Pastors in the country have been urged to allow the use of their pulpits as a platform to combat illegal mining.
There has been months of sustained crusade against illegal mining known as galamsey in the country under the auspices of the Lands and Natural Resources Ministry.
The Christian Council of Ghana (CCG) and the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference (GCBC) made the call in a joint communiqué issued today.
The religious bodies said they were “satisfied” with the president and government’s efforts to protect water bodies, farmlands, forest reserves among others and their commitment to end illegal mining in the country.
“This menace is destroying the lives of ordinary Ghanaians, livestock and food stuff. Many of our youth have also abandoned the classroom leading to increase in illiteracy in the affected areas,” the communiqué acknowledged.
To this end, we the leaders of CCG and GCBC are calling for the following:
* Government’s effort in the fight against galamsey should be sustained and remain non- partisan.
* Government should make great efforts to ensure that major river bodies like Birim, Prah, Ankobra, Densuetc will be drinkable again.
* Pastors in the country should identify themselves with the campaign and allow their pulpits to be used for education.
* Christians in the nation should pray and commit ourselves to the preservation of our environment and other natural resources at all times.
The communiqué came from an annual joint meeting which was held at Osu Ebenezer Presbyterian Church, Accra on Wednesday May 10, 2017 and signed by the General Secretary and Chairmen of CCG and GCBC.
It revealed that the National Health Insurance Scheme owes the Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG) hospitals in excess of ȼ200,000,000.00. Over the years several efforts have been made by CHAG to reclaim our money but to no avail. It asked the government to roll out as a matter of urgency a programme to pay all arrears owed the CHAG hospitals to ensure that churches are able to run our hospitals and clinics.
The two institutions said they “observed with discomfort the levels of public indiscipline in our nation”.
The communiqué therefore called on Christians to bring to bear their faith values into public service by living lives worthy of our calling.
“Citizens of this nation should cherish values like hard work, honesty, integrity, and respect for the rule of law,” it said.
It said even though the Church in Ghana is growing in terms of numbers, most denominations in the rural areas are dying whilst those in the city grow.
“Moreover, the frontline of the Churchas a national family is becoming weaker because we have not paid adequate attention to the unity of the National Church.”
It therefore asked churches to prayerfully embrace the spirit of ecumenism and foster closer relationships with neighbouring churches.
Denominations were also asked to respond and work towards Jesus’ prayer in John 17:21‘That all may be one.’
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