By Iddi Yire, GNA
Accra, July 30, GNA - The Great Commission Church International (GCCI) has promulgated a new constitution.
It was adopted over the weekend at the Church's extraordinary General Council Meeting in Accra.
Under the new constitution, the Executive Council (EC) would be the highest policy-making body of the Church globally.
Whereas, the National Councils (NCs) is see to the day to day running of the Church in each member state.
By virtue of the promulgation of the new constitution, Apostle Joseph Felix Kwesi Mensah, the current Apostolic Council Chairman of GCCI, thus becomes the EC Chairman.
Furthermore, Apostle Professor Samuel Asuming-Brempong, GCCI Ghana NC Chairman and Apostle Prosper Yawotse Nove, GCCI Togo NC Chairman, have their mandates extended for the next five years.
The duo, also automatically become Vice Chairmen of the EC Chairman.
Under the new constitution, the EC Chairman, shall be the leader of the Council and the Church.
The Council shall have not more than seven elected Senior Ministers of the Church according to the Church's ranking system and three other persons, ministers or none ministers, who shall be appointed to the Council by virtue of their spiritual maturity, experience and expertise of long service in the Church.
The Chairmen of the NCs of member countries, shall be designated as Vice Chairmen to the EC Chairman.
The EC shall have executive powers to superintendent the work of all General Councils and to carry out the work of the Church as a whole.
The Headquarters and Secretariat of the EC shall be in Ghana.
Following the promulgation of the new constitution, GCCI Ghana would at its next General Council Meeting in January 2018, elect five senior ministers and two other persons to serve on the EC.
Whereas GCCI Togo would also at its next General Council Meeting in November 2018, elect two senior pastors and one other person to join the EC.
After the completion of the elections of country representatives, the new EC would therefore, assume office in November 2018.
The GCCI Constitutional Review Committee was under the distinguished Chairmanship of Mr Justice Amos Larweh Buertey, a Justice of the High Court and a member of GCCI Board of Trustees.
Other members include Reverend Godson Kwasi Gbloe, GCCI Ghana Second Vice Chairman; Mr Charles Tettey and Mrs Elizabeth Hagan, both legal luminaries.
The rest are Mrs Agatha Akonor-Mills, GCCI Ghana Board of Trustees Member and Elder Winfred Wunu.
The GCCI started in April 1991, on the campus of the University of Ghana, Legon.
The founding fathers include Apostles: Mensah, Prof Asuming-Brempong, Richard Kwami Adanu, Ebenezer Komla Hagan, Derrick Sarpong, Joseph Kwabena Antwi and Samuel Vincent Ansah.
Apostle Mensah in his acceptance speech commended the Committee for the painstaking work they did over the past five years in coming out with the new constitution.
He said the greatest thing which could make Christians one was for all of them to aim at being like Jesus.
He said GCCI was out to fulfill the Great Commission; hence, he tasked the new EC to make sure that within the next five years, new branches were opened in five countries such as Nigeria, the Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso.
He said his doors were opened to the whole Church.
Apostle Mensah cautioned pastors against cursing their followers who misbehave towards them; stating that "by nature, I have vowed to God, never to curse a church member until they bury me. Never! Never! I have not done it before, I don't hope to it."
"If you have any problem as a church member or a leader and you think nobody will listen to you, at least come to me. I am prepared to listen to you. Let's reason out so that this church can move on."
He said he was prepared to serve the church for the next five years.
GNA
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