The Episcopal Committee of the Department of Pastoral Ministry and Evangelization has held its inaugural meeting for the year 2026, bringing together Bishops, Secretaries, Directors, and Chaplains to receive and deliberate on Action Plans from the various Commissions, Directorates, and Units under the department.
The day-long session took place at the St. John Paul II Conference Room at the National Catholic Secretariat (NCS) and set the tone for a collaborative and integrated approach to evangelization for the year ahead.
Presiding over the meeting was Most Rev. John Yaw Afoakwah, Episcopal Chairman for the Biblical Apostolate, who served as Chairman of the Committee. He was joined by a host of Bishops including Most Rev. Alfred Agyenta, Episcopal Chairman for the Pontifical Mission Societies; Most Rev. John Alphonse Asiedu, SVD, Episcopal Co-Chairman for the Laity; and Most Rev. John Opoku-Agyemang, Episcopal Chairman for Seminaries, Vocations and Chaplaincies.
Key staff from the Secretariat were also in attendance, including the Secretary General, Very Rev. Fr. Clement K. Adjei, and the Executive Secretary of the Department, Very Rev. Fr. Gabriel Kojovi Liashiedzi, alongside Directors, Chaplains, and Coordinators of the various Commissions and Units.
𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐃𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬
Following the presentation of plans and deliberations, the Committee passed several key resolutions aimed at strengthening the Church’s pastoral outreach, formation, and administration.
𝐖𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭:
In a move to foster intergenerational leadership, the Committee resolved to initiate a policy document regarding the leadership of Women’s Groups. The document, which will be presented for approval by the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference, seeks to create pathways for the participation of young women in these groups. Furthermore, it was agreed that the Youth Wings of these Women Groups must be registered with the Ghana National Catholic Youth Council (GHANCYC) to ensure they benefit from structured formation through the New Integrated Catholic Youth Formation Programme (NICYFOP).
𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐁𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐀𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞:
The Committee is encouraging the youth to enroll in the 12-week online Biblical Apostolate Programme. To deepen the theological foundation of this work, the Committee also agreed to invite Bible Scholars from the various Seminaries to place their scholarship at the service of the Biblical Apostolate, bridging the gap between academic theology and practical evangelization.
𝐂𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐲:
Addressing the financial support for future priests, priests were encouraged to increase their contributions to the St. Peter the Apostle Fund, which is vital for funding seminary formation. Additionally, in an effort to strengthen the domestic church, the Committee stressed the importance of taking the preparation for the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony seriously, specifically through the renewed training of Marriage Counsellors.
𝐖𝐞𝐥𝐟𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐀𝐝𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧:
The Committee addressed the welfare of clergy in specialized ministry by pledging to look into the concerns of Catholic Chaplains serving the Security Services. On administrative matters, it was resolved to take the necessary legal steps to secure the land belonging to the National Council of Catholic Women (NCCW) at Dodowa.
𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧:
Underpinning all discussions was a call to promote cooperation among Commissions, Directorates, and Units of the department to foster a more collaborative and integral approach to pastoral ministry and evangelization.
𝐀 𝐒𝐡𝐢𝐟𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐃𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐄𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲:
In a forward-looking administrative decision, the Committee resolved to adopt virtual meetings for the submission of action plans at the first meeting of the department, effective from the year 2027. However, to maintain accountability and personal collaboration, the Committee will continue to meet physically to present reports on the implementation of these plans at the second meeting of the year.
The meeting concluded with a collective commitment to implementing these resolutions to effectively carry out the Church’s mission of evangelization throughout the year.
Source: Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference
