A Servant’s Journey: Most Rev. John Yaw Opoku-Agyemang.

Most Rev. John Opoku-Agyemang was born on August 15, 1957 at Kumawu in the Ashanti Region to a Catholic family. He is the fifth of a family of ten children.

His parents, Opanin Michael Yaw Poku and Obaapanin Paulina Yaa Akadom (both of happy memory), were from the Aduana and the Bretuo clans respectively and they both hailed from Kumawu.

Educational Background

He started his elementary education from the Catholic Primary School in Kumawu in 1963, finishing at the then St. Peter’s Boys’ Middle School (at the Cathedral-Basilica) in Kumasi from where he entered the St. Hubert’s Minor Seminary in Kumasi, in 1971.

After his minor seminary formation, during which he obtained his Ordinary and Advanced Levels certificates, he proceeded to the St. Peter’s Regional Major Seminary in Pedu, Cape Coast, in 1978 where he did his philosophical studies.

In August 1980, he studied theology at the University of St. Thomas, Houston, Texas, in the United States of America, where he obtained a Diploma in Clinical Pastoral Education and a Master’s degree in Divinity in 1983.

In August 1999 he took a two year-sabbatical leave from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and pursued doctoral studies at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota, in the United States of America, where he obtained a Doctor of Ministry degree in Pastoral Theology in December 2001.

Ordination and Pastoral Experience

He was ordained a Catholic priest on January 22, 1984 by the Most Rev. Peter K. Sarpong at the St. Peter’s Cathedral for the then Kumasi Diocese.

From February 1984 to September 1984, he served as Assistant Priest at the St. Theresa’s Parish at Asawase, Kumasi. From October 1984 to September 1985, he served as Assistant Priest at the St. Joseph’s Parish at Esaase-Bontefufuo, now in the Diocese of Obuasi.

From October 1985 to October 2010, he served as the first African Catholic Chaplain, and parish priest of the Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Catholic Chaplaincy, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, While at KNUST, he became a Part-time Senior Lecturer (even till now) at the Department of Religious Studies.

In June 2009, he was appointed the first Rector of the St. Gregory the Great Provincial Major Seminary, Parkoso, Kumasi.

Apart from his position as rector, he was also a lecturer and formator at the seminary. He served the seminary so devotedly that he endeared himself to the other formators, seminarians, staff and the entire seminary community.

Other Areas of Service

Since his ordination to the priesthood, Most Rev. John Opoku-Agyemang has served the Church and society in several areas.

Among others, he has served as a member of the Senate of Priests and Consultors of the Konongo-Mampong Diocese from 1995 to date He had served on both boards for the Archdiocese of Kumasi from 1986 to 2014 and 1991 to 1995 respectively.

From 2014 to 2015 he was Co-chairman for the First Konongo-Mampong Diocesan Synod Planning Committee and now the Chairman of the Synod Implementation Committee.

From 1998 to 2009 he was the Episcopal Vicar for Clergy and Religious of the Diocese of Konongo-Mampong.

From 1998 to 2001, he was the President of the Konongo-Mampong Diocesan Priests’ Association, having been the Vice President of the same association from 1995 to 1998.

In 2008, he served as Chairman of the Pauline Year Planning Committee for the diocese. From 2008 to 2017, he was the Chairman of the Board of Directors for the President J.A. Kuffour ICT Center at Nkwantakese in the diocese.

From 2002 to 2009, he served as the Chairman of the Diocesan Pastoral Co-ordinating Council and also Chairman of the Priests’ Welfare Fund.

In 1997, he represented the Konongo-Mampong Diocese as a member of the Preparatory Committee and Committee of Experts for the National Catholic Pastoral Congress in Pedu, Cape Coast.

In 1995, he was appointed a member of the Transitional Committee for the division of assets and liabilities for the Archdiocese of Kumasi and the Dioceses of Konongo-Mampong and Obuasi.

In the Archdiocese of Kumasi, he served as the Dean of Asawase from 1995 to 2009.

He also served in other areas like: member of the Planning Committee for the Year of Faith (2012-2013), member of the Planning Committee for the 130th Anniversary of the Archdiocese (2011-2012), member of the Planning Committee for the Year of Priests (2009-2010), member of the Pauline Year Committee (2008), Assistant secretary for the Mini Synod (2007), member of the Committee for the Planning of the All African Bishops Seminar on Liturgy (2006), member National Committee for the Planning of the National Eucharistic Congress in Kumasi (2005).

Member/Moderator of Archdiocesan Synods(1994, 2004), Lecturer, special formation programmes for Inter-Religious communities (1996-2019), Defender of the Bond, Kumasi Diocesan Marriage Tribunal (1992-1995), Secretary to the then Kumasi Diocesan Priests’ Association (1987-1990) and member of the Committee for the running of the Kumasi Cheshire Rehabilitation Home for Drug addicts and the Physically Challenged (1988-9992).

He is the Brother Chaplain of the Knights and Ladies of Marshall, Council 78 and Court 74, KNUST, Kumasi

At the Kumasi Ecclesiastical Provincial level, he served as a member of the Provincial Committee for the translation of the Roman Missal into Twi from 1990 to 1999.

He has served as a member of the Provincial Liturgical Commission since 2002 and he is now the Chairman of the Commission.

At the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, he was a member of the University’s Health Services Management Committee, Welfare Services Board, Residence Committee, Central Welfare Scheme, Committee for the writing of the Department of Religious Studies Course Outlines and Contents, and Chairman for the Special Committee for the Proposed United Protestant Church and the Committee investigating students consulting shrines.

At the national level he has been the National Chaplain of the International Movement of Catholic Students (IMCS, Pax Romana) Ghana Federation since 1995.

He served as a member of the Governing Council, Catholic University of Ghana, Fiapre, Sunyani (2011-2017) and Chairman for the Search Committee for Registrar for the same University.

At the international level he has served as the Supreme Chaplain of the Noble Order of the Knights and Ladies of Marshall since 2017, having served as the Assistant Supreme Chaplain from 2015 to 2017.

Since 2009 he has been a member of the Regional Episcopal Conference of West Africa (RECOWA-CERAO) Seminaries Commission.

From 1996 to 2021, he was Chairman for the Regional Catholic Academic Exchange Service Partner Committee of West Africa (KAAD) – an organization of the German Catholic Church in partnership with Catholic Scholars in West Africa.

From 2004 to 2009 he was the Coordinator for the Xavier University Academic Service Learning Semester Programme in Ghana

Most Rev. John Opoku-Agyemang was still forming future priests for the Church after the heart of Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd, at the St. Gregory the Great Provincial Major Seminary, Parkoso, Kumasi, when the Holy Father, Pope Francis, appointed him the second Bishop of the Konongo-Mampong Diocese on March 21, 2024.