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Do not mind anything that anyone tells you about
anyone else. Judge everyone and everything for
yourself —Henry James
Alas, an inspiring
Ecclesiastic says goodbye
BY JAMES AMOH JNR
THE MORNING sun
had just set in and
bright lights were gradually
replacing the darkness,
albeit gracefully.
The hubbub on the
streets of the capital of the Upper
East Region, Bolgatanga, was getting
unusually louder by the minute with
uncontrolled sobs and wails. “Something
strange must have happened,”
those were the indistinct murmurs of
residents. Others were somewhat incredulous
of what had befallen the region
and the church.
The Right Reverend Dr Jacob Kofi
Ayeebo, Anglican Bishop of Tamale,
had passed on peacefully in his
ADDRO (Anglican Diocesan Development
and Relief Organisation) office
in Bolgatanga.
Professor Kofi Awoonor’s “Songs
of Sorrow”, perhaps set a better pace
for this tragic occurrence when he
said “what is the wailing for? Somebody
is dead, Agosu himself. Alas! A
snake has bitten me, my right arm is
broken, and the tree on which I lean is
fallen.”
To his four children, “February 12,
2019 was the darkest day in our lives;
the day our world turned upside
down, the day we felt thousand stabs
in our hearts, the day we died a million
times, the day we wished never came.”
Ms Hilda Awintoi Ayeebo, his first
born, on behalf of her three siblings,
mourned desperately by saying, “You
were the pillar we leaned on, the one
God ordained on earth to protect us.
You were a role model we looked up
to, the one who was always proud of
us; our one true hero.”
Indeed, just like the widow, Mother
Rita, many have been plunged into illimitable
and immense sadness, learning
of the passing of a man full of
passion and vitality, one who underpinned
an array of interventions integral
to life and general Christian living.
Even more telling was his gift to the
Diocese - a striking new identity.
For a lot more people, it was extremely
startling also that a man full of
life and committed to sharing the
message of Christ in words and deeds,
could be called to a greater service so
soon, leaving a big void to be filled.
Bishop Ayeebo’s enthusiasm was always
contagious and his energy was
never-ending as was his faith which
drew believers closer to him and
through him to God. What an enormous
loss!
Clerical life and works
A man of untainted reputation, he
was credible, energetic and faith-filled
in every aspect of his life, and was influential
as a leader in his mission and
evangelization throughout the diocese.
All those who knew him admired and
appreciated his genuine faith. His
passing is a sense of great loss to the
church, but it is comforting that he is
sharing in the fullness of God’s celestial
love.
Throughout his ministry, many developed
personal and friendly relationship
with him. The unforgettable but
joyful and dedicated way in which he
lived, his generosity of service to the
Diocese, his dedication to the Internal
Province of Ghana as Head of the
Economic Desk and Fund Raising
Desk, and the Anglican Communion
as a whole was, but admirable. His,
was a rather fierce and unparalleled
loyalty to the Church.
Bishop Ayeebo’s purposeful life
and distinguished three decade clerical
career has inspired many and through
his passionate mission – which has a
manifestly wide appeal – will be perpetually
remembered in the annals of
the Anglican Diocese of Tamale.
Many of the fruits of his works are
yet to be realized.
Following his ordination on December
26, 1989, at the St. John’s Anglican
Church in Yelwoko in the
Upper East Region, by the then
Diocesan Bishop of Sunyani and
Tamale, the Rt. Rev’d Joseph Kwabina
Dadson, Bishop Ayeebo laboured tirelessly,
spreading the Gospel of Christ
and improving the lives of the people
in the diocese and beyond. His long
sojourn and administration in Yelwoko,
witnessed the transformation of
the church from a provisional parish
to a full parish status by the diocesan
synod.
His enthronement as the second
Diocesan Bishop, after the retirement
of the Rt. Rev’d Emmanuel Arongo,
on January 22, 2012 at the Cathedral
Church of Bishop Anglionby Memorial
in Tamale, saw the transformation
of the Diocese in diverse ways.
Indeed, he served his faith, his
people and his conscience with determination,
honesty, openness, dignity,
collegiality, and he demonstrated all
these qualities with good humour. An
outstanding trait he had was his ability
to combine mutual respect and trust
in his relationship with the clergy in
the diocese. His disposition – albeit
rare - was that, everyone should have a
spoon in the soup. That was a man
who saw the bigger picture and envisioned
greatness for the diocese of
Tamale.
In all the parishes he ministered,
Bishop Jacob inspired, equipped and
empowered members to live their baptismal
covenant by praying, worshiping
and studying scriptures. Through
his ministry, which influenced and
touched many lives, many more people
were brought into divine ministry.
Instrumentally, and as part of his
vision, he trained and commissioned
several diocesan clergy and catechists
to further exercise their discipleship in
the world. Undoubtedly, no figure in
our generation in the diocese has done
more than what Bishop Ayeebo did.
Whatever he did was with every ounce
of himself, giving out his best, and
that was what many would remember
him for.
