An end of the leadership crisis, which hit the Association of Seventh Day Pentecostal Assemblies, following the demise of the founder, Apostle Elder Enoch Ofori, in October 2007, is in sight.
A Kumasi High Court has appointed two church elders as interim leaders to steer the affairs of the church, pending proposed elections within six months.
The Court, presided over by His Lordship Justice Dr. Poku Adusei, Justice of the Appeal Court, sitting as an additional High Court Judge on Thursday, removed Rev. Micaiah Addai as leader of the 7th Day Pentecostal Church.
The Court declared the election of Micaiah Addai as the leader/president of the 7th Day Pentecostal Assemblies null and void, and ruled further that Rev. Addai could no longer hold himself as President or Interim leader of the church.
Bright Obeng Esq., led by Charles Agbanu Esq., represented Elder Enoch Ofori Jnr and Plaintiffs, while Dr. Dickson Osei-Asibey and Andrew Acquah, led by Kwame Asiedu Basoah Esq. represented the defendants.
The case travelled from the High Court in 2008 through the Court of Appeal to the Supreme Court.
Since 2008, the church has faced a protracted litigation brought against Rev. Addai by some church members, who alleged that he imposed himself as president, contrary to the church constitution.
The controversy bordered on the claims by Rev. Addai, a nephew of the founder, that he was the leader, having inherited the founder traditionally and counter claim by Elder Enoch Ofori Jnr, son of the founder, who argued that Rev. Addai’s actions violated the church’s constitution, which stipulates that elections should be held to elect a new president.
The Court of Appeal upheld an appeal against a previous judgment, directing the Association of Seventh Day Pentecostal Assemblies to elect a new President within six months, to resolve the impasse, awarding a cost of GH¢15,000 against Rev. Addai.
A consequential order by the Court of Appeal, presided over by Justice A.M. Domakyaareh (Mrs.), with Justices Alex B. Poku Acheampong and S.K.A. Asiedu in a unanimous decision directed Michaiah Addai, defendant/respondent in the suit to convene a general meeting of all the constituent Assemblies of the Association in Ghana to elect a new president, in line with the Constitution of the Church, within six months from the date of the order.
The order followed the claim by the appellants that upon the demise of Elder Enoch Ofori, the founder of the Association of Seventh Day Pentecostal Assemblies who was the father of Elder Enoch Ofori Jnr., the first plaintiff/ appellant, the respondent/defendant, Michaiah Addae, (nephew of the deceased founder) and pastor of the Krofrom branch of the church claimed to be the leader of the church having been appointed as the customary successor of the founder.
As a result of the ensuing differences, a court action was instituted to ascertain who the leader of the church was.
The appellants stated that the court action was settled and terms of settlement were filed and adopted as consent judgment, but the defendant reportedly organised a meeting at which he was purportedly appointed the President of the Association of Seventh Day Pentecostal Assemblies.
This claim by the defendant provoked the appeal at the Appellate Court but the Defendant/respondent also contended that the plaintiff/appellant had never ever been elected or appointed by the church as President.
The respondent further explained that the terms of settlement of May 15, 2009 referred to by the appellant, evolved from the association’s Constitution, which allegedly provides that the most senior pastor becomes the Acting President upon the death of a substantive President.
The Court of Appeal, therefore, upheld the appeal in part and directed that the Association of Seventh Day Pentecostal Assemblies elects a new President by October 2022 to resolve the impasse but to no avail.
The Supreme Court, presided over by Justice V.J.M. Dotse on May 16, 2023 had dismissed an application of stay of execution of a judgment of the Court of Appeal of April 28, 2022 by the defendant/respondent, Michaiah Addai.
The Apex Court in dismissing the application contended that a proper case had not been made to provoke action in favour of the applicant.
It explained its position that it did not see any irreparable damage in conducting an election pursuant to the dictates of the Assemblies’ own constitution and the parties own consent judgment.
The Court also noted that the applicant had not demonstrated good faith because since the adoption of the said consent judgment by the High Court, the applicant had faithfully held unto the position of a leader or President, but consistently refused to hold elections in accordance of the same consent judgment.
The Court said honouring part of the consent judgment and neglecting the other part of the same consent judgement smacked of bad faith hence the dismissal of the application since the consent judgment is a subsisting and valid judgment, which has not been appealed since 2009.
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The post Court appoints interim leaders for 7th Day Pentecostal Church …Pending elections in 6 months appeared first on The Ghanaian Chronicle.
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