Association of Wives of Anglican Bishops donate to church
“We realised the need to add outreach to our activities, look for the needy, orphans and widows in the various Dioceses, and support them to grow the Church.”
Association of Wives of the Bishops of Anglican Church of Ghana has donated various items to members of the Saint Veronica Anglican Church at Galibang and neighbouring communities in the Yendi Municipality.
The items included plastic chairs, school items, milk, toiletries, clothes and first aid drugs.
The support formed part of activities to mark the first outreach of the association.
Mrs Christiana Ben-Smith, Mother Superior and wife of the Archbishop of West Africa, Most Reverend Dr Cyril Ben-Smith, who spoke during the presentation of the items to the beneficiaries, said the Bishops’ wives had always played various roles to support their husbands in the ministry.
She said such roles included motivating members to take up initiatives and supporting one another to work on peculiar tasks in the church.
She said, “We realised the need to add outreach to our activities, look for the needy, orphans and widows in the various Dioceses, and support them to grow the Church.”
She said it was important to replicate the act of the Biblical character Nehemiah, who took steps to provide support to the needy.
Right Reverend Dennis Debukari Tong, the Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Tamale, said the Galibang community was identified as one of the most deprived areas in the Tamale Diocese hence, the decision to extend support to them through the outreach programme.
He said the move was in partial fulfilment of the great commission of God as indicated in Matthew chapter 25:31 for mankind to reach out to others with the gospel.
Reverend Father Emmanuel Jekkan, the Resident Priest at the Saint Veronica Parish, expressed gratitude to the Association for the donation, saying it was historical to have the wives of all Bishops of the Anglican Church in the country reaching out to the community.
He said, “Looking at the calibre of people, who came here and knowing that the outreach programme is beginning with the Tamale Diocese, I can excitedly say it is the will of God.”
