Rabbi Machaiah Addai
THE ASSOCIATION of the 7th Day Pentecostal Assemblies in Ghana, a Christian denomination, has elected Rabbi Machaiah Addai as its substantive president.
Rabbi Addai, head pastor of the Krofrom branch of the church prior to his election on Sunday, October 8, 2023, served as the interim president for many years.
At least, 62 leaders of the church mostly pastors and deacons drawn from its various branches in Ghana, constituting the voters gathered at the Adiebeba branch on Sunday to cast their ballots.
The church conducted the election supervised by Bernard Benneh, an elder of its Techiman branch with technical advice from the Electoral Commission of (EC) in compliance with a court order.
In a 29-page judgment given in 2022, the Court of Appeal in Kumasi, ordered Rabbi Machaiah Addai who was the respondent in the suit to convene a general meeting of the assemblies of the church to elect its new president.
“By way of consequential order, as the Consequent Judgment evidenced by the Terms of Settlement is still binding on the parties, the Respondent is ordered to convene a General Meeting of all the constituent Assemblies of the Association in Ghana…to elect a new president in accordance with the constitution of the Seventh Day Pentecostal Assemblies,” the Court ruled
The plaintiffs in the case, Elder Enoch Ofori Jnr, Deacon Anthony Tackie, Deacon Yaw Sarfo Kantanka and Deacon Stephen Frimpong have been in various courts, challenging the appointment of Machaiah Addai as the president of the Association of 7th Day Pentecostal Assemblies in Ghana.
Sunday’s election of a substantive president became necessary following the death of the president and founder of the church, Apostle Elder Enoch Ofori in 2007.
According to Article 111(c) of the church’s constitution, all officers shall be elected by the members at its annual meeting which shall be determined by a simple majority vote.
At the October 8, 2023 election, 56 representing 90.3 percent of the 62 voters overwhelmingly cast their ballots in favour of Rabbi Machaiah Addai to head the church.
Elder Enoch Ofori Jnr, who was widely known to contest Pastor Addai surprisingly failed to attend the meeting to participate in the election.
In his victory speech, Rabbi Addai, pledged to allow the spirit of togetherness to lead him for the collective good of the church and society.
While thanking the leaders for voting for him, and the police for providing protection, the new president appealed to the congregation to support him in the discharge of his duties.
FROM James Quansah, Kumasi