The Ghana Charismatic Bishops’ Conference has reacted to the bans announced by President Akufo-Addo in the wake of the confirmation of positive testing of some people of the dreaded Covid 19 in Ghana.
The Bishops Conference commended the President of the Republic for responding to the public’s need for leadership and direction at such a time of heightened public anxiety and fears.
However the Ghana Charismatic Bishops’ Conference noted with concern a number of lapses.
The Conference felt that it was important that these concerns be addressed for the measures being implemented to have their full measure in preventing the further spread of the Coronavirus pandemic among Ghanaians.
Ban all Places of Intense Social Interaction
The notices from the Government do not mention the closure of night clubs, restaurants,
shopping malls, busy offices banks, drinking spots, chop bars, lorry stations and markets. Such
entities have been noted in other country’s experience, France being a good example, where
the pandemic has not been controlled as such enterprises have remained opened. To only ask
for the closure of churches and places of worship, is a rather biased view of the society and
does not improve much the odds of getting the disease under control.
The communique stated that the Bishop Conference found it unfortunate that, markets and other like businesses, which are known to have some of the most unsanitary conditions in the country have been missed from the list of public places to be closed.
Places of intense social interactions have been excluded from the bans. Trotros, buses, funeral grounds, football parks, drinking spots, bars, barbering shops, and hair-dressing salons are places of intense social interactions where the disease may spread further without bans.
These must be included for the mooted bans to be effective.
Leaving out Important Church Groupings unfortunate
The Charismatic Bishops also found it unfortunate that important church groupings such as the Ghana Charismatic Bishops’ Conference, National Association of Charismatic & Christian Churches, and Ghana Pentecostal Council were not engaged in the making of this announcement. It found the decision to close churches and places of worship without consultation or discussion for 4 weeks, arbitrary and smacking of a disregard of the importance of the church’s role in the country. This disregard of the place of this powerful social and religious institution, to which over 70% of Ghanaians belong, the Bishops noted, is wrongful.
It is worth noting that churches in Ghana own and run a significant part of the health infrastructure and hospitals in the nation. As the announcement has gone forth to close down activities of these churches, the Bishops Conference wondered whether such health facilities owned by these churches run are also to close down?
Through the communique, the Ghana Charismatic Bishops’ Conference, called on the
Government to close all centres of intense social interaction without fear or favor, and not to discriminate by closing down churches, schools and institutions which they deem frivolous or
dispensable in the society.
By Naa Ode
Source
Ghana Charismatic Bishops’ Conference
About The Ghana Charismatic Bishops’ Conference
The Ghana Charismatic Bishops’ Conference is a powerful body made up of Bishops of several different charismatic denominations in Ghana. Today, its membership is made of over 100 bishops located in every region of Ghana.
A Bishop is a most senior and revered person among the clergy and is an overseer of several churches. Consequently, 4000 churches yield to the authority of this powerful conference. The Ghana Charismatic Bishops’ Conference has a widespread influence in Ghana and holds sway over no less than 1 million Ghanaian Christians.
The Ghana Charismatic Bishops’ Conference founded some years ago by Dag Heward-Mills, intercedes and prays constantly for the nation Ghana and also speaks prophetically into national matters. The current chairman of this conference is Bishop Kwame Yirenkyi Ampofo.
The offices of the Ghana Charismatic Bishops’ Conference are located in Teshie, a suburb of Accra. The General Secretary of this august conference is Rev. Kwasi Deh.
Contact:
Rev. Kwasi Deh
General Secretary
The Ghana Charismatic Bishops’ Conference
Tel: +233 24 432 3782
Email: senyodeh@icloud.com
