Galamsey, theological crisis of the Church

I have observed with great dismay the deafening silence of the Church in Ghana.

As the ecological crisis unravels before our eyes, this silence now screams louder than ever.

Our Minister of Lands and Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, opines that 44 forest reserves out of 288 in the country have been degraded.

This is coupled with the rising turbidity levels of our rivers, now at 5000 Nephelometric Turbidity Units (NTU), far beyond the permissible 500 NTU.

It’s safe to say we’re no longer sitting but sleeping on the proverbial time bomb.

I’m outraged as a pastor at the paralysis of the Church, both corporate (denominational) and individual, to help fight this environmental terrorism.

If the Church is to fulfil its responsibility, it needs to first know its theological task in this ecological crisis.

My aim in this piece is not only to point the Church to the theological crisis underpinning its paralysis.

But to also point to its theological task as a motivation to stand ready and fight.

And scripture alone is its safest ground in articulating its theological task.

So, to scripture we now turn.

Often the Church goes to Paul’s letter to the Romans – and rightly so, to remember and to recite great theological truths like Justification and Sanctification.

But what if Romans isn’t all about our justification and our sanctification? What if we’ve made Romans all about ourselves?

The book of Romans is bigger than us. Because Romans is cosmic in scope.

And Romans 8:22 is a wake-up call to the reality of the entire creation’s cry for redemption.

Creation groans for renewal due to the fall of humanity.

Our polluted rivers and forests cry for renewal because human greed poisons the ecosystem.

Romans 8:22 gives the Church its grounds to care for God’s creation as the redeemed of the Lord.

To speak to the ecological terrorism of illegal and irresponsible mining.

To play its part as a redeemed people standing with rural communities drinking from polluted rivers. 

I offer two practical ways the Church can participate in this cosmic role.

First, disciple making should include the role of believers in caring for God’s creation (Gen 2:15).

Second, the Church should use its influence in policymaking to help revoke LI 2462.

Christian Council should, as a matter of urgency, work to see to it that our remaining forests are protected through interactions with the executive arm of government.

All creation looks to God (Psalm 145) for their food (Psalm 145:15).

The grasscutter, the antelope, the fish and the birds all look to God.

And without food, they now look to God and groan for the day He’ll set the world aright. All creation looks to God.

And God now looks to His Church to play her part in stemming this menace of galamsey.

God help us to be a responsible Church in Ghana.

Pastor George Aidoo, 
Missionary & Founding Pastor, 
Hope Ministries (church planting ministry in galamsey-affected communities).
E-mail: hopeintlgh@gmail.com, www.hopeghana.org 
Phone:0573068608