Dr. Joyce Aryee, a member of the National Cathedral’s board of trustees, has labeled concerns regarding staff payments, including those of CEO Dr. Paul Opoku-Mensah, during the construction halt as “ridiculous.”
Her comments come in response to increasing worries about the project’s stalled progress and its effect on staff salaries.
Speaking at a symposium organized in collaboration with TD Jakes’ divinity school on Monday, October 14, Dr. Aryee stated, “If a project is on hold, it doesn’t mean that people are not working to keep it going. I’m surprised, I don’t even want to comment on it, as ridiculous as this. No, I won’t comment.
She further challenged the logic behind the concerns, adding, “So you establish an organisation, the organisation should stop because you don’t have money to continue a certain aspect of the organisation. Is that it? Answer it yourself.”
Meanwhile, Dr. Paul Opoku-Mensah, Executive Director of the National Cathedral, has sought to clarify misconceptions about the project, emphasizing that it is more than just a church building.
He pointed out the potential benefits the cathedral could provide, such as revenue generation and the opportunity to showcase Ghana’s rich cultural heritage to the world.
The National Cathedral project has encountered significant opposition, with critics questioning the appropriateness of government involvement and raising concerns about a lack of financial transparency.
Despite this, Dr. Opoku-Mensah remains optimistic, especially following a symposium held in collaboration with TD Jakes’ divinity school. The event aimed to educate the public on the cathedral’s broader functions.
Envisioned as a historic landmark, the cathedral is designed to serve as a sacred space for religious activities. It will also house Africa’s first Museum of the Bible, developed in collaboration with the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C.
“The symposium is just conceived as the National Cathedral’s response to what in Ghana we perceive to be the return initiatives and offer a pathway mediated by faith to connecting Ghana to the African diaspora.
This collaboration aims to foster a Pan-African community dedicated to collectively addressing the historical, racial, and contemporary contributions of Africa to theological practice.
“We seek to demonstrate the conveying functions of the National Cathedral, the National Cathedral project is often misunderstood, conceived almost entirely as a physical church building. The National Cathedral is more than a church and it includes critical national, continental and global conversations.”
He praised TD Jakes’ divinity school for bringing students from across the African continent.