Upper Presbytery Commission Water Project at the Cost of GHc 100,000 


A Water Project valued at the cost of 100,000 Ghana cedis has been commissioned in Bolgatanga, by the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Right Reverend Professor Emmanuel Martey. 

The Salem Water Project which is being spearheaded by the Upper Presbytery of the church is expected to facilitate the mass production of quality refined water to residents of the Upper East Region and beyond.  

The move is in line with the church’s resolve to migrate incorporate business into the activities of the church whilst delivering on its traditional mandate of communicating the gospel of Christ to unbelievers.
 
This, the church believes, will to sustain the growth of the Presbytery and more importantly create employment opportunities to the teeming unemployed youth both within and outside the church.  

Radio Ghana's Correspondent Isaac Asare reports that at a sod cutting ceremony to officially commence the project, the Coordinator of the Presbyterian Community Based Rehabilitation Project, PCBR, Maxwell Akandem, called on the presbytery to conform to the current development parlance, where it has become necessary for churches to engage in viable and productive ventures as a way of winning more souls for Christ. 

He however, called for a paradigm shift in the delivery of services, adding that most churches have moved away from service provision to advocacy and right based issues.
 
This, laudable approach, he hinted, goes ahead to empower people to know their right and demand for the services that they need. 

He said the commissioning of the water project was another dimension to the holistic services initiated by the presbytery.
 
The idea, he further explained, was a step geared towards building financial sustainability for the church. 

Mr Akandem, however, encouraged ministers within the presbytery to incorporate some aspect of business in their service delivery at the district level. 

Speaker after speaker reiterated the need for the church to adopt innovative and practical way of enhancing the growth of the presbytery. 

The brain behind the water project, Mr Dan Kolbila, said the Presbyterian Church has over the years embarked on numerous social interventions to sustain the livelihood of the rural poor. 

This, he said was evident in the establishment of schools and health facilities across the country. 

Other areas include the establishment of Agricultural stations and hospitality centers among others. 

Mr Kobila, challenged the various presbyteries to think outside the box and go beyond the collection of tithes and offerings and invest in other areas to generate income. 

He was convinced that with the existence of the water project, financial base of the Upper Presbytery was going to improve for the better.
  
The Moderator of the Presbyterian Church, Rt Rev Prof Martey, for his part, charged managers of the water project to attach total commitment into the running of the facility. 

He moreover urged them to take ownership of the facility devoid of financial mismanagement among other negativity.  

The ceremony was attended by the District Ministers drawn from the Northern and Upper Presbytery, as well as members of the Men and Women Fellowship among other functionaries. 

The Upper Presbytery which was carved out from the Northern Presbytery is the 16th Presbytery of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana.
                                                                            
GBC