The Tema Greenwich Meridian District (TGMD) Marriage School held a brief but impressive ceremony to recognise participants who had completed a two-month-long online pre-marital school programme at the Safo Memorial Temple on October 29, 2023.
In his opening remarks, the Dean of the School, Elder Akwasi Boaten-Sekyerehene, recounted how the school has grown from a District Marriage Committee into a fully grown school.
According to him, Apostle Abraham Swanzy, the then District Minister, mooted the idea of the Marriage School. It started as a face-to-face programme, but the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the physical sessions. The school’s leadership resorted to the online mode of delivery, which has now come to stay. Since then, the school has grown steadily to its present stage.
He commended the school’s management, comprising the Rector (District Minister), the Dean, the Registrar, and Coordinators – Academic and Counselling.
He encouraged members, especially the youth, to fully patronise the school because it has very qualified and experienced faculty with a rich curriculum.
In their sessional report, the Course Prefect, Deacon Samuel Ofori and his assistant, Deaconess Christine Ofori, expressed profound gratitude to the students and the course facilitators for their immense sacrifice. He listed topics covered as Marriage and Family Life, Legal Matters in Marriage, Principles of Finance in Marriage, Understanding Temperaments and Divorce and its Consequences.
He assured them that divorce would not be an option in their lives because Malachi 2:16a says, “For the Lord God of Israel says that HE hates divorce……” Moreover, he said, divorce destroys homes and brings separation and bitterness among the family.
The Registrar, Elder John Kwame Ansah, recounted how the school started by providing pre-marriage counselling to only church members. He explained that the scope of the school gradually broadened to cover non-members, with most denominations embracing the school.
He pointed out that the current batch of students includes students from the Netherlands and China.
He added that 53 students enrolled. However, 35 were able to go through the programme successfully. He further indicated that the course was entirely free to the participants since the district bears all expenses involved.
The Registrar paid tribute to Apostle Abraham Swanzy, the originator of the Marriage School in TGMD, Pastor Dr Suleman De-Graft Issaka for embracing the school and lending his fullest support to it, Elder Akwasi Boateng-Sekyerehene for his dedicated service and all Faculty members for their immense sacrifice.
The Rector, Pastor Dr Suleman De-Graft Issaka, who doubles as the District Minister, in a brief message delivered on his behalf by the Presiding Elder of the Safo Memorial Temple, Elder Justice Cudjoe, congratulated the graduands on their successful completion of the programme.
Certificates were presented to the graduates.
Report by TGMD Media Team