The Faith Evangelical Mission Worldwide (FEMW) last Saturday ordained five bishops of the church in Accra.
The ordination ceremony, which was the third of its kind, saw the investiture of Dr Daniel Raynold Odametey-Abbey, Bobby Harley-Neequaye, Stephen Sam, John Stanley Clottey and Michael Sackeyfio as bishops of the church.
The Chief Bishop, Frederick France, who led in administering the vows and the oath of allegiance, charged the new bishops to look up to God in all endeavours and make him their utmost priority.
“Without God there is nothing you can do so in all you do, look up to God to be sure that you are directed by Him and rest in the arm and power of God. By so doing, the sky will be your limit,” he added.
He cautioned them “to stringently and respectfully” adhere to the church’s principles and authorities, as well as their respective congregations they would oversee.
The Chief Bishop revealed that the FEMW would restructure some principles of the church by cutting down the age range of its top management body.
He noted that things would change unlike previously when the founder of the church oversaw the church until his demise.
“For the first time this year, a living chief bishop will step down for another bishop to take over. Previously, it was the founder who took charge of the church despite his age,” he stated.
“So we will try to reduce the age of the leadership of the church, get very young vibrant people to move the church forward and that is what we have started doing,” he added.
Speaking to the alleged staging of a coupd’état in the country, he encouraged all and sundry not to fear as the Lord was on our side and urged all to disregard such statements.
Bishop Dr Charles Abban, Founder and President of the International Clergy Association (ICA), who preached the sermon similarly charged all to have faith and remain assured that there was nothing impossible with the Lord.
He stressed that was a feature that differentiated a person as a Christian from others, adding that constant relationship with the Lord and the knowing of the Bible helped one in building and sustaining faith.
Speaking on behalf of the newly ordained bishops, Bishop Bobby Harley-Neequaye expressed their profound gratitude to the top management body of the church and the entire congregation for the support, love and faith reposed in them.
He pledged the bishops’ unflinching loyalty to the faith and purpose for which they had been called to serveand keep to their intended purposes to the glorification of God.
The ceremony, which was a colourful one as attendants were dressed in white, green and red, saw lots of merrymaking and was well attended by pastors and their wives, church members, families and friends of the ordained bishops.
BY ABIGAIL ARTHUR & CECILIA LAGBA
