The Sekondi Diocese of Saint Peter and Paul of the Orthodox Anglican Church of Ghana on Sunday launched its tenth anniversary with the unveiling of an anniversary cloth.

The year-long celebration would involve a number of activities including a clean-up exercise, health talk, youth forum, revival convention and Bible quiz competition.

The anniversary was officially launched by the Most Reverend Dr Jacob Augustine Welbourne, the Archbishop of Orthodox Anglican Church of Ghana, during the service on Sunday.

Recounting the origin of the Church, Mr Kofi Gyetsua Ankuma, the Chairman of the Public Affairs of the Church, said on July 30, 2006, more than 500 disenchanted parishioners of Saint Andrews Anglican Diocese of Sekondi, including clergy men, broke away from the Church, to establish the Orthodox Anglican Church of Ghana, popularly called S.S Peter and Paul.

He said the separation was necessitated due to the absolute disregard for the church’s Constitution by the leadership of the Church of the Province of West Africa (CPWA) and the Sekondi Anglican Diocese in their effort to elect the third bishop for the Anglican Diocese of Sekondi.

Mr Ankuma said the process to elect the third bishop was also fraught with despotism, deceit and the abuse of the fundamental provisions of the Constitution of the Anglican Diocese of Sekondi.

He said in their effort to uphold the principles of good governance and transparency, the disenchanted members took a bold step and re-aligned themselves with the Orthodox Anglican Communion on July 28, 2007.

The Orthodox Anglican Communion is a global movement of Christians, committed to the historic faith in the Anglican tradition, which was established in 1967 in the United States of America and is one of the largest fellowships of Churches not affiliated to the See of Canterbury, he said.

Mr Ankuma said despite the harassments, intimidations and threats, which necessitated their movement from the main Anglican Church, the members remained steadfast, resilient and convinced about their Christian faith.

We would continue to hold firmly to the beliefs and teachings of the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, the Sacraments, the Baptism and Holy Communion as ordained by Jesus Christ for all Christians.

“Our purpose is to be a Christian community of faith committed to fulfilling the Baptismal Covenant through worship, teaching, fellowship, prayer and service. We celebrate liturgy, respond to those in need, nurture family lives, embrace diversity, live and grow in the teachings of Jesus Christ and share our God given time, talents, and treasure with the community as good stewards”, he said.