The Tamale Diocesan Council of
the Anglican Young’s People Association
(AYPA) remember, with nostalgia,
how he inspired the youth to take
up roles in the service of Christ and
the church which ultimately culminated
in the training of a number of
youth in divine ministry.
His maiden diocesan “1000 youth
conference” in September 2015 on the
theme: “Arise and build: The role of
the youth in the mission of the church
and nation building”, sought to empower
the youth as disciples of Jesus
Christ and draw them to responsibly
participate in the life and mission of
the church and the nation.
“In a clear and tangible way,
Bishop saw love and service to the
youth as service to God. Barely a week
before his passing, he had disclosed, in
a conversation with me, his plans for
the youth and his readiness to organize
an even bigger and spirit-filled
2000 plus youth conference this year”,
Sylvester Ayelgum, Diocesan President
of the AYPA said mournfully,
and added that, “Bishop’s support to
the youth was outstanding in so many
ways and we will miss him dearly.”
Theological education
Due to his never-ending thirst for
the Lord’s work, Bishop Ayeebo abandoned
his ambition to become a mechanical
engineer after secondary
education at the Navrongo Secondary
School, as he worked for the Church
as a catechist for two during which period
he responded to his calling to the
ordained ministry, gaining admission
to the St. Nicholas Theological College
in 1885 and graduating with a Licentiate
of Theology (L.Th) with
distinction.
He was a man of copious knowledge
and intellectual brilliance; his extraordinary
depth of theology was
amazing. He had deep love for the
Bible and his sense and knowledge of
the faith was spell-binding. But along
with all these, he was passionate about
his calling and his teachings dripped
with commitment and conviction.
To fulfill his desire to acquire more
Indeed, just like the widow, Mother Rita, many have been plunged into illimitable
and immense sadness, learning of the passing of a man full of
passion and vitality, one who underpinned an array of interventions integral
to life and general Christian living. Even more telling was his gift to
the Diocese - a striking new identity.
knowledge, Bishop Ayeebo was
awarded a scholarship enabling him to
pursue further studies in Theology at
the Ripton College, Oxford in the
United Kingdom (UK). He further
pursued a Diploma in Counseling at
the Institute of Counseling, Glasgow
in the UK. Again, Bishop Ayeebo was
awarded a scholarship for further academic
studies at the University of
Durham, UK, where he obtained a
Bachelor of Arts Degree in Theology
and Ministry in 1998.
In 2002, he was awarded a Master
of Arts in Mission Studies by the University
of Sheffield in the UK. Besides
these qualifications, and after three
years of intensive research work in
2007, the Rt. Rev. Dr. Jacob Kofi Ayeebo
was conferred a degree, Doctor
of Philosophy (PhD) in Missiology by
the North-West University, South
Africa.
ADDRO undertakings
For a man who believed that ministry
was about service and transformation
of lives, it was unsurprising
that under his dynamic leadership as
the Executive Director of ADDRO,
his immense contribution saw the expansion
of that outfit to ensure the
reduction in poverty, food insecurity,
malnutrition, HIV/AIDS, malaria,
water related diseases and genderbased
discrimination as well as sight
impairment.
His proactive actions and commitment
in transforming lives, upholding
human dignity and justice to all people
was unwavering as he built a strong
partnership with the Episcopal Relief
& Development (ERD), the development
agency of the US-based Episcopal
church, in that regard.
It was unsurprising that he passed
on peacefully in his ADDRO office
where he was gearing up for the day’s
work in transforming the lives not
only in the regions of the north, but
nationwide.
Political activities
He had a strong conviction that
the passive position of some believers
and churches in matters relating to
politics is unreflective of the churches’
mission and task. Thus, Hon. Ayeebo
was actively involved in political activities
and was elected Presiding Member
(PM) of the Bawku District Assembly.
His role in governance as a Member
of the Council of State, an official
body which exists to advise the country’s
President, from February 2009
and January 2017,deserved some commendation.
For him, service to country,
was service to God.
Former President John Dramani
Mahama, in whose presidency Bishop
Ayeebo served as an adviser, signing a
book of condolence to commiserate
with his family in Tamale, described
him as a mentor and counselor.
“Words cannot describe my shock
and sadness at your passing. You were
always a mentor and counselor
throughout my political career. May
God grant you rest and sincerest condolence
to the dear ones you have left
behind,” the Former President said
rather dolefully.
Conclusion
The Diocese and Anglican Communion
is profoundly thankful to God
for your remarkable ministry and leadership.
Your legacy will continue, not
because of you – extraordinary as you
were – but because of what you believed
and taught – TRUTH.
Your family; the Church, the community,
and at home, heartbroken as
they all are, would continue to miss
your love and benignity.
Steadily but surely, it will be dawn
soon and when the dawn breaks on
the day of your interment on May 18,
may God, by his unfailing love, grant
you an entrance into the land of light
and joy in fellowship with the saints,
and may the Church you loved and the
diocese you served diligently, experience
the joy of the resurrection.
The writer is a member of the
Christ the King Anglican Church,
Sakumono, and serves on the Communication
Committee of the Parish