The National Heads of Seminars (NHS) meeting in Accra was scheduled for November 2020. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has made travelling problematic anywhere in the world since March 2020. Church services, Sunday school and Confirmation class, Seminars, Youth activities, Soul-Care meetings and visitation have all been adversely affected. The pandemic seemed to wipe out all the gains that were anticipated in the West African sub-region for the year 2020 especially in the seminar work.
However, the innovative and dynamic leader, District Elder Oehler (retired) and his able lieutenant District Elder Dinkelacker (the Supervisor Team NAC Sud,) assured the NHS of the possibility of leveraging the ZOOM video conferencing facility for a virtual meeting. And it happened - from 12th to 14th of November 2020 (there had been a series of successful ZOOM functionality and connectivity tests with all participants prior to the actual event).
The virtual meeting was organised to sharpen the leaders in their seminar work and was also an appraisal for the year 2020. It allowed the team to strategise on achieving seminar goals for the year 2021. Although some participants were skeptical about the 3-day virtual meeting, it turned out to be a very successful and refreshing event.
The Lead Apostle for Southern Ghana, Togo & Benin, Benjamin Ohene-Saffo, was fully present for the first 2 days. He entreated the participants to take the virtual training novelty in our seminars seriously and equally impart same to the ministers and teachers in their respective countries. Other personalities such as Lead Apostles Oppong-Brenya and Nwogu, Apostles Hans-Jurgen Bauer and Volker Kuehnle as well as Bishop Urs Heiniger also briefly joined to congratulate and wish the webinar participants success.
Most topics had role-playing concepts and they were perfectly executed. Role plays by Apostle Chi and daughter and costumes worn by District Elder Oehler were excellent and brought some vibrance and colour to the event. Everyone participated fully and felt adequately prepared for the task ahead in 2021.
The 3 day event had the following outline:
* An opening prayer and address by Lead Apostle Benjamin Ohene-Saffo.
* A playback of a well-wishing and encouraging message from the District Apostle Michael Ehrich
* Review of the status of Sunday school and Confirmation class
* Review of the status of Seminars for 2020 in West Africa sub-region.
* Review on the teachers for Sunday School and Confirmation Class
Other topics discussed included:
* Youth Care: Portrait of the Youth and who belongs to the Youth, delivered by Apostle Chi (Cameroon).
* Development of the Youth, by Apostle Saffa (Liberia)
* Youth Expectation, by Apostle Zran (Cote d'Ivoire)
* Organisation of Youth Work, presented by District Elder Kpegasen
