Methodist Church inaugurates Association of Traditional Rulers
The Northern Accra Diocese of the Methodist Church of Ghana has inaugurated the Association of Methodist Traditional Rulers to promote national cohesion and development.
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The association, which was launched in Accra would spearhead activities, including evangelism and would educate the public on matters of faith for Christian growth and maturity.
It forms part of the church’s efforts to harmonise Christian faith and traditional beliefs for national development.
The event saw a display of Christianity and Traditional Religion, with both rulers and subjects dressed in regalia (ceremonial attire), featuring hymns and sermons.
The association is led by a five-member Interim Committee and Chaired by Leni Nii Kojo Nseni Mantakah IV.
Development
The Ga Mantse, King Tackie Teiko Tsuru II, underscored the importance of fusing the church and traditional religion to promote unity and development.
"People have always perceived tradition as fetish, but the chant of Wulomei, Mantse, Manklalo and an Asafoatse, when they pray 'agoo' to open the door to divinity, the next thing to do is to call on the reverence of God," he said.
The Ga Mantse said they did so because they recognised the Supreme Being's (God's) power and understood that the union of religion and traditional authority was in the right place.
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Relationship
The Minister of Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Stephen Asamoah Boateng, emphasised the close relationship between Christendom and Traditional authority, stating that both recognised the reality of God in their practices.
"There is a commonality of spiritual being, that we all worship God.
You go to any traditional authority and before they pour libation, it is offered to God first; so, there is a synergy that we all acknowledge," he said.
Diocesan Bishop, the Right Reverend Professor Joseph Edusa-Eyison, encouraged chiefs and traditional rulers to continue to execute their responsibilities in the church and at the chieftaincy level.
Prof. Edusa-Eyison said the Methodist Church acknowledged the outstanding contribution of Christian traditional rulers to the evangelistic work and intended to draw on it for growth.
"Your invaluable contribution as a significant agency of development, providing the church with land, spaces for its business and an enabling environment for the church to serve the Creator in peace is highly commendable.
Commitment
Leni Nii Kojo Nseni Mantakah IV stressed the association's commitment to use their traditional standing to reach out to and persuade their contemporaries to serve God and humanity.
"Before we were installed as traditional rulers, we were Christians, so the belief of Christianity is within us," he stated, urging people to dispel the myth that "once you're a traditional ruler, you're a fetish, so you can't serve God,” he said.