Bishop-elect Solomon Tilewa Johnson of West Africa

[Anglican Communion News Service] The Anglican Church of the Province of West Africa has elected the Rt. Rev. Solomon Tilewa Johnson as its ninth archbishop and primate.

Johnson, who is currently the bishop of Gambia, was elected to be the next primate for the province at a special synod held at Cuttington University, Suacoco, Bong Country, Liberia, between Sept. 25-28.

He succeeds the Most Rev. Justice Akrofi who has been primate since 2003.

The synod also agreed a proposal to adopt a constitutional change that would see the creation of two internal provinces with two archbishops, in the style of the Church of England.

The two new internal provinces are the Province of Ghana, with the Rt Rev. Daniel Yinka Saro as its archbishop, and Johnson will head up the Province of West Africa as well as acting as primate.

ENDS

The official announcement from the CPWA is as follows:

CHURCH OF THE PROVINCE OF WEST AFRICA
(Anglican Communion)

ELECTION OF THE NINTH PRIMATE OF CPWA

Upon the approval of the amendments to the constitution to create two internal provinces in the Church of the Province of West Africa (CPWA) namely, the province of Ghana to comprise all the dioceses in Ghana and the province of West Africa to comprise the dioceses in Bo, Cameroon, Freetown, Gambia, Guinea and Liberia; each to be headed by an Archbishop:

The province of Ghana elected Rt. Revd. Dr. Daniel Yinka Sarfo, Bishop of Kumasi as the Archbishop-elect and the province of West Africa, Rt. Revd. Dr. S. Tilewa Johnson, Bishop of Gambia as the Archbishop-elect.

Archbishop-elect S. Tilewa Johnson was then elected as the Ninth Primate of the Church of the Province of West Africa for a term of five (5) years

Dated this 29th day of September, 2012 at Cuttington University, Suacoco, Liberia

(signed) +AlbertDG Gomez
RT. REVD. ALBERT D. G. GOMEZ
DEAN OF THE CHURCH OF PROVINCE OF WEST AFRICA (CPWA)