Ebenezer Presbyterian Church in Osu, downtown Accra, is Ghana's oldest Reformed congregation. Over 300 pastors, parishioners and choir members gathered there on November 17 to inaugurate the national organizing committee.

Members of the committee with the WARC team

Setri Nyomi told them that hosting the general council is a privilege. It will bring the entire world's attention on Ghana in the run- up to the council. It will involve the entire world in praying with Ghana.

"It is also a responsibility," he said. "Ghanaians are very good at hospitality. But it is not easy, especially in these challenging times. We are grateful for the leadership of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church, Ghana and the Presbyterian Church of Ghana for opening their doors wide to the world Presbyterian and Reformed family. We are grateful to JOY Mante and to the women and men serving on the national organizing committee for agreeing to accept this challenging task. We are grateful to the government and peoples of Ghana, for we are not just coming to the Presbyterian family. We are coming to engage in a pastoral visit to Ghana."

Setri Nyomi preaching in Osu

The national organizing committee is chaired by JOY Mante, academic dean of Trinity Theological Seminary and the Ghana-based general council coordinator. Its nineteen members will tend to arrivals, immigration, transportation, housing, meals, publicity, health services and fundraising.

George P Hagan, chairman of Ghana's national commission on culture, chaired the inauguration, with HE Ambassador BG Godwyll, chief director of the ministry of foreign affairs, as the guest of honour. The moderators of the two host churches - Livingstone K Buama (Evangelical Presbyterian Church, Ghana) and Sam Prempeh (Presbyterian Church of Ghana) - also took part.

During the inauguration, Emmanuel Som-Tetteh, a member of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, received $1,000 for his prize- winning entry in the all-Africa general council logo competition.

Emmanuel Som-Tetteh with Doug Chial

At the centre of the logo is the Gye Nyame ("except God") symbol. An Akan proverb says: "The great panorama of creation dates back to time immemorial, no one lives who saw its beginning, no one will live to see its end - except God."