Posts in category: Articles

Besides the stress, trauma, and misery it exerts on the family setting and by extension, the entire human race, global pandemics come with many socio-economic challenges. On March 11, 2020, when the WHO declared the novel coronavirus a global pandemic, it has infected over 269 million and killed around 5.3 million people worldwide as of December 10, 2021, according to Johns Hopkins University data. Socio-economically, the tourism and manufacturing industries have been significantly affected, generating millions of unemployment. Several trillions of dollars in stimulus packages have been released by governments and world bodies to cushion this negative impact.

This response has shed light on various issues, including student debt, digital learning, homelessness, housing, health care, internet, disability service, and food insecurity. At some point, many nations needed to provide food and other logistical supports for their citizenry in some of the partially locked-down cities. According to a United Nations Labour expert, “The economic crisis caused by the Covid pandemic is expected to contribute to global unemployment of more than 200 million people next year, with women and youth workers worse-hit.”

At one point, poor households across Columbia hung red clothing and flags from their windows and balconies as a sign that they are hungry. “We don’t have any money, and now we need to survive,” said Pauline Karushi, who lost her job at a jewellery business in Nairobi. One evening in New Delhi, migrants waiting in food lines fought each other over a plate of rice and lentils. Mr Singh, who was hoping to eat his first meal in a day, said, “Instead of coronavirus, the hunger will kill us.” He continued, “The lockdown has trampled on our dignity.” In San Roque slam in Manila, Ms Mikunog, 28, and with four children to feed, said she was at her wits’ end trying to figure out how they would survive. “Sometimes we talk, and wonder how long this lockdown will last, will we die hungry?” In Venezuela, Mr Bastardo, 25, a security guard said, “We are already thinking of selling things that we don’t use in the house to be able to eat.”

Such was the level of desperation many went through and are still going through to make earns meet and access some of the very essentials of human livelihood. This provided the opportunity for others to also rake in unjustifiable business profits from unsuspecting victims. Various selfish and ungodly demands were also made to the most vulnerable who thought they were not going to survive the times. This article intends to put into perspective, the quest in meeting some of humankind’s essential needs for survival through fair or foul means in the light of God’s promises to His children.

In Genesis 25:29-34, Esau judged an uncomfortable situation he found himself to be life-threatening and did something many have chastised till today. He came home from the open country famished. This is the state of being extremely hungry or starving to death. He asked his twin brother Jacob who at the time was cooking, “Quick, let me have some of that red stew! I’m famished!” Between siblings, this is not an abnormal request to make except for the urgency that accompanied it. This level of desperation and need is what opened him up for exploitation. People always become vulnerable, and victims of circumstances anytime they demand urgent and quick responses to their requests. At the point of hunger and thirst, fear of the unknown, and hopelessness, many are likely to do everything as requested by their perceived redeemers. Once judged as a life and death situation, the body hormones go through some imbalances that feed into a specific line of action.

Jacob, Esau’s brother, replied, “First sell me your birthright.”  There are two possibilities I deduced at this point. Either Jacob had been coveting for that blessed position of his brother all that while or Esau, by his lifestyle appeared to have already placed his birthright on the counter for sale even before that faithful day. As born-again Christians, the devil and his agents are still not at peace with themselves with our newly found state of being heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ (Romans 8:17).

The writer of Hebrews could not have put it any better when he said in Hebrews 12:22-23, “But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven….” It is, therefore, not surprising that the devil always presents himself to offer one help or the other in exchange for our priceless and glorious state in Christ Jesus. He went to Jesus with suggestions to turn stones into bread to eat when he suspected He was hungry. Jesus answered the devil, “It is written: Man shall not live on bread alone….” (Matthew 4:4). Let us bear in mind that, as believers, any temptation to disobey God is an offer from the devil to wrestle our birthright from us fraudulently.

As a reply to Jacob’s offer, Esau, said, “Look, I am about to die, what good is the birthright to me?” Esau placed a higher premium on his immediate survival against the benefits associated with his birthright in that quick cost-benefit analysis. He, therefore, would not have done so badly before any human examiner. After all, the saying, “a bird in hand is worth more than two in the forest” would have gone in favour of his arguments. Judged to be a matter of life and death, humans naturally would do everything within their purview to survive no matter how undignifying it may seem. The million-dollar question to ask now is; in such desperate situations, how correct could one’s judgment as real life-threatening be? Given a peculiar situation, will everyone’s judgment and thus response be the same? What then informs some to easily conclude they will die the next moment if their present needs are not met?

