Profile of TEPPCON

The erecting of the Tamale Ecclesiastical Province started when Bishop Champagne went to Rome at the time that Bishop Peter Poreku Dery was Bishop of Tamale. Bishop Champagne went to Rome and suggested to the Cardinal prefect of the propagation of the Faith to erect a second Ecclesiastical province in Ghana. He went further and suggested that the seat of this province should be in Tamale. The idea was said to be acceptable to the pontifical Society for the propagation of faith but they needed to know the mind of the then Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference. A letter was sent from Rome to the Conference announcing to the Ghana Bishops Conference the desire to create a second Ecclesiastical province in Ghana.  The issue was put to a debate.

When it was time for Bishop Dery to speak on the issue, he told the conference, that he was wholeheartedly for the idea and explained his position thus “ the proposal to divide our country into two Ecclesiastical province is a welcome move indeed. I am personally in favour of it. For such a division will be answering to the needs of our people. As you all know, even though we are all Ghanaians, our needs are not the same. Culturally speaking, the peoples in the north are different from those in the south. And just as the northern people have something in common, the southerners also share some common cultural traits. These are facts we cannot deny. This means that in some cases, the northerners will find it easier to arrive at a common decision and so also the southerners. Now, if we have two provinces, the northerners can build on the things they share in common to enrich themselves and the southerners can do the same. We can learn from each other. As for the idea of it being divisive of the country, I cannot see how an Ecclesiastical division should affect our national and political lives. The division is only for Ecclesiastical purposes but we will continue to work together as citizens of the same country. For example, we will continue to have our Episcopal conference for the whole country. So I strongly believe that Bishop Champagne has done a very good thing to have asked for the division. Let no one get me wrong and think that I have any personal interest in this move”

Others supported Bishop Dery and asked the other Bishops not to look at the suggestions from a negative perspective. The division, the argument continued,  would even bring us closer together since we will be in a better position to bring out the diverse riches that our different cultures have. The conference finally took a vote on the issue because, the results of the vote will have to be sent to Rome for a decision to be taken. The votes were split, but Rome had hoped for a unanimous decision for or against as they considered it a major issue. With such results Rome thought it expedient to let sleeping dogs lie and so, the issue of creating a second ecclesiastical province in Ghana was shelved at least for some time.

As the Bishop in charge of laity, Bishop Dery was very instrumental in the organization of the national seminar on the lay Apostolate in Kumasi in 1967. When Bishop Dery came to Tamale the laity were not organized. To realize his vision he organized a seminar at the diocesan level and invited the pastors to come with some lay representatives from their various parishes. This seminar took place on the 20^th of March 1977 with the Theme:  ‘the place of the lay man in the church’. This led to the formation of the laity council. Indeed, it is important to state that the Tamale Archdiocesan Laity Council was instrumental in the formation of the Tamale Ecclesiastical Laity Council (TELC) which embraces representatives of the councils from the then three dioceses (Wa, Navrongo/Bolgatanga and Tamale).

The main purpose of TELC was to afford its members the opportunity to share ideas to enhance the lives of laity in the entire province. At the same time that Archbishop Dery propagated the idea of the laity council, he also sought ways to bring our youth together. Most people who knew cardinal Dery, knew that he had great interest in the youth whom he saw to be a large and vibrant sector of the laity. Ref. Fr Edward Tengan on the Youth. In 1980’s the Youth council was well established and since then it has been a formidable tool in our attempts to minister to the youth.  The next but most important council Bishop Dery constituted was the Archdiocesan pastoral council. This council was seen as the highest advisory body to the Bishop on pastoral issues. All these Councils have been sustained even after Bishop Dery because they remain critical in life of the Church.

My dear brothers and Sisters, it is crucial to state that it was through the successful operations of the Archdiocesan pastoral Council, seen and known as the highest lay, priests and religious advisory body to the Bishop and working to address the issues that affect the varied and different people , that it was deemed necessary to form the Tamale Ecclesiastical provincial pastoral Conference (TEPPCON) which operations bring the Dioceses together to reflect on the pastoral and other issues that affect the people of our province. An umbrella intended to coordinate the varied pastoral, social – economic and socio-political issues affecting the people in the Tamale Ecclesiastical Province. (TEP)

The Conference was established by the then three bishops – Most Rev Peter Poreku Dery, of the Archdiocese of Tamale as first president of TEPPCON. Most Rev Gregory Ebo Kpiebaya, of the Diocese of Wa, and Most Rev,Rudolf Akanlo of Navorongo/Bolgatanga Diocese in 1977.

The then three Bishops of the Tamale Ecclesiastical Province heading the three dioceses realized that, with the homogeneity of the people in the area, it was very important to establish a conference that will provide a forum to discuss pastoral issues pertaining the whole province.

