, Ernest Kissi Sarfo

Recorder: Ernest Kissi Sarfo, Ellen Twum-Ampofo, Rev Victoria Ayisi Ntim, Richard Omane, Samuel Okyere,

Treasurer: Margaret Ahorbo (now deceased), Ernestina Tegbey

Presbytery Nominees: Ernest Amenuvor-Gawu, Justina Effah-Darko, Christiana Bruku, Andrews Saban Armah, Mina Kyerewaa, Isaac Twum Koranteng.

NOTABLE EVENTS

  1. One indelible mark left by the pioneers was their resolve to bare all expenses in organizing the children’s service at the Presbytery.
  2. Rev Vincent Marji, a pioneer of the Presbytery became the National Chairman from 1995 to 1998 and 2001 to 2008.
  3. Mr Ernest Amenuvor-Gawu now deceased had the opportunity to travel to Petra College, South Africa in 2001 to study about the Children’s Ministry. He became a resource person at the TOT by NCCM at Abetifi and one of the GA nominees to the NCCM.
  4. Mrs Justina Effah-Darko and Mrs Christiana Bruku were participants of this first TOT at Abetifi.
  5. Children’s Bible quizzes have been organized since 1994 up till date.
  6. Through the hospitality extended to some tourists from Aalen, Germany by Rev Gladys Nyarko, Mrs Asare and Hannah Porcle all from Begoro, a partnership was nursed of which children’s service has benefitted immensely from it.
  7. Miss Faustina Sam-Dadzie, a child from Kwabeng won the 2011 Moderator’s essay competition for the presbytery and Miss Mary Agyeiwaa also from Kwabeng placed 2nd in the competition in 2014.
  8. Rev Asante Wiafe, then a Children’s Service Teacher and Mrs Regina Omampeh won the first national teachers quiz in 2012.
  9. Mr Ernest Kissi Sarfo served on the committee on special programs from 2008 and from 2016, the convener of the committee.
  10. Mrs Ellen Twum-Ampofo was privileged to be appointed a member of the national centenary committee.

GROWTH

Statistics available indicates a marginal increase in the number of children and teachers as shown in the table below:

Children

Teachers

Boys

Girls

Total

Male

Female

Total

2000

4758

6360

11118

134

293

427

2010

4797

6364

11161

145

354

499

2020

5505

6918

12423

173

473

646

PROJECTIONS

  1. It is our hope that the selfless service rendered by the pioneers will be emulated by all teachers of today.
  2. That church agents will understand the ministry to children and support it fully.
  3. Teachers will reach out to a lot more children in the communities in increasing the number attending children’s services.
  4. In the long term, mount a vigorous campaign to get more teachers.
  5. To encourage congregations to provide a more convenient and proper places of worship for our services.
  6. To encourage the use of ICT tools in our worship services.

CONCLUSION

We thank God for all His mercies throughout the years. We also thank Rev Dr, Seth Kissi, Chairperson, Rev Ofori Bediako, Clerk and Rev Eric Aforo, CLAN Director for their support. As we celebrate our centenary anniversary, we want to salute all gallant Children’s Service Teachers who have worked tirelessly through thick and thin in bringing the ministry this far. We also appreciate the work of our forbearers for laying a very solid foundation making easy for us today to build on it. 

Compiled by:

Ernest Kissi Sarfo (PCCM President)

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