Today, Tuesday, 28 July 2026, Metropolitan Daniel of Accra, accompanied by three priests and educators of the Holy Metropolis, made his first pastoral visit to the Orthodox Christian community of the village of Gyaha in the Eastern Region of Ghana, located approximately four hours by road from the capital city of Accra.
Upon his arrival in Gyaha, Metropolitan Daniel was welcomed in accordance with the traditional customs of Ghana. The visit began with an official reception at the Palace of the Paramount Chief, where the Chief, the Council of Elders, and the community leaders warmly received him. During the cordial meeting, greetings were exchanged, and both sides expressed their shared commitment to strengthening the longstanding cooperation between the Orthodox Church and the local community for the benefit of the people of the area.
The village is home to the Church of the Nativity of Christ, which was built twenty years ago through the generous donation of the Orthodox Missionary Fraternity of Thessaloniki, an organization that has faithfully supported the missionary work of the Orthodox Church in Ghana for many decades.
Adjacent to the church are a kindergarten and a primary school, serving a total of 25 children from the village under the dedicated care of three teachers.
Metropolitan Daniel received a deeply moving welcome. Inside the church, the children presented a beautiful welcoming programme with songs, traditional dances, and poems, expressing their joy, love, and respect.
During his address, Metropolitan Daniel warmly thanked Grand Economos Fr. John Arthur, parish priest of the community, for his tireless pastoral ministry, as well as the teachers for their commendable work in educating and nurturing the children.
He also announced that, with the beginning of the new academic year, the school will have a new administration, while the Holy Metropolis will make every effort to renovate both the church and the school buildings, providing better conditions for worship and education.
A particularly joyful announcement was that the school will henceforth bear the name: “Gyaha Orthodox School – Saint Chrysostom of Africa”, as a lasting expression of gratitude and recognition for the invaluable and longstanding contribution of the Orthodox Missionary Fraternity of Thessaloniki to the Orthodox Mission in Ghana.
At the conclusion of the event, Metropolitan Daniel distributed clothing, food supplies, and sweets to the children, bringing them great joy and demonstrating the Church’s loving care and practical support for every child.
He then inspected all the church and school facilities, recording their most urgent renovation needs in order to plan the Holy Metropolis’ future initiatives for the further strengthening of the local Orthodox community.
“Let the little children come to Me…” (Mark 10:14). With faith, love, and hope, the Orthodox Church continues to serve humanity and invest in the future of the children of Africa.