Participants of  this Pastoral conference as defined by the TEPPCON constitution  was made up of the then three (3) Bishops, representatives of Priests, religious and the lay faithful in the province. This Pastoral conference was and is still made up of the TEP Bishops, representatives of Priests, religious and the lay faithful in the province.

Bishop Dery worked to set up various other commissions that were needed for the life and apostolate of the church. These included the theological commission, the liturgical commission, the catechetical commission and others to help address the varied pastoral issues. This is the origin of the TEPPCON   Commissions. Bishop Dery shared these ideas with the other bishops and they embraced fully his ideals which promoted pastoral work at both the Diocesan and Provincial levels.

It all came about that at the national level, the Ghana Bishops conference had organized a course in Theology and Human development for a selected group of the laity from each diocese. Again, Archbishop Dery had the feeling that at that level the programme did not take into account the varied pastoral concerns.  Archbishop Dery had the plan to organize a similar programme or programmes which took into consideration the varied pastoral concerns that needed to be coordinated in the province. Archbishop Dery decided to bring this proposal of particular interest, of looking critically into the pastoral, social, political, and economic issues that affect the people of the province, to the three Bishops to find a more coordinated and a more concrete ways of addressing them. The idea of forming commissions in this respect was accepted. This gave birth to the constituting and the formation of the commissions of TEPPCON. The lay theology course was introduced. Archbishop Dery was the person who saw to the establishment of this programme for the formation of the laity in the province.

TEPPCON answers the needs of our faithful as people of varied cultural and social values.  As said by the 1^st President of TEPPCON, even though we are all Ghanaians or from the North, our needs are not the same. TEPPCON has the responsibility to coordinate and help address the varied pastoral issues to bring about unity and respect for values that help deepen our faith. TEPPCON even brings us closer together and we are in a better position to bring out the diverse riches that our different cultures have.

As people of the province, TEPPCON helps us build on the things we share in common to enrich ourselves and to be stronger in our voice and actions. We even find it easier to arrive at a common decision of common interest as Bishops, Priests religious and lay faithful.  It is always crucial to act together as people of the province and it will be strange that the TEP Bishops or TEPPCON agrees to do something and a diocese or commission or a group decides to go their own way. That is not welcomed. Working for and with the common interest of the province which TEPPCON stands for should be embraced by all dioceses.

One of the reasons why the Germans were inspired about the partnership was the fact that TEPPCON was found to already been structured with its commissions and could be used to operationalized the Theme of their Diocesan pastoral Commission which is; MISSION JUSTICE AND PEACE.

• The conference its self which comes off every two years is a big investment for knowledge sharing and defense for values in critical areas of life as well as promotion of development.
• Partnership between TEPPCON and the Diocese of Muenster
• The partnership between TEP and the Diocese of Muenster was initiated by the lay the lay people and the Bishops of Muenster in 1981 and by 1982 all discussions through communications between the Bishops/Muenster Diocesan partnership Committee and the then president of TEPPCON-Archbishop Peter Poriku Dery was completed

The partnership relationship resulted in the twinning of 33 parishes with 30 parishes in the Diocese of Muenster and also the partnership between st Victors major seminary and the university students of saints Peter and Paul parish Tamale.  Since the partnership began in 1981 the orientation of the partners and TEPPCON have been to promote the partnership Vision through its theme: “Mission, Justice, Peace and Development”. Exchange Visits. Provincial, Diocesan and Parish levels, sponsored by partners, Needy students fund, Scholarship for in and out country studies

Our partners have provided schools, clinics, ambulances, mission houses, tracks, bookshop, sewing machines,

• A provincial bookshop in the Diocese of Nav/Bolga
• A provincial partnership office is has been established and they pay the Coordinator, Provide means of Transport and Accommodation
• This partnership relationship also resulted in the twinning of 35 parishes with 35 parishes in the Diocese of Muenster including a partnership of the University students of Saints Peter and Paul Parish Tamale and St Victor major Seminary Tamale, each with the University Chaplaincy of Muenster.
• TEPPIA (Tamale Eccl Province Partnership in action) is the NGO established of this Partnership. We are on the way of making it more development oriented through which projects shall be joyed by the five Dioceses.
• Over 50 beneficiaries of KAAD have graduated with Masters or PHD, from the KAAD scholarship. Sixteen are lecturing in the University for Development Studies and others working in other Organizations. Others are still studying for the in or out country studies
• The Civic education programme that has ran for fifteen years sensitizing and educating the citizenry in the areas of Ghana’s decentralization, Health and Conflict resolution and peace building. Past and present Governance are aware of TEPPCONs, contribution in these areas in national development.