The Reverend Dr Stephen Wengam, General Superintendent of the Assemblies of God, Ghana, has urged pastors and Christian leaders to preach peace and unity in their sermons as the country prepares for the December 7 elections.
He said such sermons were critical in ensuring a peaceful poll and protecting the country before, during and after the elections.
“I believe that we (pastors) are in a privileged position, the thousands come to our churches. Let us use our pulpit to preach peace, to preach unity, to preach love, and I believe this election will be one of the very normal, peaceful elections,” he said.
Rev Wengam gave the charge in an interview with the media on the sidelines of the 25 anniversary celebration of the Sureway Assemblies of God, at Kasoa in the Central Region.
The Sureway Assembly was started in 1999 by two families — the Ebo Acquah and Desmond Asante families.
Currently, the Assembly has about 700 members.
The 25th anniversary was celebrated under the theme “O’ Taste and See That the Lord is Good — Psalm 34:8.”
Rev Wengam said the Church, and Christians in general, had significant roles to play in preserving the country’s democracy.
However, he criticized the current state of Christianity in the country, which he claimed was impeding national progress.
“Yes, we have the numbers (as Christians) but the numbers are not translating into development, it is not translating in the fight against corruption.
“The church is the light of the community so, we are challenging ourselves to go out there to preach Christ, live Christ and become positive influences so that we can bring down the level of corruption, so that we can scale up productivity.
“If all Christians go to work and we all are diligent, this country should be better than it is today,” he stated.
Rev Wengam commended the Sureway Assemblies for their achievements over the last 25 years, emphasizing that the Church must not rest on its laurels but instead participate in active evangelism to draw more people to Christ.
“25 years is worth celebrating but the work is not over. There is more to be done, there are more lands to possess,” he encouraged.
Rev Reginald Yaw Boateng, Senior Pastor, Sureway Assemblies of God, attributed the Church’s growth to God’s faithfulness and abundant blessings over the past 25
He stated that the Church, in collaboration with Compassion International, Ghana, had undertaken various projects, including the Sureway Child Development Centre, to develop children.
Furthermore, the Church had trained 14 experienced gospel ministers and established seven churches and a school, with plans to develop more schools.
“Our vision for the future is to establish a beacon of hope and redemption, not just as physical structures but as vessels for spreading God’s love and nurturing faith in communities and beyond.
“To this end, we recognize the need to expand our physical capacity to accommodate the growing number of faithful congregants with an ultra-modern auditorium,” he said.
Rev Boateng urged political parties, especially the National Democratic Congress and the New Patriotic Party, to put the interest of the nation above all others to ensure peaceful polls come December 7.
“We are all one, there is no Ghana anywhere so we should stop fighting each other. Yes, we may disagree on some ideological points, but we are all one and so, let’s come together,” he urged.
Madam Anita Love Obo Amissah, the Municipal Chief Executive for Awutu Senya East, and Madam Phillis Naa Koryoo Okunor, the National Democratic Congress Parliamentary Candidate for the Awutu Senya East Constituency, attended the ceremony.