To seal the deal with his elder brother, Jacob said, “Swear to me first.” Esau despised his golden treasure, swore an oath to him before he was given a bite, or what the Bible calls “a morsel of food.” What at all came over Esau to act the way he did? Was it the colour of the stew? Or its aroma? Although the stew was red, how many cooking skills did Jacob possess? Was it not Esau instead whose cooking acumen drew his father Isaac closer to him? Better still, even if he was not in the mood for cooking, could he not have waited just a little while for their mother Rebecca’s food which comes served without any strings attached? Won’t Mama Rebecca’s green stew be healthier than Jacob’s red? Today, believers are freely asking our late brother Esau these questions. As the saying goes, “Talk is cheap.” The lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life are what unsettled Esau within that short space of time for him to do the unthinkable. Can you imagine how Esau felt after swallowing that morsel into his stomach and realising it was not a life and death situation after all? This old fashioned weapon of the devil that still looks potent today is what also outwitted the first couple in the Garden of Eden. Thankfully, when the devil brought it on in the case of Jesus in the wilderness, He defeated him to set the pace for all who abide in Him to never fall to such schemes.

With the fallouts of the covid-19 pandemic, what demands are people and the system making on your life which conflicts with God’s word? Is it sex for employment? Sex for keeping your job in the organisation? Amorous relationship with your landlord to keep you in that facility? Is it about lying, bribing, or falsifying data for contracts? Stealing at the workplace in the name of hard times? Compromising your stand in the Lord just for a smartphone or internet bundle? Have you decided to stop being faithful in your tithes and offerings in support of God’s work? These temptations are what this article refers to as “Jacob’s red stew”. Falling for them and their related scenarios amount to selling your birthright to the devil in these challenging times. As believers, there is no way our birthright should be on the auctioneer’s list, placed at Walmart, or listed on the stock exchange. The truth is that; you are richer, wealthier, and blessed than your tempter. Satan told Jesus in Matthew 4:9 that he will give Him all the kingdoms of the world and its splendour if He bows to him. In real terms; who is richer? Satan or Jehovah Elohim, the creator, and owner of the entire universe? Similarly, per the benefits associated with firstborns, Esau was by far wealthier than Jacob at the time of this encounter.

In Hebrews 12:16-17, the Bible says, “See that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son. Afterwards, as you know, when he wanted to inherit his blessing, he was rejected. Even though he sought the blessing with tears, he could not change what he had done.” This act of Esau prepared the grounds for his blessings to be taken from him when their father Isaac was about to die. We set ourselves for defeats, pain, disappointments, and anguish and irreversible consequences anytime we despise our birthright by sinning. I would take this opportunity to entreat all who are in the habit of taking undue advantage of the times to cheat, settle old scores, and making all sorts of ungodly demands from the vulnerable to stop. Jesus told His disciples, “Things that cause people to stumble are bound to come, but woe to anyone through whom they come. It would be better for them to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around their neck than to cause one of these little ones to stumble.” (Luke 17:1).

The state of always perceiving difficult situations as a matter of life and death is what makes one most susceptible to manipulations and deceptions. You will not die; it is not as the devil is modelling it to you. Jesus said, “Man shall not live by bread alone…” Believe Him and don’t allow anyone to unscrupulously take your gold (i.e. Christ) and replace it with rotten wood. There is always a sure way out designed by Him anytime we encounter difficult situations. Even to the point of death, the three Jewish friends in the land of their captivity defied all odds to glorify the God of Israel than compromising to worship the golden image in Daniel chapter 3. Holding tight the birthright secured in the saviour’s love, one can only agree with the Apostle Paul when he said, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? He continued with the declaration that, “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither heights nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:35-39). If none of these can separate us from God, then the negative impacts of covid-19 should not be allowed either. It will surely be over one day. This is what Esau missed in his day. Don’t, therefore, lose your guard.

