Young Adult’s Fellowship (YAF)

PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF GHANA

A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE YOUNG ADULTS’ FELLOWSHIP

OF THE NORTH AMERICA & AUSTRALIA PRESBYTARY

BACKGROUND

The Young Adults’ Fellowship of the North America & Australia Presbytery was first formed at Ascension Congregation (formally Orange Congregation) in New Jersey in 2011. It was immediately followed by the Manhattan Congregation. On the 18^th of October 2014, a Presbytery Council Meeting was held at New Jersey. At this meeting, every District President of the five Districts was to be present for an election to be held to elect Presbytery Officers for the Fellowship. Only Ebenezer Asare of New York and Nana Kwasi Agyemang of New Jersey were able to attend the meeting. They were given a year by the Council to organize the Fellowship and hold a Congress for elections to be held.

After the meeting, Mr. Asare created a WhatsApp platform for all the District Presidents and started communication between the various District Presidents.

The then District Presidents, namely, Mr. Ebenezer Asare (NY), Nana Akwasi Aggyemang (NJ), Mr. Thomas Nimo (OH), Mr. Edward Kofi Asamoah (WDC), Mr. Edmund Adem (NE),  held the fort until Interim Presbytery Executives were chosen and inaugurated into office on the 28^th of March 2016 at Ascension Congregation in the New Jersey District by the Former Presbytery Chairperson, Rev Hebert Anim Oppong. The Presbytery Clerk and the Coordinator of the Fellowship at that time were Prof. Mrs. Mabel Asante, and Retired Rev. Yaw Asiedu respectively, were also present at the inauguration.

The Interim Officers were;

NAME                                                            DISTRICT                                         POSITION

Mr. Ebenezer Asare                                     New York                                        President

Nana Kwasi Agyemang                               New Jersey                                     Vice President

Nana Yaa Onwona-Asante                         New England                                 Secretary

Emmanuel Tanoh                                        Washington DC                             Assistant Secretary

Mr. Samuel Ansah                                       Ohio-Illinois                                   Treasurer

Mindy Asiedu                                               New York                                        Financial Secretary

Vanessa Watts                                             Washington DC                              Organizing Secretary

Due to certain circumstances Mr. Samuel Ansah was unable to attend the inauguration.

The Interim Executives held their first meeting on the 2^nd of April 2016, and it was concluded at the meeting that their vision, among other things was to organize a Congress to elect Presbytery Executive.

The Interim Executives held a lot of meetings to ensure that their vision for a Congress materialized.   The Congress was scheduled for the 24^th to 26^th of March 2017. To this end, a Planning Committee was created to ensure that the Congress, as envisioned by the Interim Executives, was brought to fruition.  The Interim Executives held various prayer meetings on the phone to further organize the fellowship in prayer towards the upcoming Congress.

FIRST PRESBYTERY CONGRESS

The first Presbytery Congress was hosted by the Washington DC District in Virginia from the 24^th to 26^th March 2017. At the Congress, elections were intended to be held to elect new officers to take over from the Interim Executives of the Fellowship. The Presbytery Clerk, Prof. Mrs. Mabel Asante, presented the Fellowship with two options on the elections. They were;

1. That the current Interim Executives be reaffirmed by the Fellowship to continue to serve until 2019 since they have only been working for a year.
2. New elections be held.

The Congress, being the highest decision-making body of the Presbytery, affirm the Interim Executives with 54 votes against 23 votes allowing them to continue in office until 2019 when elections would be held to elect new Officers for the Presbytery.

SECOND PRESBYTERY CONGRESS

The second Presbytery Congress was hosted by the Ascension Congregation in the New Jersey District from 28^th to 30^th June 2019. Elections were held and new officers elected to lead the Fellowship until 2022.

The Officers are

NAME                                              DISTRICT                                                       POSITION

Eric Amoah                                     Washington DC                                            President

Ebenezer Obeng                            Washington DC                                            Vice President

Mark Nii Ayaa Mettle                    New Jersey                                                   Secretary

Afua Asante                                    New York                                                      Vice Secretary

Ruby Kyei                                        New Jersey                                                   Organizer

Sarah Duodo                                  New England                                                Treasurer          

Anim Boateng                                New Jersey                                                   Financial Secretary

Rev. Felix Manu Brimpong was also appointed as the Chaplain of the Fellowship to succeed Rev. Yaw Asiedu.

Ms. Yaa Birago Amoah, from the Ohio-Illinois District, was later appointed in 2020 as the Women’s Commissioner of the Fellowship.

The newly elected Officers held their first meeting in July 2019 and to pursue the following:

1. To involve the Western and Australia Mission Fields in the Presbytery activities regardless the time difference of Australia Mission Fields.
2. To also adhere to the Constitution of the Fellowship even though the geographical location of the Presbytery does not favor it most of the time.