The Department of Ecumenical and Social Relations (ESR) has outlined its mandate, structure and operational responsibilities during a special PCG Connect session held at the PCG Resurrection Congregation in Stuttgart, Germany.
The presentation formed part of the church’s ongoing effort to help members better understand the work of its departments and the breadth of its mission.
Speaking during the session, the Director of the Department, Rev. Andrew Jackson Teye Odjawo explained that the Department’s mandate is grounded in Article 30 of the Constitution and Order 20, D (1) of the Manual of Order, which charge the Directorate with coordinating the work of the Committee on Ecumenism & Relations with People of Other Faiths and the Committee on Church and Society.
The mandate was simplified into two core areas. First, ESR spearheads the church’s ecumenical and interfaith engagement, promoting Christian unity and constructive relations with people of other faiths. Second, it leads the church’s Church and Society agenda, ensuring that religious institutions and secular communities work together toward the holistic well‑being of God’s people.
Rev. Andrew Jackson Teye Odjawo also highlighted the committees under its supervision. The Committee on Ecumenism and Relations with People of Other Faiths is chaired by Rev. Prof. Johnson Mbillah, while the Committee on Church and Society is chaired by Rev. Ernest Odame Asare. ESR further hosts the Church’s Research Unit, which supports policy analysis, documentation and strategic studies.
The session introduced the current ESR staff: Rev. Andrew Jackson Teye Odjawo, Director; Rev. Dr. Ernest Afrifa‑Anane, Research Officer; Mrs. Esther Debrah Acquaye, Management Assistant; Mr. Bismark Anane Asante, Research Assistant; Mr. Rudolf Yemofio, Driver; and Mr. Emmanuel Asante, Service Personnel.
The Stuttgart edition of PCG Connect underscored the PCG’s global presence and its commitment to strengthening relationships across borders. It also reaffirmed ESR’s role in shaping the PCG’s witness within the wider Christian community and society.
By Jerome Otchere
