New African companionship imminent
by the Rev. Keith Osborne
For the Bishop and the Companion Diocese Committee
Bishop Claude Miller is corresponding with Bishop Matthias Medadues-Badohu, the Diocese of Ho in East Ghana, with a view to establishing an official relationship under the Companion Diocese program. They hope to sign a covenant in the near future.
Archdeacon Matthias was consecrated as bishop of the brand new
Diocese of Ho on Aug. 17, 2003 in the See city of Ho. The diocese is in the
Volta region of east Ghana. Fed by wide rivers and covered in fertile farmland,
it spreads down the far eastern fringe of the small west African nation. The
people of Ghana exude a warmth and love that gives them a reputation for peace.
They are blessed to live in one of the more politically stable countries on
the African continent.
Ghana gained independence from Britain in 1957. The people suffered through a period of disastrous socialist government from which they are only now recovering. Over the years, five military regimes and three short-lived civilian governments caused instability and a squandering of the nation’s rich reserves and export revenues. The country is a major producer of cocoa, timber and gold, but a great proportion of the population lived in poverty through the mismanagement and corruption of its leaders. In 2000 there was a successful democratic election and now, thankfully, the people of Ghana enjoy a relatively stable political system.
As the country recovers the people find themselves in a position to discover themselves as a nation and to assert their own identity on the African scene of the 21st. century. English is common and is the official language of the nation, a fact which will be a blessing to our companionship. In a census taken around the year 2001, the Anglican population of the nation was estimated at 2,693, but given African dynamics of church growth, that number is probably far greater by this time. Of the total population, 63 per cent is Christian, 21 per cent is Muslim and 16 per cent follow traditional African religions.
We as a committee look forward to a meaningful and fruitful ministry
as companions with the 
people of this part of the Anglican Communion. The diocese consists of five parishes and several more isolated outposts and congregations
that have not as yet been formally established as parishes. The cathedral is
in the city of Ho and the people are enthusiastically making their Diocese
a vital and dynamic force for the Gospel and the unity of the church. On behalf
of Bishop Miller, the Companion Diocese Committee appeals to New Brunswick
Anglicans to take on this new companion relationship with faith in what God
can do amongst us all as the body of Christ, both here and in Ghana.
We technically ended our five-year companionship with the Diocese of Recife in Brazil in March of 2004, but we have kept in contact since that time. Official closure will now be made.
Our first Companion Diocese relationship was with the Diocese of Eldoret, Kenya. Out five-year term was extended to 10 years.
