Let’s listen instead of scoffing
What welcome news from Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, the Vice President of Ghana, to describe the communiqué of the Charismatic Bishops Conference as “pure wisdom”!
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From every indication, one can say without any hesitation that the current government can do exploits and wonders in terms of development, all-round transformation, empowerment and prosperity for all in Ghana on the condition that the leadership listens to godly counsel.
For the first time in the history of Ghana, the Charismatic Bishops Conference has come out with life-transforming, informative and innovative approaches that can be described as a panacea for the development crisis in Ghana.
Universally, the role of the church cannot be overemphasised.
For instance, countless number of tertiary institutions in the USA and England, such as Havard, were named after a minister of the Gospel; Yale, pioneered and spearheaded by the clergy; Oxford and Cambridge universities (started by the Church), as well as Princeton which crest says, ‘Dei sub numine viget’, meaning ‘under God one flourishes.’ No wonder Rev. Jonathan Dickinson who became the first president of Princeton once said, “cursed be all that learning that is contrary to the cross of Christ.”
According to April Shenandoah (2002), the original rule and guiding principle of Harvard was: "Let every student be plainly instructed and earnestly pressed to consider well, the main end of his life and studies is, to know God and Jesus Christ which is eternal life, (John 17:3), and, therefore, to lay Christ in the bottom, as the only foundation of all sound knowledge and learning."
Christian institutions
Even though some of these institutions might not be Christian institutions now, we cannot relegate into the background their trans-generational impact in the world, probably because of having the Lord Jesus Christ as foundation.
In Ghana, a few universities that the church or ministers of the gospel started are currently doing extremely well. They include Central University, Pentecost University College, Maranatha University College, Perez University College, Dominion University College, Valley View University, Catholic University of Ghana, Presbyterian University College, Methodist University, Regent University College of Science and Technology, Ghana Christian University College, Winsconsin International University College, Anglican University College of Technology and Baptist University College. About 80 per cent of universities in Ghana, as of September 2016, were established by Christians.
Are these leaders or churches who started tertiary institutions doing well or not?
The impact and contribution of even the churches which have not deliberately or visibly established secular tertiary institutions cannot be overemphasised.
Can we associate these churches or Christians to the saying, Kwatre kwa se obe ma wo ntoma a tie ne din?
I don’t think so. It is against this backdrop that we have to listen to them instead of jeering and scoffing the wise sayings of the Charismatic Bishops Conference.
How I wish the President would nominate some of the members of the group to spearhead the implementation of all that they have enumerated in their communiqué. We believe that even though the new administration may have its agenda for the nation, it would be expedient at least to use two regions in the country as a pilot to verify how feasible and viable those policies would work without jeering and relegating them unto the background.
Educational Bill
Apart from the recent communiqué by the Charismatic Bishops Conference, there are other two previous communiqués that are worthy of mention, the communiqué by the Christian Council of Ghana (2014), which states: “…We cannot continue to do the same things we have been doing in the past and expect a different result; we admonish everyone with Proverbs 11:14 which reads, for lack of guidance a nation falls, but victory is won through many advisers.”
The communiqué that was also issued by the Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference at the end of their annual plenary Assembly in Tamale in October 2016 stressed the importance of passing an Educational Bill into law without delay as follows: “We wish to plead with the State, especially the Legislature, the Ministry of Education and other key stakeholders, to expedite action on the passing of the Education Bill into law.”
Historically, “Ghana” was the title of the kings who ruled the kingdom called Wagadugu. Kings build kingdoms. Kingdom simply means the jurisdiction or domain of a king. Nana Akufo Addo is spearheading the building of a national cathedral for God. It is our firm belief and hope that Ghana will begin to experience kingdom blessings and affluence as the President, together with his ministers, continues to exhibit the character of the Kings of old.