By Pastor James Agyin (j.orhinagyin20@icloud.com)

When the Transgender movement started, most of us didn’t know the extent and magnitude of the problem at hand. Today, as they roll on some of their new faculties and departments, the world now realizes it is a whole institution with Satan as their Founder and Chancellor, the Self as the Vice-Chancellor and misguided Human rights activism as their Registrar. The founder’s name should strike a chord that this “Trans-movements” didn’t start today except that it is announcing, manifesting, and reloading itself on another level altogether. Per their definitions, a transgender person feels trapped inside a body of the opposite gender. So, a biological male can begin to argue she is a female who has been trapped in a male body. A trans-racial is also someone who feels they are white but trapped inside a black body and vice-versa. A trans-abled person is also a physically able person who feels they should have been born disabled. Trans-age refer to those who think they are either far older or younger than their actual ages. Then came trans-sick, which describes those who argue they are sick although they are perfectly healthy. One thing that runs through the few mentioned phenomena is the “I feel” phrase as touted by its proponents and adherents.

In the book of 2 Samuel, when King David became a “Trans-Uriah” after his lustful escapade with Beersheba and tried unsuccessfully to let Uriah go and spend the night at home, little did he know that he was setting the grounds for Amnon, his son to also turned a ‘Trans-sick” person because of Tamar his sister. 2Samuel 13:1-2 says, “In the course of time, Amnon, son of David, fell in love with Tamar, the beautiful sister of Absalom, son of David. [2] Amnon became so obsessed with his sister Tamar that he made himself ill. She was a virgin, and it seemed impossible for him to do anything to her.” Here was a son of David who had allowed lust to intoxicate him to the extent of being obsessed with his own sister’s beauty and wanted her in bed. Not finding a headway around his problem, he made himself ill, as the Bible put it, even though he was perfectly healthy. Amnon, in his quest to satisfy the Self, then turned into a “trans-sick” person who needed special attention from Tamar. Prognosis is a forecast of the likely outcome of a medical condition. This article attempts to do a prognosis of Amnon’s “trans-sick” state with lust as the underlying health condition. Having special advisers and personal assistants is not a bad thing at all. They become such an enormous blessing when their counsel leads unto the path of righteousness. Unfortunately for Amnon, when his adviser in the person of Jonadab saw his “trans-sick” mood, he further pushed him into his early grave with the counsel and advocacy he mounted for him. In 2 Samuel 13:3-5, “Now Amnon had an adviser named Jonadab, son of Shimeah, David’s brother. Jonadab was a very shrewd man. [4] He asked Amnon, “Why do you, the king’s son, look so haggard morning after morning? Won’t you tell me?” Amnon said to him, “I’m in love with Tamar, my brother Absalom’s sister.” [5] “Go to bed and pretend to be ill,” Jonadab said. “When your father comes to see you, say to him, ‘I would like my sister Tamar to come and give me something to eat. Let her prepare the food in my sight so I may watch her and then eat it from her hand.

Yes, the “trans-sick” mood Amnon chose to cover his problem of lust showed and drew on his facial expressions all day and night long. It was, therefore, not surprising that his cousin Jonadab saw him looking haggard morning after morning. When you feel that you are a female even though a biological male, you are most likely to begin depicting certain feminine gestures and mannerisms which has nothing to do with the genetic make of the person as created by God. It, therefore, has everything to do with what one allows the mind to communicate to them for a specific heart desire. Instead of helping Amnon come out from the “trans-sick” state, which was having a toll on his life, Jonadab rather counselled Amon to go to bed pretending to be ill. “So Amnon lay down and pretended to be ill. When the king came to see him, Amnon said to him, “I would like my sister Tamar to come and make some special bread in my sight, so I may eat from her hand.” (2 Sam 13:6). But for the counsel and advocacy Jonadab did for him, Amon could have been liberated by Prophet Nathan and the voices of God who were around the seat of Israel’s government at the time. Jonadab, however, advised him to go a step forward in that “trans-sick” mood, lie in bed and demand his rights to proper healthcare from David, his father. King David, unknowingly, fell for Jonadab’s counsel and sent Tamar to attend to Amnon. Even though Tamar could not have discerned all the ulterior motives of Amnon inspired by Jonadab, there were signals she should not have ignored and taken lightly. Why she happened to be the one picked to come and attend to him in that request to David is something she could have queried a little further. Secondly, he refused to eat after serving him the requested specially baked bread on a pan. That also should have rung a particular bell within her about the brother’s actual condition. (2Samuel 13:9). Amnon then instructed Tamar to send everyone out of the vicinity and bring the food into his bedroom alone, so he ate from her hand. Tamar obliged this request too, but this was the time Tamar should have realized Amnon had overstayed his welcome and boldly handed him over to a professional Doctor.

