Christians urged to stop living double lives

The only way to root out corruption and other forms of moral decadence in Ghana is for Christians to stop living double lives, the Moderator of the Global Evangelical Church (GEC), Rt Rev. Dr Setorwu Ofori, has said.

“It is a challenge for the Church.

The lives we live at work, home or the church should not differ because ministry is not just in church. On Sundays if anything, we worship for two or three hours and go back to our homes.

The ministry is out there in the marketplace, our homes and offices.

“The true genuine Christian is supposed to carry the banner of Christ wherever he or she goes.

It is a problem and something we have to imbibe in our congregations,” Rt Rev. Dr Ofori said on the sidelines of the induction service of the Accra Presbytery Executive Committee of the church and the consecration of more than 70 presbyters at the Trinity Parish of the church at Kotobabi in Accra.

While some have blamed the failure to nip corruption in the bud in Ghana on the country’s culture which endorsed gift giving, the GEC moderator was of the view that Christians were called to be agents of change.

Call to work

Earlier in an exhortation on the theme:

“Be and lead others to be”, Rt Rev. Dr Ofori said as leaders, the presbyters were called to lead.

“Before you can lead others, there is the need to love God with your heart, soul and strength. God calls people to work with them whether by appointment, election or revelation.hence the need to give our lives to him.

It helps others come to Christ.

“As elected leaders, you’re called to work.

You’re the salt of the world.

You’re called to be change leaders helping others transform their lives. This will happen through the Holy Spirit but God uses people to transform others.

We have to teach others how to live for Christ, accept Christ ...The command God gave, he wants it transferred to others,” he said.

The presbyters are expected to support pastors in the running of the church as well support the spiritual growth of their members. In all more than 70 presbyters from the church’s parishes in Adzen Kotoku, Akweley, Amasaman, Ashiyie, Bortianor, Tesano, Dome, Kasoa, Kuntunse, Kwashieman, Medie, Nii Boi Town, Old Fadama and Suwutuom were consecrated.

CSE brouhaha

In September this year, sharp divisions greeted the guidelines on Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) for schools, with the educational authorities parrying the criticisms, saying the new policy held the key to effective sexuality education for the youth.

Opposition to the policy hit a crescendo on September 30, with faith-based institutions and the National Coalition for Proper Human Sexual Rights leading the charge against the reforms.

Some members of the public also took to social media to demand an immediate halt to the policy to save children from moral degeneration.

However, in a strong defence of the policy, the Ghana Education Service (GES) and the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NaCCA), the state body that developed the curriculum, insisted that the condemnation of the guidelines was misplaced.

But religious organisations, including the Ghana Charismatic and Pentecostal Council (GCPC), the Christian Council of Ghana and the Chief Imam’s Office stood their grounds asking for the curriculum to be withdrawn.

With pressure mounting from all quarters, the government backtracked and suspended the policy which the GCPC described as comprehensive satanic education.

With the issue slipping into coma, the GEC moderator urged Christians not to take their minds off it as there was the possibility of it being repackaged and brought back.

“It does not matter how it is embellished that it is nothing.

It is something.

What we are called to do isn’t just in the confines of the chapel but also out there,” he said.

He said the CSE would only arouse the curiosity of children who were too young to be exposed to such teachings.

“At that age, the children are not matured enough to handle the pieces of information that they will be given on sex. Paul said when I was child, I spoke like a child

. There is childhood thinking, childhood behaviour in them at that age, let us allow them to be children. Why is it that we see age 18 as the age of maturity and if someone wants to marry at age 16, it must be with parental consent?” he asked.

The Chairman of the Accra Presbytery, Rev. Mawuli D. Agudogo, said the presbyters would be trained to support their congregations and impact their societies.

“We are trusting that the Accra Presbytery will continue to be the number one presbytery of the Global Evangelical Church and by God’s grace we will be able to plant more churches,” he added.