Adikanfo by Ephraim Amu
Adikanfo, ↄsammarima ako adi nim
(Our pioneers, great warriors have fought and won)
Mo ako ako adi nim
(You persevered in the fight and won)
Mo adi nim ama yԑn
(You won the victory for us)
Mo adaeso anya aba mu nnԑ
(Today, your dreams have been fulfilled)
Anidaso anya aka nsa
(Your expectations have been attained)
Gyedi mpo anya ayԑ ohu
(Even faith has become sight)
Adikanfo eei mo! Mo ayԑ bi ama yԑn
(Well done pioneers, you’ve done a lot for us)
Adikanfo mo! mo! mo!
(Well done pioneers)
Ɔsammarima mo! mo! mo!
(Brave warriors, well done!)
Ɔkopa no mo awie ko mo! mo!
(You have fought the good fight, well done!)
Mirika no so mo awie tu mo! mo!
(You’ve finished the race, well done!)
Gyedi no so mo asↄ mu asie, mo!
(You have kept the faith, well done!)
Mo nsa anya aka nkunim.
(Now yours is the victory)
Adikanfo eei mo! mo ayԑ bi ama yԑn.
(Well done pioneers, you’ve done a lot for us)
Yԑrebↄ mo osee! Yԑrebↄ mo osee!
(We hail you, we hail you)
Yԑma mo amo! mo! mo!
(We say well done! well done!)
Mr. Joshua Narteh Kudadjie, as he was then called, began to lecture in the Department for the Study of Religions, University of Ghana in 1972. In those days, denominational services were held in Hall chapels on Sunday mornings and Hall Sunday evening services for both students and lecturers. Whenever the university was on recess, therefore, residents on campus either had to put Sunday worship on hold, until the students returned from holidays, or else make their way into town. From Uncle Joshua’s own records, he began to pray about the possibility of a place of worship in the Methodist tradition on campus. He shared the idea with Professor Kwadzo Ebli Senanu of the Department of English. Mr. Kudadjie learned from the encounter that the Lord had put a similar idea on the heart of Prof Senanu—a place of worship on campus where Christians could come together and have a simple form of worship, where the word of God would be expounded.
As they prayed about the matter, waiting for further directions from the Lord, they consulted and invited Dr. Alan Stewart Duthie of the Department of Linguistics, and Dr. Frederick Lloyd Phillips of the Chemistry Department, for an informal meeting where their vision was discussed. They realized that the two men also shared the same dream of a non-denominational or interdenominational congregation on campus. So, the four Senior members, none of whom was a pastor, and who later became known as the Founding Fathers of LIC, teamed up to invite campus residents to form a congregation. Mr. Kudadjie and Professor Senanu paired up and went on foot, from house to house, covering Little Legon, Ayido Valley, Ayido Crescent and Ayido Circle on Legon campus. Dr. Duthie and Dr. Phillips also covered on foot, the Hall Flats, Ayido Flats, East Legon (on campus), Legon Hill and Lower Hill.
The Founding Fathers shared with residents their intention to set up a worshipping congregation that would share fellowship to encourage one another to put their faith into action, wherever they found themselves. They set out to make the exposition of the Bible central to their envisaged fellowship—that worshippers would be taught from the scriptures, so that its truth would fire them into action, in conformity with the word. And so, during the Easter season, precisely on Good Friday, 1978, the Legon Residents’ Congregation held its first church service. Mr. Kudadjie served as Presiding Elder from 1982 to 1986, second after Prof Senanu. Later, as more people, including staff living outside the campus joined, the name was changed to Legon Interdenominational Church (LIC).
Mr. Kudadjie was a man of simplicity, humility, integrity and deep faith. He, like the other Founding Fathers, was regular at the Prayer Meeting and Bible Study sessions they established in the Legon Hall Vestry on Mondays and Wednesdays, respectively. With his contacts at the World Council of Churches and elsewhere, Mr. Kudadjie obtained Bible Study materials for group study. Before Rev Peter Barker and Rev Alfred Quarcoo became Associate Pastors for the young church, Mr. Kudadjie, like the other three Founding Fathers, preached often to encourage the young congregation. Mrs. Miriam Kudadjie and their children, John and Elizabeth, were all members of the first LIC Choir. In 1989, Mr. Joshua Kudadjie was commissioned as a Minister of the Methodist Church, and given pastoral responsibility for a Methodist Church at Kwabenya. From then on, even though he and his wife no longer worshipped at LIC, their children and later grandchildren remained members of LIC to this day.
Because LIC still considered him as one of their own, Rev Kudadjie was occasionally invited to give talks to the church during week-day meetings. In 1998, during the 20th anniversary of LIC, Rev Prof Kudadjie, together with the other Founding Fathers, was given a citation by the LIC leadership. Twenty years later, in July 2018, during LIC’s 40th Anniversary Celebrations, Very Rev Prof Kudadjie was awarded two plaques: the first for his role as Presiding Elder, and the second as Founding Father. The citation for the second one read: In recognition and appreciation of your pioneering role as Founding Father of LIC. “Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever.” (Daniel 12:3)
Very Rev Prof Joshua Narteh Kudadjie, humble, simple, honest man of God; may the Lord, in whom you believed with all your heart, and whom you served in honest simplicity and humility, give you rest in His bosom. May your good deeds follow you; and may you shine like the stars forever and ever.
Rest in perfect peace, Amen.