Homosexuality has been with humanity since the days of Sodom and Gomorrah. When our modern society began welcoming some of the vicious demands from their community, little did we all know that kind of patronage was going to be a long end-time battle of our lives. It is no more a hidden practice, but a fully-fledged LGBTQI+ protected and gated community today. If the acronyms even started with an “A”, we would have taken consolation that it would end at “Z” in a matter of time. Starting with “L” signifying a rather long journey and ending with a “(+)” sign suggests many more of its derivatives yet to unfold.

In 2Samuel 13:11, Amnon made a request which seemed unusual to Tamar when they were alone in the room. He initially started on a gentle note and said, “…Come to bed with me, my sister.” Tamar then decided to preach Israel’s culture and moral values to him, so he sat up and came out from whatever was coming over him. When that failed, she tried persuading his brother to reason up and think about the disgrace and aftermath of that act of incest on David’s household and the entire community of Israel. In my opinion, this was the fourth mistake Tamar made which landed her in the wicked and lustful arms of Amnon. He then overpowered, raped, and had her thrown out of his bedroom afterwards. When lust heats up red-hot, any attempt to gently negotiate and parry it off does not work. The only language it understands is to flee or confront it violently with every available strength.

When Potiphar’s wife caught Joseph by his cloak and said to him, “Come to bed with me!” the Bible clarifies that Joseph did not play the gentility and tolerance card. He instead left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house. Joseph did not count on the Egyptian culture of the day but called the name of Jehovah Elohim as his principal reason for not negotiating with the spirit of lust. He said, “…How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?” (Gen 39:9-12). Observing how some of our most cherished Ghanaian values and culture has ebbed away over the passage of time, depending on it at this crucial time of the day, will be shaky. On Christ the Solid Rock, we must stand because all others sink with time.  But for God’s grace and help, we all could have done worse than the LGBTQ+ community are propagating. As a Christian community, we, therefore, have no option but to show unconditional love to all who happen to be entrapped by that menace. We, however, condemn the worship of the human will as their idol and misguided human rights activism as the chief Priest. The Ghanaian Christian community led by The Church of Pentecost and other denominations have, therefore, responded aptly as Joseph did and which Tamar failed to do. Billy Graham couldn’t have put it any better when he said, “Sin is not a toy with which to play but a terror to be shunned”.

After Amnon used Tamar to satisfy his selfish and lustful desires, 2 Samuel 13:16-18 reads, “Then Amnon hated her with intense hatred. In fact, he hated her more than he had loved her. Amnon said to her, “Get up and get out! “No!” she said to him. “Sending me away would be a greater wrong than what you have already done to me…He called his personal servant and said, “Get this woman out of my sight and bolt the door after her.” So, his servant put her out and bolted the door after her…” How come Amnon did not have the needed fulfillment he thought he would get after raping Tamar? That is the deception and illusion the advocates of Proper human sexual rights and Ghanaian family values want the LGBTQ+ community to avoid. The Bible makes it clear that “Food gained by fraud tastes sweet, but one ends up a mouth full of gravel.” (Prov 20:17). The soul and spirit of humankind can never be satisfied with the fleeting passions of this world and the Self. One will almost always feel that emptiness without life in Christ Jesus because that is how God, the creator programmed humankind.

Today, the world is fiercely trying to brand those who rather seek the welfare and Liberation of the LGBTQI+ community as haters but tag the “Jonadabs” as tolerant and concerned citizens. Let us not forget that the Bible referred to Jonadab as a shrewd person. Celebrating People in bondage through Law who instead needs Liberation and taking proactive steps to help them through same; which of the two is a hate move? Is it not ridiculous that the latter instead of the former is what this world calls hatred? Those advocating for your celebration cannot love you more than those of us campaigning for your Liberation through Christ Jesus.

When Absalom learned of what Amnon had done to Tamar, he kept his cool but planned to revenge at an appropriate time. Two years later, Absalom also demanded his rights to enjoyment with his siblings from David, their father but had Amnon killed on that occasion. If you allow lust to turn you into a “Trans-sick” because of a “Tamar”, you may meet your “trans-happy” Absalom one day. (2Sam 13). Where was Jonadab, the counsellor and advocate for Amnon when he was suffering revenge from Absalom? Amon died and got buried whiles Jonadab was still enjoying life with the golden opportunity and possibility of repenting before going to be with the Lord. The prognosis, therefore, does not look good for all who allow the Self and its lustful passions to rule them in this  temporary life and the next life to come. I pray the LGBTQ+ community takes a sober reflection of their lives, allows Christ in their hearts, and instead be wary of the “Jondadabs” of our day whose advocacy for them instead pushes them further into the ditch before their time. Allow Jesus, therefore, to be the Lord of your life and He will give you the rest and peace this world can never provide for your soul.

