Rt Rev. Dogbe inducted as Bishop of AME Zion Church
The immediate past Pastor in Charge of the Aggrey Memorial AME Zion Church at Mamprobi in Accra, Rt. Rev. Dr Hilliard Dela Dogbe, has been inducted as the first indigenous resident Bishop for the Western West Africa Episcopal District (WWED) of the church.
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This follows his election at the 50th Quadrennial Session of the General Confection held in Greensboro in the United States, from July 20-26, 2016. His election makes him the 104th Bishop in the line of succession of the AME Zion Church.
Until his election, Rt. Rev. Dr Dogbe, besides his role at Mamprobi in Accra, also served as the Chief of Staff and Protocol to Bishop Seth Lartey.
Authority
With his induction, Rt Rev. Dr Dogbe would now preside over AME Zion Churches in the WWED, comprising Ghana, Cote d’ Ivoire, Togo and Liberia.
The ceremony was attended by leading members of the church in the WWED and the United States. Rt Rev. Dr Dogbe was presented with items such as the Bible, staff, Book of Discipline and gavel as his instruments of office.
The induction ceremony was performed by the President of the Board of Bishops of the AME Zion Church worldwide, Bishop Kenneth Monroe, who asked God to look with favour on his servant, Rt. Rev. Dr Dogbe, “whom your church has appointed Bishop and Chief Pastor of the WWED.”
Sermon
“Grant that by word and example, he may assist those among whom he is placed so that he and the people entrusted to his care may fulfil the promises that they have made this day; grow together in unity, love and service; and attain everlasting life through Jesus Christ,” he said.
In a sermon, Bishop Monroe told the congregation that God specialised in doing things that seemed impossible and that he does what no other power can do.
“The impossible can be made possible…I feel the intangible, I see the invincible, just believe it and conceive it, God would perform it today,’’ he stated.
Response
Rt Rev. Dr Dogbe thanked God for the honour done him and charged members of the congregation to believe in themselves.
“Let no one look down upon you. The fact that you are Ghanaian and an African does not make you inferior to somebody else,” he said, adding that “God has endowed each one of us with great potentials and great possibilities.”
Rt. Rev. Dr Dogbe expressed the belief that God would move the Church to greater heights.
