Role of church in nation building taken for granted — Presbyterian Minister

A Minister of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Rev. Prof. Philipp Tetteh Laryea, has said the Church’s role in nation-building is often taken for granted, although its impact is evident in the lives of individuals and communities. 

He emphasised that the church's work is essential in shaping good citizens and promoting moral values, which were critical for the nation's development.

Rev. Prof. Laryea was speaking as a Guest Speaker at a public lecture held as part of activities to celebrate the Jubilee Anniversary of the  PCG’s Shalom Congregation in Osu-Accra.

He highlighted that churches, over the years, had contributed “to nurturing individuals, providing pastoral care, and promoting values such as faith, integrity and honesty” and, therefore, must be commended, emphasising that without the involvement of the Church, the loss of moral in the society would have been much severe, leading to its consequent rise in vices in the society.

Rev. Prof. Laryea also called for tighter collaboration between the government and churches in running schools to enhance better education across the country.

He emphasised that the church-state partnership in education had evolved over time, with the government taking on more responsibilities, including infrastructure development and teacher salaries.

While acknowledging the challenges, Rev. Prof. Laryea emphasised that the church-state partnership in education should continue, with the church maintaining its influence in shaping the moral and values-based education of students.

He cited the example of Catholic schools, where the church insisted on certain acts of discipline and maintained control over the head of schools, adding that as the country continued to grapple with issues of indiscipline and moral decay, the church's contributions to nation-building and moral development were more critical than ever.

Commitment

The PCG District Minister for Osu, Rev. Erasmus Mensah Laryea, who chaired the occasion, called on the youth of the church to embody the values of sacrifice, commitment and service to ensure the church's continued growth and success.

Members of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Shalom Congregation, singing joyfully 

He indicated that the church's early beginnings were marked by the sacrifices of young people between the ages of 23 and 30, who worked tirelessly to establish the church.

Rev. Laryea urged the current generation of youth to follow in the footsteps of the generation before them and be committed to Christ, their church, and their community.

He added that the PCG was almost 200 years in existence, and the church would be looking at the youth as being proud of their heritage and contributing to the church's future growth.

To achieve this, Rev. Laryea said the church had set itself to intensify mission and evangelism activities, including training young people as social media missionaries; while, also exploring new areas for church planting, particularly in areas where land was more readily available.

He encouraged the youth to outline their vision for the coming year, which would inform the church's strategy for establishing new churches, adding that the church was committed to supporting these new churches and spreading the gospel to new communities.