Written by Pastor James Agyin (j.orhinagyin20@icloud.com)

• By Elder Dr. S. Ofotsu Ofoe

Opening

After 37 years of active full-time pastoral ministry in The Church of Pentecost (CoP), Apostle Alfred Koduah draws down the curtains on his active ministry this weekend, August 15, 2021. He has affected the beliefs and practices of the CoP in significant ways. His giant physique is in agreement with his gigantic undertakings within the CoP. The pastoral interest, theological undertakings and administrative practicality of Apostle Koduah have arguably extended the frontiers of the CoP in postmodern ministry in the 21^st century. For a church to hold the view that it is essential for Christianity to break camp towards making the world its parish and engaging various unexploited spaces within society, the work of the Apostle stands tall as a case of reference in enabling a forceful Christian presence and impression the world over. This article is designed to briefly engage with aspects of his ministry that shaped the doctrinal stance of the CoP, demonstrates its missiological strength of today, and shows the brunt of the Pentecostal movement in Ghana.

Reminiscing the CoP of 1984

Apostle Alfred Koduah came into the full-time ministry in 1984, two years after Pastor James McKeown retired from his chairmanship of the CoP after serving for 44 years, and the first African chairman, Apostle Fred Stephen Safo took office as Chairman of the CoP. By this period, the administrative structure of the church had achieved some stability. With the establishment of the Executive Council two decades short of 1984 to supplement the already institutionalised General Council, the various leadership wrangling of the earlier years have significantly subsided. The CoP was then poised to grow and advance its ministry. Within this period the CoP became Ghana’s largest Pentecostal church. A later study done by the Ghana Evangelism Committee in 1989 confirmed this. By 1984, the membership of the church in Ghana stood at 10,350 with 2,339 assemblies. The six other nations the CoP was then operating in had a total membership of 10,420 with 248 assemblies, according to the Statistics Department at the General Headquarters of the CoP.

Those who have entered the full-time ministry around that time would have been fully aware of the great expectation required of them in the context of happenings within that time. Good enough, the Pentecost Bible College which was started in 1972 but closed down a year later, was re-opened in 1982. This gives persons like Apostle Koduah the opportunity to earn a certificate in Pastoral Studies. His ministerial formation was undoubtedly shaped and aided by his studies at the Pentecost Bible College.

In the year he was called into the full-time ministry, the College was moved from New Abossey Okai to Madina, both in Accra. In that year, this college was renamed Church of Pentecost Bible Centre, and its new block at Madina was dedicated on June 3, 1984. Apostle Koduah was called from Asante Bekwai and stationed at Adukrom-Akuapim. Some of the brothers who were called in that same year include M. K. Ntumy called from Yendi, Narh Affum called from Asuom, M. O. Andoh called from Cape Coast, E. Achim Gyimah called from Okyinso, Samuel Antwi called from Kumasi, T. K. Owusu Bore called from Twifo Heman and E. K. Appiah called from Obuasi. In all, 21 brothers from Ghana were called into the full-time ministry in 1984. The Lord used them to accomplish a lot to his glory. Apostle Alfred Koduah shines through.

The CoP into the 21^st Century

Apostle Alfred Koduah has distinguished himself as a specialist in exposing emerging trends in society and their impact on Christianity. He has researched this thoroughly. He is still studying this particular subject. He has given lectures and published adequately on emerging trends. The CoP has benefited greatly from this. Regarding the erstwhile conservation nature of the CoP generally, Apostle Koduah has challenged the CoP to break camp and advanced in order to remain relevant in a world that is changing very rapidly. If the CoP is seen as keeping pace with today’s world, he is one of the main architects of that.

