Update | August 12, 2026
Synod Advises Different Name for Proposed Youth Gathering
A question over the proposed use of the name “Youth Synod” emerged during deliberations at the final session of the Twenty-Fifth Synod of the Anglican Diocese of Accra.
A delegate raised concern that, in the light of the constitutional provisions defining the composition and purpose of Synod, it might not be appropriate to use the term “Synod” for the proposed gathering of young people.
Following some deliberation on the matter, the house referred the question to the Chancellor of the Diocese, Justice Sophia Rosetta Bernasko-Essah, for advice.
The Chancellor agreed that the concern was constitutionally well founded. She advised that the provisions governing Synod would not permit the proposed youth gathering to bear the same designation and, consequently, recommended that a different name be adopted for the initiative.
Responding to the advice, the Bishop of Accra, the Rt Rev’d Dr Daniel Sylvanus Mensah Torto, emphasised that the substance and intention behind the proposed gathering should take precedence over the question of nomenclature.
The Bishop maintained that the central objective remains the creation of a recognised platform through which young people can elect representatives, deliberate on issues affecting the Church and contribute meaningfully to diocesan decision-making.
He expressed confidence that whatever name is eventually adopted should preserve and communicate the original intent of the proposal: to give young Anglicans a meaningful voice in shaping the present and future life of the Diocese.
The Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Accra, the Rt Rev’d Dr Daniel Sylvanus Mensah Torto, has called for the establishment of a Youth Synod to give young people a stronger voice in the decision-making processes of the Diocese.
The proposal formed part of the Bishop’s Charge delivered at the opening of the last session of the Twenty-Fifth Synod of the Anglican Diocese of Accra, currently being held at the Anglican Retreat Centre, Ashalley Botwe.
As Synod enters its final session, the Bishop’s call for greater youth participation stands out as one of the significant proposals placed before clergy and lay delegates drawn from parishes and congregations across the Diocese.
In his Charge, Bishop Torto acknowledged the considerable contribution young people have made to the mission and ministry of the Diocese through organisations such as ASSA, AYPA, the Brigade and NUAS.
He observed, however, that while young people have consistently supported and sustained the ministries of the Church, they have had comparatively little opportunity to participate in shaping some of its major decisions.
“For all they give to this Church, they shape very little of our decision-making. I believe that as we age as leaders in the Diocese, we cannot continue to deliberate the future of our Diocese without youth voices at the table.”
The Bishop therefore proposed the creation of a Youth Synod at which young Anglicans would elect their own delegates, engage seriously with issues confronting the Church and arrive at decisions of their own.
Under the proposal, the decisions of the Youth Synod would feed directly into the Acts and Decisions of the Diocesan Synod, ensuring that the views of young people become part of the formal decision-making record of the Diocese rather than remaining peripheral to its deliberations.
Bishop Torto said such an arrangement would communicate an important message to young people about their place in the present and future life of the Church.
He noted that the initiative would demonstrate that young Anglicans are not merely being prepared to inherit the Church from an older generation but are being invited to participate actively in building it alongside current leaders.
The Bishop consequently asked Synod to treat the matter with urgency and proposed that the Youth Synod should be constituted in time to meet ahead of the main Diocesan Synod in 2027.
The proposed Youth Synod would provide a structured platform for young people across the Diocese to discuss matters affecting their faith, ministry, participation in the Church and wider society, while giving them a recognised channel through which their perspectives can influence diocesan policy and direction.
The last session of the Twenty-Fifth Synod of the Anglican Diocese of Accra has brought together clergy and lay representatives to deliberate and take decisions intended to guide the growth, mission and administration of the Diocese over the next Triennial. The proposal for a Youth Synod introduces a significant conversation about how the next generation can move from being active participants in the ministries of the Church to becoming active partners in shaping its future.
