Christianity Suffering From Branding - Peace FM�s Kofi Kum Bilson

Host of Peace FM’s mid-morning show, ‘Work and Happiness’, Kofi Kum Bilson, has said Christianity in Ghana is suffering from branding because the propagators of the faith are more interested in hyping themselves and their individual churches over the message of salvation.

The highly experienced presenter expressed his disagreement with the new trend of Christian leaders and preachers advertising their churches in a competitive style in quest of members rather than asking persons who seek salvation to attend “any Bible-believing church nearby.”

“Anytime I am listening to a preacher, I would appreciate messages on how I can be saved, messages about the word of God; and then tell me to go to any Bible-believing church close to me, not a particular church. [But when you say] come to my church, that is branding and that is wrong. Christianity is all about Christ and nothing else.

“When you have the opportunity to preach the word of God to people, are you talking about your church, do you mean it is only your church that has salvation? It is all about the message of Christ and not your church. If you win souls and they would go to other churches, the most important thing is that you have won souls.  What is your church about? Is your church about Christ? Come on, let us rebrand Christianity all together again,” Kofi Kum Bilson noted on his show Monday morning.

Kofi Kum Bilson has over the years earned himself a good reputation and an equally huge number of loyal listeners of his show.  He has set himself aside as one of the few radio presenters with the confidence to say things just as they are and when it means stepping on important toes.

“When I am getting too close for comfort, I ask, ‘can we talk’ and then go ahead and say what I have to say,” Kofi explained.

He has a hallmark of opening the ‘Work and Happiness’ show with a morning greeting in several languages including English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Russian, Chinese as well as several local dialects, after which he follows with a varied collection of some good Ghanaian music.

Kofi Kum Bilson’s show is uniquely different from all the other mid-morning radio programmes generally targeting a ‘glamour audience’ and ‘bourgeoisie listeners’.  He hosts the show predominantly in the Akan language, interlaced with English and once in a blue moon some Ga.

Though perceived to be largely Christian bias, ‘Work and Happiness’ comes across as a motivational and inspirational programme that also educates and entertains.

The host has a style of picking bizarre and strange but true news stories from Ghana and around the world and creatively rehashing them for his audience as though they were his exclusives. The show also gives detailed education of historical happenings and important dates.

PROMOTING GHANAIAN MUSIC

Kofi uses his show to hype and promote the works of Ghanaian musicians including upcoming musicians. He is on record to have used his show to heavily promote Gasmila’s current hit song ‘Telemo’ and is currently on a campaign to make the veteran gospel music trio, Daughters of Glorious Jesus, annex the next Legends And Legacy Awards.


KOFI KUM BILSON NEEDS MORE TIME

It is, however, difficult to understand why managers and operators of Peace FM have become comfortable with allowing the morning show, ‘Kokrokoo’, eat into the time allocated the mid-morning segment.

It has become the habit of the ‘Kokrokoo’ team to often disrespect the show’s closing time of 10am and rather end the show sometimes at 11am, selfishly taking one whole hour of Kofi Kum Bilson’s airtime of two hours.