Men's Fellowship
Two Clergymen of the Methodist Church can claim credit for projecting the idea of a Men’s Fellowship in the Connexion. In 1970 the Rev. Joseph K. Clegg then Chairman of the Accra District (now Diocese) and President of the Youth Fellowship directed that; all those members of the Youth Fellowship above the age of 35 years should constitute themselves into a separate body and form a Men’s Fellowship, as a way out of crises which had arisen between the older and younger of the Youth Fellowship members because of the disparity of age.
About three years later, the Most Rev. T. Wallace Koomson, Past President of Conference, and the Superintendent Minister of North Accra Circuit, at a Quarterly Meeting advocated and urged the older and more matured men in the church to come together as a Men’s Fellowship and organize for the purpose of giving more effective service to the church.
Although this idea of separate grouping for the elderly men of the church was generally appreciated and supported by all, it remained a mere topic of discussion, and nothing concrete was done either by Accra Youth Fellowship or any other person or body in the Connexion to carry out the directive. However in September 1975 a committee of three, made up of Brothers A. E. Enchia, D. T. Ackah and Harry Reynolds, all of Calvary Society was entrusted by the North Accra Quarterly Meeting with the task of examining the formation of the Men’s Fellowship and producing a memorandum embodying the Draft Constitution and Bye Laws for the Organization.
The committee worked so zealously and in a matter of months they had completed all arrangements for the inauguration of the Men’s Fellowship in the Connexion which took place at Calvary Society of North Accra on Sunday 1st August 1976 with 53 members.
The inaugural ceremony was performed by no less a personality than the Most Rev. T. Wallace Koomson, the then Immediate Past President of Conference and Superintendent Minister of North Accra Circuit.
The seed sown at Calvary Society was destined to grow and become a huge tree. For a long time most congregations were simply not aware of the Calvary initiative, or if they were, they regarded it no more than an object of curiosity. It became known also that in some areas a number of Church Leaders and the Clergy were not too enthusiastic about the initiative for fear that it might turn out to be a fertile breeding ground for unwelcome agitation against edicts of the established order.
Of course, not all new ideas, however laudable, received ready acceptance, even by those who stand to benefit from them.
However, after four long years, things began to change and other inaugurations followed in quick succession; Gethsemane Men’s Fellowship, also of North Accra Wesley were also inaugurated. Others that followed were Accra New Town, and Winneba Ebenezer.
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
As inauguration of the Fellowships spread, it was realized that the best possible way to accelerate the formation of the organization in the Connexion was to set up a body to seek Conference endorsement of the Men’s Fellowship as one of the Church’s recognized organization.
Saturday, 21st November 1981 marked a major turning point when Calvary Men’s Fellowship hosted the first Interim Conference at which delegated of the eleven existing Men’s Fellowships and observers from many societies attended.
The conference adopted the following:
A common constitution for the Branch Fellowships
One motto: For Christ-We Live
Blue Black material for Fellowship Uniform (Lounge or Political Suit)
A common Fellowship Badge.
THE FELLOWSHIP BADGE
A committee (comprising A. E. Enchia, K. Acquah-Harrison, Charles Quansah, K. M. Abadoo, D. T. Ackah, and Nana Dr. J. S. Annan, all from Calvary and Dr. A. A. Armah, E. K. Addison, Major John Kpakpo Plange, and M. A. T. Quarcoo from Wesley) was appointed and mandated to tale all the necessary steps leading to full recognition of the Methodist Men’s Fellowship by the Methodist Church Ghana. At the 22nd Annual Conference of the Methodist Church held at Sunyani, Brong Ahafo Region, approval was given to the Men’s Fellowship Memorial and Constitution on 6th of September 1983. Thus, the Fellowship became the then youngest of the recognized organization within the Methodist Church Ghana with the following as its aim and objectives:
To acknowledge the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
To follow the life of Jesus and to discuss His works and teaching at meetings of the Fellowship
To assist in the spiritual and moral growth of members in our Lord Jesus Christ
To mobilize the men of the Church in fellowship with Jesus Christ and with one another and help alleviate hardship in times of need.
To promote activities to raise funds for the furtherance of God’s work in all its aspects.
To promote lectures, debates seminars and discussions in religion, culture, world affairs and their relevance to Christian teachings and practices.
The Conference also approved the Fellowship motto: FOR CHRIST WE LIVE and Logo which depicts a figure of a man armed with a bible and prancing forward in a charger.
The formal inauguration of the Association of Methodist Men’s Fellowships took place at the Calvary Methodist Church, Adabraka, Accra on Saturday, 31st March 1984. The ceremony was performed by the then Ag. President of Conference Rt. Rev. C. Awotwe-Pratt who also inducted into office the following day. Sunday, 1st April, 1984 at the Wesley Methodist Church, Asafoatse Nettey Road, Accra the officers of the Fellowship’s first National Executive with Bro. D. T. Ackah as Chairman.
