The Most Rev. Prof. Kwesi Dickson Memorial Society was established on March 7, 1992, as a result of an evangelism school established by Evangelist Yaw Ofori of Calvary Methodist Church -Adabraka, with the then Superintendent Minister Rt. Rev. Ofori Rockson.
Evangelist Yaw Ofori had envisioned through the Evangelism school to embark on a Gospel outreach to five villages towards the North-East of Accra: Frafraha, Adjiringanor, Bawaleshie, Otanor and Pantang. He was support by Sisters Dinah Yorke, Comfort Patience Andoh, Matilda and Sarah Kuntoh, and Brothers Bruce-Tagoe, David Aduakye, Moses Foh-Amoaning and Emmanuel Arthur. A church planting crusade was held and ten (10) souls responded to the gospel message.
These became the nucleus for the Adjiringanor Methodist preaching post. Evangelist Yaw Ofori and his team from Calvary had to travel to Adjiringanor every Sunday morning during the early stages of the establishment of the preaching post. Travelling was made easier for the team by Mr. & Mrs. Vandyke offering the team a car for that purpose. In the first year of the establishment of the preaching post, the late Chief of Adjiringanor, Nii Odai Kwame, willingly offered his sitting room in the Chief’s palace as a place of worship. In 1995, when the Chief passed away, the Church moved from the Palace to Adjiringanor Basic School.
The movement was facilitated by Sister Beatrice Otoo, a Methodist who had been transferred to teach at the school. It was then that members started looking for a suitable land to build a chapel in the hope of establishing a new society. Through the effort of Brother James Babai of blessed memory, the Calvary Methodist Society negotiated the purchase of a large parcel of land at Adjiringanor for a chapel. Later, the budding Church started having problems with the Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA).
The TMA decided to levy taxes on all churches worshipping in the basic school blocks. The members could not continue meeting in the basic school because the demands of the TMA could not be met. The church temporarily moved to the house of one Mr. Atakora, a Catholic through the efforts of Brother Emmanuel Arthur, and Sisters Beatrice Otoo and Innocent Sackey. The church moved again to the basic school for worship when their finances enabled them to pay the TMA levy.
The church started growing in membership and this encouraged Brother Emmanuel Arthur and other brethren to organize a joint crusade with GHAMSU. A philanthropist offered his room for the GHAMSU team for a week during the crusade. Brother Arthur relocated to stay permanently at Adjiringanor in 1997 and was appointed as the first caretaker in March 1997. The Adjiringanor Methodist Church grew to this stage because of the commitment of the entire Calvary Methodist Church, Adabraka.
For a period of over three years, various organizations at Calvary such as Christ Little Band, the Women’s. Fellowship and the Youth Fellowship, made it their duty to send a delegation to fellowship with the young developing church every Sunday. These organisations also supported the young church financially.
In addition to the efforts by the various organizations at Calvary Methodist Church, all the Superintendent Ministers, starting from Rt. Rev. D. B. Ofori-Rockson, during whose time the whole project started, through to Rt. Rev. J. E. Ebe-Authur pushed the young church for more outreach programmes in the village. The. Rt. Rev. Richard Asua-Sekyere crowned the efforts of all to make the ultimate vision come true by making sure that the nascent church had a permanent place of worship.
Former Bishops and their families who lived within the vicinity of Adjiringanor and worshipped and contributed to the Church were Rt. Rev. Ebenezer K. Dadson, Rt. Rev. Joseph E. Ghunney and Rt. Rev. Isaac K. Asuamah Thompson. The teething church, in 1997, was gifted by God with the presence of a servant of the Word who had become a standard of service in humility to the church in Ghana.
Most Rev. Prof. Kwesi A. Dickson who had superannuated, moved with his family to stay close to Adjiringanor. His work and contribution to the growth of Adjiringanor Church formed the basis of the desire, and decision of the Leaders Meeting of the Church, to resolve that the chapel be accepted as an edifice to immortalize the service, sacrifice and example of Most Rev. Prof. Kwesi A. Dickson.
After his passing, his wife Mrs. Cecilia Dickson remained a member of the Adjiringanor Church the rest of her days. All the children and grandchildren continue to visit and worship with the Church whenever an opportunity avails itself. In April 2003 under the able leadership of Very Rev. Dr. Paul Boafo (as he then was), the Quarterly Meeting voted massively in support of a motion that the Adjiringanor Preaching Post be elevated to a Society.
The Methodist Church Ghana Expanded GPC meeting of August 2003 granted full Society Status to the Adjiringanor Church, which was formally inaugurated on March 7, 2004
CHURCH DEVELOPMENT
• Evangelist Dinah Yorke took over as a caretaker from April. 18, 2000. During her tenure, she concentrated her efforts on increasing the membership strength through revivals and house-to-house outreach programmes. She helped the young society move from the basic school to the Calvary Education Complex, Adjiringanor on September 24, 2000.
• Very Rev. Dr. E. K. Marfo became the Resident Minister from December 25, 2000 to September 2001. During his tenure he also embarked on house-to-house visitation and effective teaching of the Bible and the responsibilities of a Christian. It was during his time that Evangelist Kingsford Amoah donated a public address system and an organ to the young society.
• Very Rev. Mrs. Betty Arko took over from October 2001 to September 2002. She also strengthened the singing band and introduced the ‘Robing’ of the members during church service. She introduced the Community Bible Class Meetings.
• Very Rev. Dr. Mark Aidoo became the Resident Minister of the young society from November 2002 to September 2004. Under his stewardship the church started a bakery project on September 9, 2003 and the church was also formally inaugurated on March 7, 2004.
• Very Rev. Ama Afo Blay became the Resident Minister from October 2004 to September 2012. She commenced the Construction of the church building with architectural drawings freely provided by Arc. Emmanuel Oko Adjetey a friend to Mr. George Nartey an active member. She relocated the society to the current premises firstly using canopies and later a wooden shed. It will be recalled that our first day of service under the canopy was a miserable one. A rainstorm on that faithful Sunday blew off all the tents, but for the resilient and encouraging words from Very Rev. Ama Afo Blay, the church would have relocated to the classroom. Under her tenure, the first phase of the church offices were completed and commissioned on 29 November, 2009
• Very Rev. John Kofi French (of blessed memory) became the Resident Minister from October 2012 to September 2017. He continued with the construction works and accelerated the pace of the project to the roofing stage. Through various fundraising programs under his stewardship, the church secured the facility with glazing windows and metal gates.
• Very Rev. Seth Opare Sakyi became the Resident Minister on 1st October, 2017 till date. He has continued with the building projects.
• Very Rev. Dr. John Abedu Quarshie was appointed an Auxiliary Minister of the society on 1st October, 2018.
Credit must be given to the church members for their contribution to the project, especially Justice Mrs. Helena Inkumsah-Abban, Brother James Babai (of blessed memory), Brother George Nartey, Brother Emmanuel Sakyiamah and Brother Kwame Apau.
This Society, presently housed in this grand edifice, would not have been where it is today were it not for the blessings of God manifested through the late Most Rev. Prof. (Emeritus) Kwesi A. Dickson and his family.
We are sure history will not forget the many who toiled and kept us in prayer whenever the story of the ‘little beginnings’ of the Most Rev. Prof. Kwesi A. Dickson Memorial Chapel is told.
EBENEZER - thus far the Lord has brought us, and we will forever be grateful.
