The Ghana Charismatic Bishops’ Conference has expressed concern over the government's decision to keep churches closed for the next four weeks but have allowed night clubs, shopping malls and restaurants to be opened over the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) where six cases have been confirmed in Ghana.
In a statement, the Bishops said: "The notices from the Government do not mention the closure of night clubs, restaurants, and shopping malls."
"Such entities have been noted in other countries experience, France being a good example, where the pandemic has not been controlled as they have remained opened."
"To only ask for the closure of churches and places of worship is a rather biased view of the society and does not improve much the odds of getting the disease under control," the Bishops said in a communique issued in reaction to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo's decision to ban mass gatherings.
The Bishops said they were disappointed with the state for not engaging them before a ban was slapped on all religious activities and some public gatherings in the country following the novel coronavirus outbreak.
They said it was unfortunate that groupings like the Ghana Charismatic Bishops’ Conference, the National Association of Charismatic & Christian Churches, and the Ghana Pentecostal Council were not engaged before the new directives were given by the state.
“The arbitrary closure of churches and places of worship without consultation or discussion for four weeks, smacks of a disregard of the importance of the church’s role in the country.”
“This disregard of the place of this powerful social and religious institution, to which over 70% of Ghanaians belong, is wrong,” the communique added.
Below is a copy of the Communique
COMMUNIQUE
GHANA CHARISMATIC BISHOPS CONFERENCE
CLOSURE OF CHURCHES DUE TO CORONA VIRUS PANDEMIC (Covid-19)
The Government has issued a number of releases in line with managing the spread of the Coronavirus as a pandemic.
We have noted the travel bans, and the restrictions on a wide range of socio-economic activities in the country in an effort to forestall any further spread of the Coronavirus pandemic in the country, a part of the wider global effort being championed by the World Health
We commend the President of the Republic for responding to the public’s need for leadership and direction at such a time of heightened public anxiety and fears. We believe many of the strategies and tactics put in place will forestall the further spread of the disease.
The Ghana Charismatic Bishops’ Conference has noted a number of lapses, that we as try to bring this pandemic under control as a society, we will like to draw the Government’s attention to. In issuing these directives, we have noted a bias for certain business and commercial entities. These raise for us a number of concerns.
It is important that these are addressed for the measures being implemented to have their full measure in preventing the further spread of the Coronavirus pandemic among Ghanaians.
i. The notices from the Government do not mention the closure of night clubs, restaurants, and shopping malls. Such entities have been noted in other countries experience, France being a good example, where the pandemic has not been controlled as they have remained opened. To only ask for the closure of churches and places of worship is a rather biased view of the society and does not improve much the odds of getting the disease under control.
ii. The Ghana Charismatic Bishops’ Conference has noted that the Government has set aside an amount of US$100 million for this fight. We find this rather incredulous. Doctors, nurses, and many health professionals have been seeking employment and will have been invaluable at this time when public health professionals will be needed even more. The Government should have invested such monies in the health sector a long while back, improving the outcomes of health services now. The argument that this is an emergency fund is not enough to explain what a long-standing problem has been resulting in many trained health professionals not working for months many months after qualifying end.
iii. We will expect that going forward investments in the health sector of the country will be more responsive and forward-looking than we have done in the past. Ghana has the required resources. We do not need to look outside for these.
iv. Churches are an important vector of socializing and we will like to encourage the Government, to engage churches even more, and provide them a much larger platform to affect the societal behaviors that will need to be affected for the campaign to defeat Coronavirus to work.
The Ghana Charismatic Bishops’ Conference is a powerful body made up of Bishops of several different charismatic denominations in Ghana. Today, its membership is made of over 100 bishops located in every region of Ghana.
A Bishop is a most senior and revered person among the clergy and is an overseer of several churches. Consequently, 4000 churches yield to the authority of this powerful conference. The Ghana Charismatic Bishops’ Conference has a widespread influence in Ghana and holds sway over no less than 1 million Ghanaian Christians.
The Ghana Charismatic Bishops’ Conference founded some years ago by Dag Heward-Mills, intercedes and prays constantly for the nation Ghana and also speaks prophetically into national matters.
The current chairman of this conference is Bishop Kwame Yirenkyi Ampofo.
The offices of the Ghana Charismatic Bishops’ Conference are located in Teshie, a suburb of Accra. The General Secretary of this august conference is Rev. Kwasi Deh.
Contact:
Rev. Kwasi Deh
General Secretary
The Ghana Charismatic Bishops’ Conference
Tel: +233 24 432 3782
Email: [email protected]
Source: graphic.com.gh
Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. |
The uncontrolled issue in South Korea concerning the Corona Virus started from a church.
Church Church Church and still they're buls#it, go back and read the government statement again Bishop
See the double standards of these so-called bishops? When you ask them to pay tax, they kick against it. Now they are comparing themselves to businesses that pay tax to the government. Their only concern is the collection that they are going to miss over the period, not the lives of the humans they claim to love.
I think the government should clarify on it stance, U cannot close churches and leave the abode of Satan(Night Clubs) out of it.if churches r not allowed to seek Gods intervention in this pandemic but sit Home due to crowd attracting the virus, then it is also necessary for Gatherings that wallow in dirt, alcoholism, evil,darkness like Night Clubs should be Over Banned with Immediate Effect without any iota of breath taking.Because we need Cleanliness and God in this global Crisis.
Non$ense. Do churches pay people? You want businesses that pay people to also shut down? Are you people that irrational? What do you get by people congregating in your churches? And by the way, if they shut down the small businesses, how will people come to your churches, let alone give you money which is your main concern now?
This response from the Charismatic Bishop Conference sounds so immature and embarrassing. By touting the number of people who "hold sway" to the charismatic churches are you threatening the government or what? And do you consider for a second that these so-called masses who throng to your church could be exposed to danger if the government didn't take such a drastic measure? I don't think they have an idea what crises covid-19 presents to nations since the have extorted enough from their congregants to live a cocooned live of luxury far removed from the hash realities faced by the majority of Ghanaians. How many night clubs are active in Ghana today compared to churches? How many people gather at night clubs compared to churches? The facts they present are self-defeating. I think their protest is borne out of self-serving greed as a lock-down is inimical to their church "business" . Do you think you have more members than the Catholic Bishops Conference or the Presbyterian Church who have backed the government? For your information, there is a Catholic church in every nook and cranny in this country but these charismatic churches only open branches where there is active economic activity by the populace. I hear some are even proposing e-payment of tithes during the lockdown! They are not even thinking of the economic impact on their members during the lockdown!
Dear Pastors...maybe you did not get the content of the communique well but it was stated in it that the ban is on "all other gathering". All other gathering includes nigh-clubs. The government at this point reserve the right to go after any gathering if it poses risk to the citizenry. As for the $100m emergency money, even US, UK, France have all initiated emergency funds, would you say their decision wasn't right because they have not given employment to all their nurses and doctors? To the best of my knowledge emergency situations calls for emergency solutions. Coronavirus is a totally new disease not like malaria so investment in new things is required. Thank you.
It is to protect your people. You shd thank God that government thought abt ur members first. Shutting down public areas is to make sure it does not spread to affect ur congregation. Think think think
NO COMMENT
So because of the loosing of Sunday offering (i.e. Money) you are angry; This should be the perfect time for all churches to ***barred word*** their members to stay home and pray. Instead you are compelling your church to a night club and a shopping mall. Oh Man of God small collection you go chop so make people go church and go contract COVID19? very sad. Have you thought for a second that all pastors stand the chance of being infected if they go to church? and the possibility of the virus spreading widely? This Bishops conference must be a ashamed of themselves.