The Church remains voice of the vulnerable — Rev. Dr Odonkor

The outgoing Clerk of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Reverend Dr Godwin Nii Noi Odonkor, has said the Church in Ghana will continue to play its role as the voice of conscience, demanding accountability from leadership and remaining the voice of the voiceless and vulnerable in society.

He said the Church, as a collective—and the PCG in particular—had a stake not only in the spiritual well-being of society but also in its socio-economic progress.

For that reason, it would continue to speak and act in its advocacy role, emphasising that this was how it could compel the government and duty bearers to act responsibly and ensure the provision of essential social services, including quality education, access to quality health care, other basic amenities and environmental protection.

“The Christian Council of Ghana (CCG), of which the Presbyterian Church of Ghana is known for its advocacy role in talking about issues concerning the vulnerable, women and children, social services and all that, is required to give dignity to people and protect their human rights.

“The Presbyterian Church of Ghana is a founding member of the CCG, and aside from the ecumenical role it plays, it is also a serious stakeholder in national development, so it will continue to, on its own and as a key member of the Church in Ghana, continue its advocacy role.

“If by so doing that is interpreted as politics, then so be it,” he stressed.

No partisan politics

In an exclusive interview with the Daily Graphic, Rev. Dr Odonkor, who ends his tenure at the end of this month, emphasised that while the church recognised its advocacy role, it strongly objects to being involved in partisan politics and described as unfortunate, how the role the church was playing to hold duty bearers accountable was being misinterpreted as dabbling in politics.

“The PCG has built over 30 senior high schools, two universities, five teacher training colleges, over 3,000 basic schools and hospitals where they are needed most, and people think we are not a stakeholder in national development and should not have a say?

“The PCG will, on its own and together with the CCG, remain advocates; what it will, however, not do is to dabble in partisan politics.

“Yes, with people with different orientations and interests making up our congregations, the church will not encourage its pulpits to be used for partisan politics, but we will remain the voice of conscience and the prophet of our times.

“We have prophets who spoke up when they had to in their time. Elijah, Nathan, Jeremiah, and John the Baptist all did. For us, we are the voice of the prophet in our time, and we will ensure it is heard well for all the right reasons,” he stressed.

Generational sin

Rev. Dr Odonkor added his voice to the calls on the government to deal decisively with illegal mining, describing it as structural and generational sins.

He was concerned that human activities were doing harm to mankind and the environment, gravely defying the charge God gave to man to nurture and take care of the land for their benefit.

He said it was greed—rather than ignorance—and the tendency of duty bearers to look away or act complicit that had undermined the state’s ability to confront the threat, leaving everyone at risk.

“If you know the theology of the earth as it was created by God, we know that what is happening with regards to galamsey is a structural and generational sin.

Through that illegality, the perpetrators are killing us through the destruction of the environment and the water bodies.

“The earth is God’s gift to us, and we are required to cherish and value it.

“If this menace is not dealt with decisively now, we will live to regret the consequences in the near future,” Rev. Dr Odonkor cautioned.