Rev. Prof. Omenyo elected Moderator of Presbyterian Church

The Provost of the College of Education of the University of Ghana, Reverend Professor Cephas Narh Omenyo, has been elected as the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana.

The election took place at the just-ended 16th General Assembly of the Church at Abetifi in the Eastern Region.

Prof. Omenyo, 57, who now carries the title Rt. Reverend, went into the contest unopposed after his closest contestants, Rev. Professor Joseph Obiri Yeboah Mante, the President of the Trinity Theological Seminary in Accra, and Rev. Herbert Anim-Opong, the Chairperson for the North American Presbytery of the Church, had all stepped down after the nomination.

At the nomination stage, Rev. Prof. Omenyo secured 116 votes, Rev. Prof. Mante 60 votes and Rev. Anim Opong 27 votes respectively as the top three nominees.

Rev. Prof. Mante and Rev. Anim Opong later bowed out leaving Rev. Prof. Omenyo as the sole candidate for the election. 

Constitution

According to the church’s constitution, the winner must have 50 per cent plus one vote, therefore, the 230 commissioners had to confirm him on ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ vote.

Rev. Prof. Omenyo received 209 ‘Yes’ votes, which represent 96.7 per cent, and seven ‘No,’ representing 3.24 per cent. 

In his acceptance speech, the new moderator thanked God and the church for the confidence reposed in him and gave an assurance that he would work hard to improve on the fortunes of the church. 

He called for total support from all and sundry and welcomed ideas from all church members.  

The outgoing Moderator, Rt. Rev. Professor Emmanuel Martey, congratulated his successor and urged him to seek the face of God always.

He also asked the congregation to offer the needed support and cooperation to Rev. Prof. Omenyo in the discharge of his duties.

Biography

Rev. Prof. Cephas Narh Omeny is the Provost of the College of Education, University of Ghana. 

He is a Professor in the Department for the Study of Religions with extensive experience in teaching, research and administration. He was born in 1959 and hails from Somanya in the Eastern Region of Ghana.

He was commissioned into the Ministry of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana in 1985 and was ordained in 1987 in Tamale. 

The new moderator obtained his first degree in Sociology and Religion from the University of Ghana, and Master of Philosophy from the same University and PhD from Utrecht University in Holland.

His research interest area is in Intra-Christian Conversion, Ecclesiological Developments in African Christianity and Pentecostal Theological Education.