COMMUNIQUE

BY THE CHRISTIAN COUNCIL OF GHANA (CCG) AND THE GHANA PENTECOSAL AND CHARISMATIC COUNCIL (GPCC), ISSUED AT EVANGEL ASSEMBLIES OF GOD CHURCH, ADABRAKA, ACCRA ON JUNE 6, 2017.

Dearly beloved citizens of our dear nation Ghana, we bring you warm greetings from the Christian Council of Ghana (CCG) and the Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council (GPCC) in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

DELIBERATIONS OF THE 2017 JOINT MEETING

We have just concluded our annual Joint Meeting which was held at Evangel Assemblies of God Church, Adabraka, Accra on Tuesday June 6, 2017. During the period we prayed and discussed issues of both Church and National interests. At the end of our meeting, we deem it appropriate as Christian Leaders of our land to bring the following issues of concern to the attention of the Church, the government and the entire citizenry so that we can all actively participate in the process of addressing them together as one united people.

INCREASING CULTURE OF VIOLENCE

We have observed with much worry an increasing culture of violence and attack on state institutions in the country. The invasion of court room by the vigilante group- Delta Force of the ruling party, the attack on the electricity company and subsequently the Police service in Somanya, and the mob action that led to the brutal murder of the late Major Maxwell Mahama are examples of such worrying acts of violence that the country has experienced over the past weeks.

We therefore want to draw the attention of the church and the nation to the following:

• Pastors should take keen interest in the moral formation of their church members and let the inculcation of Christian values like respect for human life, peace and love, be key aspects of their discipleship programmes

• Government should role out a National Orientation Programme to underpin the core values we cherish as a nation to be owned by all our institutions and the entire citizenry.

• The security agencies should be given all the necessary resources they need to facilitate their work especially in the area of gathering intelligence in the communities.

• All citizens should quickly report incidences of atrocities and brutalities to the security services and desist from shielding those who perpetrate such evil acts

• The security agencies, especially the Ghana Police Service should work on winning the total trust and confidence of the citizenry which seems to have dwindled over the years.

CHRISTIAN UNITY AND MISSIONS IN GHANA

We have observed that the Church in Ghana is growing in terms of numbers, media coverage and visibility, especially in urban and metropolitan areas.

However, we have observed that whereas individual denominations may be growing in the cities, most denominations in the rural areas are dying. Moreover, the frontline of the Church as a national family is becoming weaker because we have not paid adequate attention to the unity of the National Church.

We are therefore calling on all churches to prayerfully consider the following:

• All churches should as a matter of urgency pay particular attention to their rural ministries and strategise to revamp the missions in the rural areas.

• All churches should embrace the spirit of ecumenism and foster closer relationships with neighbouring churches.

• Denominations should respond and work towards Jesus’ prayer in John 17:21 ‘That they all may be one.’

• Denominations should not allow our differences to divide us since we are bigger than our differences but see ourselves as one people with one God.

THE FIGHT AGAINST GALAMSEY AND DESTRUCTION OF OUR WATER BODIES

We have observed with satisfaction the efforts of His Excellency the President of the Republic and his government to protect our water bodies, farm lands, forest reserves etc. and their commitment to end illegal mining in the country.

This menace is destroying the lives of ordinary Ghanaians, livestock and food stuff. Many of our youth have also abandoned the classroom leading to increase in illiteracy in the affected areas.

We commend the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, the Media Coalition, Religious Bodies, Traditional Leaders, Security Agencies and all who have committed themselves to the fight against illegal mining in the nation.

To this end, we the leaders of CCG and GPCC are calling for the following:

• Government’s effort in the fight against galamsey should be sustained and remain non- partisan.

• Government should make great efforts to ensure that major river bodies like Birim, Prah, Ankobra, Densu etc will be drinkable again.

• Pastors in the country should identify themselves with the campaign and allow their pulpits to be used for education.

• Christians in the nation should pray and commit ourselves to the preservation of our environment and other natural resources at all times.

• All religious bodies and corporate organisations should support the government to reclaim devastated lands and turn them into arable farmlands made ready for Agro-Business ventures to create jobs for the youth in the mining communities.

ATTITUDINAL CHANGE

We have observed with discomfort the levels of public indiscipline in our nation. The avoidable killings on our roads, open defecation resulting in diseases like cholera and typhoid, disregard for the rule of law, disregard for environmental cleanliness, lateness to work, lack of maintenance of public property, corruption etc. are examples of such worrying attitudes.

We therefore wish to draw the attention of Christians and the nation to the following:

• Christians should bring to bear our faith values into public service by living lives worthy of our calling.

• Citizens of this nation should cherish values like hard work, honesty, integrity, and respect for the rule of law.

• We call on government to roll out a programme to facilitate attitudinal change which the CCG and the GPCC would be ready to support. A typical example is the need to establish accessible counselling units in our various institutions.

BASIC EDUCATION CERTIFICATE EXAMINATION (BECE)

We want to congratulate all those who have come thus far in their education and are writing the BECE. We pray for all the candidates and ask for God’s grace to make them successful in the examinations.

We call on the West African Examination Council to ensure that all challenges that have arisen in this year’s exams are handled quickly to ensure the smooth process of the exams.

We encourage the examination Council to put measures in place to avoid the embarrassment of examination leakages that we have witnessed in times past.

We urge all the students to continue to work hard and obey the rules governing their examinations and to desist from cheating as this is not morally right.

CONCLUSION

The Christian Council of Ghana and the Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council wish to assure all Ghanaians that we would continue our public education, Christian advocacy ministry, and prayers for peace, harmony, and justice in Ghana.

In so doing we will continue to be non-partisan and be guided by the principles of the Holy Bible. We wish all Ghanaians well in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

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