Ernest Bruce Methodist Church to establish rehab centre
The Ernest Bruce Memorial Methodist Church (EBMMC) at Adabraka, in Accra, is to construct a rehabilitation centre for drug addicts at Sahara, Adabraka.
The project is part of initiatives by the church to commemorate its centenary anniversary which falls this year.
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The church is also expanding its current church building into a three-storey to incorporate an all-purpose hall for use by both the church and the community for a fee.
Initiatives
Speaking to the Daily Graphic on the centenary celebration and activities to commemorate the milestone, the Superintendent Minister and Centenary Director, Reverend Samuel K. Quartey, said the rehabilitation centre was to help care for the numerous addicts at Sahara, some of whom were trying to break free from the drug habit.
With regard to the centenary church hall, Rev. Quartey said the intention was to provide a good facility for social activities in the locality as the role of the church was not only to take care of the spiritual well-being of humanity, but their physical needs as well.
He said the church was on course in its support for efforts, such as youth employment, sanitation and education.
Perspectives
The Chairman of the Centenary Anniversary Committee, Mr Benjamin Tagoe; the chairman of the programme sub-committee of the Centenary Anniversary Committee, Mr Emmanuel Augustus Antwi; a member of the committee, Mr S.T. Lartey; and the secretary of the Centenary Anniversary Committee, Nii Amartei Amartey, all gave their perspectives on the development efforts of the church.
Mr Tagoe said outreach meetings of the church, called preaching posts, held at Sahara and Tudu, both Adabraka communities, had resulted in some addicts attending church.
He said preachers at such posts had, therefore, suggested that the church should put up a rehabilitation centre to take care of the addicts.
Mr Antwi corroborated the information that the state of some of the youth in the community who were on drugs had prompted the church to undertake such a venture, and said the Department of Social Welfare would ultimately be engaged for the cause.
The Secretary to the Committee, Nii Amartey, said sponsors of the anniversary programme would be engaged on the rehabilitation centre going forward.
Costs
On the expansion project to incorporate a church hall, all those in charge of the programme of activities were in agreement that the church was strategically located in Accra, and, therefore, providing space for organisers of programmes in the community made business sense, while the church auditorium also needed to be expanded to accommodate more worshippers.
Work on the centenary church hall, the cost of which is estimated at GH¢1,814,550, is expected to be completed in three years.
Other activities
Other activities for the celebration include a symposium and the erection of a foundation stone at the centenary hall.
A picnic that formed part of the centenary celebration took place at Achimota during Easter and was climaxed with a thanksgiving service at the church.
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