The President recounted that on March 6, this year, he cut the sod for the project but there was no board in place to be responsible for overseeing the project.

Following that, he said, he thought that it would be appropriate for the formal constitution of the board of trustees who would be in charge of the project.

Membership of board

The board is chaired by a former Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church of Ghana, the Most Rev. Samuel Asante Antwi, with the Metropolitan Archbishop of Accra, the Most Rev. Charles Palmer Buckle, as Vice-Chairperson, and the Founder and General Overseer of Power Chapel Worldwide, Prophet Kusi Boateng, as Secretary.

The other members are the Chairman of the Church of Pentecost and President of the Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council, Apostle Dr Opoku Onyinah; the Founder of Salt and Light Ministries, Rev. Joyce Aryee; the Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Right Rev. Prof. Cephas Omenyo; the Archbishop of the Church of the Province of West Africa and Bishop of Accra, the Most Rev. Dr Justice Offei Akrofi; the Founder of Action Chapel International, Archbishop Nicholas Duncan-Williams; the Founder and President of Fountain Gate Chapel, Rev. Eastwood Anaba; the Founder and Presiding Bishop of the Lighthouse Chapel International, Bishop Dag Heward Mills; the Founder of the International Central Gospel Church, Pastor Mensa Otabil, and Rev. Dr Yaw Frimpong Manso and Rev. Prof. Emmanuel Martey, both former Moderators of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana.

Inaugurating the board, the President identified three main areas that the board would focus on, which are the design of the project, supervising the construction and, even more importantly, raising finances for the project.

He said the national cathedral was meant to be an inter-denominational church where Christians of all faiths could gather and worship.

Religious state occasions

One other major significance of the project, the President said, would be for the cathedral to serve as the venue for formal state occasions of religious nature.

Such events would include the inauguration of Presidents and state funerals, emphasising that those were events that required solemnity and formality.

Clearly, he said, private activities would be allowed to be organised at the cathedral but  some arrangements would be made to that effect.

However, he said, the central focus was the national significance of the cathedral and that was why the state had donated a parcel of land for the project.

The cathedral, he added, would serve as one of the legacies of the ‘Ghana 60 years on’ anniversary celebration.

Church urged to support project

President Akufo-Addo charged the Church in Ghana to support the building of a national cathedral for the country.

He said the team of clergy would also be responsible for the management of the facility once completed.

He said he was hopeful that the project would be completed in record time.

In a response on behalf of the board, the Most Rev. Asante Antwi said he and his team were in a hurry to deliver the project for the people of Ghana.

He assured the President that he and his board would get to work immediately.