Global Evangelical Church urges govt to ensure fiscal prudence in IMF package

The Global Evangelical Church (GEC) has called on the government to ensure fiscal prudence in the use of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout package.

At the closing of its Synod yesterday, the church, in a communique, said that would ensure full economic recovery, development and sustainability.

The GEC synod bemoaned the country’s overdependence on food imports, in spite of being blessed with arable land.

It, therefore, urged the government to make use of the expertise of agriculturalists by providing them with the necessary support, including inputs, to increase productivity and ensure national food security.

Synod

The 2023 Synod of the GEC, which opened at the Adonai Chapel, Madina, in Accra last Friday, was on the theme: “Be holy in all you do".

The Synod, the highest decision-making body of the church, was attended by delegates from the 14 Presbyteries in Ghana, one presbytery in Togo and international branches of the church.

Its mandate is to decide on various issues affecting the church with regard to doctrine, administration and most especially the decline in membership.

Some dignitaries present at the opening last Friday included the Volta Regional Minister, Dr Archibald Yao Letsa, who is a member of the church; the Minister of Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Stephen Asamoah Boateng; the General Secretary of the Christian Council of Ghana, Rev. Dr Cyril Fayose, and representatives of sister churches, other denominations and para-church organisations.

Galamsey

The communique lamented the environmental degradation caused by illegal mining also known as galamsey.

It urged the government and all stakeholders to continue to fight the menace in order to save and restore our environment and water bodies for this generation and posterity.

Again, the synod appealed to the government, the Electoral Commission, the various political parties, the media, security agencies and other stakeholders to play their roles in a transparent, free and fair manner to ensure a peaceful 2024 elections. 

Charge

At the opening of Synod last Friday, the Moderator of GEC, the Rt Rev. Prosper Samuel Dzomeku, challenged President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to honour his promise never to legalise same sex marriage and activities related to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer/questioning, asexual and many others, termed (LGBTIQA+).

He said the President stated five years ago that his administration would never accept such practices in the country.

“At the 2018 Synod of our church, you unequivocally assured Ghanaians that same-sex marriages would not be endorsed under your watch.

We wish to encourage you to carry through this promise throughout your tenure of office,” he stressed.

Rt Rev. Dzomeku said as a church, GEC was concerned not only because such activities contradicted the religious, cultural and social norms of the nation, but also due to their adverse health implications.

“Our society is already plagued by many health challenges and we ought not to create more,” the Moderator stated.

In a sermon to close the Synod premised on the book of John 3:1-15, Rt Rev. Dzomeku urged the public to intentionally pursue practical holy living in all spheres of life.

“People are landing themselves into all manner of hardships because they are chasing miracles.

The greatest miracle one can get is the miracle of salvation,” the GEC Moderator stressed.

Reassurance

The Senior Presidential Advisor, Yaw Osafo-Maafo, reassured the church that President Akufo-Addo remained committed never to allow the practice of LGBTQIA+.

In relation to the theme, he said Christians could significantly contribute to the betterment of society if they lived holy lives free of malice, corruption and other vices because they statistically accounted for about 70 per cent of the nation’s population.

Touching on agriculture, the former Senior Minister urged the church to augment the government’s efforts by consciously training ministers and members in modern ways of farming because their large numbers could be pivotal in such an important sector for the development of the economy.