Ghana Anglican Church Allows Ordination of Women Priests

By Robert Williams, Christian Post Correspondent Tuesday, June 23, 2009

The Anglican Church, Ghana, on Sunday announced it is paving a way to consecrate "women as priests" for the firs time in the church history.

Most Reverend Dr Justice Ofei Akrofi, Provincial Archbishop of West Africa said: "Women will now be ordained as members of the priesthood," Ghana news agency reported.

The announcement came after the 20th synod, the highest decision making body of the mission resolved to consecrate women as priests. Earlier, women could only serve as chalices; that is administering wine during communion.

And also a tribunal in Australia ruled that there was nothing in the Church's constitution that prevents the consecration of a woman priest.

The rule made reference to the law of the Church of England Clarification Canon 1992 and paved the way in 2007 for the ordination of women as priests in the Anglican mission.

The Most Rev. Dr. Akrofi said since the Diocese has accepted to train women as Priests, they will work on the modalities to ordain them as active members of the priesthood. He urged members to contribute towards the building of a hostel for a retreat centre and the Anglican Technical University. He also called on parents to strengthen family life education to enable children to become responsible adults who will help in nation building.

The synod also inducted into office Madam Sabina Ofori Boateng, a legal practitioner, Chancellor for the Accra Diocese, Mr Bliss Nii Amartey Espur as the Registrar of the Accra Diocese and Mr Ebo Selby as his Assistant Registrar.

The role of the chancellor is to advise the Bishop, synod, committees and boards of the diocese, while the registrar is responsible for all documentations relating to ordination of clergy and licensing of readers.

According to CIA world factbook, Ghana has about 24 million population of which Christians make up 68.8 percent with Pentecostal or Charismatic being the biggest denomination at 24.1 percent, other Protestants including Anglicans 18.6 percent Catholic 15.1 percent, and other 11 percent, Muslim 15.9 percent, traditional 8.5 percent in 2000 census.