In this vein, he has affected various ‘untouchable’ structures and thought of the CoP. For instance, he influenced the modification of the religious practice of head covering by the women of the CoP; and the tradition of segregating men and women in the seating arrangement at church meetings. He has raised a number of other issues in his paper, “The Church of Pentecost in a Postmodern Society” presented during the McKeown Memorial Lectures to commemorate the 50^th Anniversary of the CoP in September, 2003. These issues have shaped the thought and practice of the CoP today. The issues include but are not limited to attachment of baptisteries to certain chapels; putting up chapel complexes to cater for meetings of children, youth and adult church meetings; institutionalization of the ministry to the deaf and dumb; introduction of youth pastor concept, among others.

Regarding the head covering tradition, Apostle Koduah made a call in 2003 thus, “Considering the sensitive and controversial nature of women’s head covering in the Church today, I humbly call for a theological debate on the issue in the Church to arrive at a firm position on it in this postmodern world.” This practice has been part of the umbilical cord of the CoP. Going into a postmodern world, it has become quite apparent that such a practice is outmoded and needs a review. It was his study and subsequent presentation on the issue of head covering that influenced the “2010 Communique” of the CoP leading to the review of the practice. It seems he has been concerned about the practice long before he was tasked to give a lecture on it on January 19, 2010 at the Head’s Prayer Meeting of the CoP. For his Master’s thesis presented to the Regents Theological College in UK (Master’s degree awarded by the University of Manchester), he discussed the topic, “The Significant Religious Practices in The Church of Pentecost and their Implications for the Future.” In this thesis, he touched on the issue of head covering. Perhaps, this was what caused leadership of the CoP to give him the responsibility of researching the issue further. The practice of head covering for religious reasons has been explored further in his book, The Woman’s Head-Covering in Church published in 2010.

The CoP has been alerted on emerging philosophies and how they are shaping the Christian belief today through the work of Apostle Koduah. The CoP has thus become concerned about such ideologies. The subject is being taught at the School of Theology, Missions and Leadership of the Pentecost University to incoming pastors. He has been an adjunct lecturer in this regard. The lay leaders of the CoP have also been receiving training on the subject. By this, the theology of mission of the CoP has been positively impacted by Apostle Alfred Koduah. Today, the CoP has been able to develop workable missional paradigms to do its ministry in this century.

Catalyst of the Youth Ministry

To have a ministry of the CoP that would cater for the special needs and intentional discipleship of young people has not been given much attention during its formative years. However, young people were arguably regarded as essential part of the Christian ministry. This is evident in the call of some very young people into the pastoral ministry. For instance, the following were called at an early age in various periods of the church: Joseph Egyir-Paintsil, 21 years in 1949; Martison Kwadwo Yeboah, 26 years in 1950; Thomas Nyarko, 25 years in 1952; Fred Stephen Safo, 24 years in 1956; Michael Kwabena Arnan, 22 years in 1959; Opoku Onyinah, 22 years in 1976; among others.

Over the years, some efforts have been made to group the young people in the CoP together. The initial purpose was mainly in pursuance of its evangelism core value. On various campuses, students within the CoP were gathered steadily. This culminated in the formation of the Pentecost Students and Associates (PENSA) in 1980. PENSA was merged with the then Witness Movement into Pentecost Youth and Evangelism Movement (PENTYEM) 1991. The need of having a full-fledged group for the young people prevailed. This led to the formation of the now Youth Ministry in 1996.

Apostle Alfred Koduah has breathed fire into the Youth Ministry of the CoP. In his book, Teenage Ministry: A Neglected Mission Field published in 1997, a year after the Youth Ministry was instituted, draws attention to the great benefit churches can draw from paying particular attention to young people. He realised that teenagers have been ignored in the structures and models of churches. His recommendations have shaped the Youth Ministry of the CoP in no small way. The huge generational gap that existed between the old and young of the CoP was significantly addressed. He has taught widely on how to communicate with young people. He would often tell young people; “Do not think I am old when it comes to the use of your terms; I know them.” The immediate past Youth Director of the CoP, Apostle David Nyansah Hayfron, in presenting a paper titled, “Effective Handling of Teenage Ministry in The Church of Pentecost – The Role of the Youth Worker” during the historic Global Ministers and Wives Conference of the CoP in January 2017, placed his presentation in the backdrop of this important work of Apostle Koduah. I think it was the realisation Apostle Hayfron made regarding the influence of Apostle Alfred Koduah on the Youth Ministry that necessitated the perceptive he took, as seen in the early part of his paper.

Essentially, I would suggest that it was his great concern for youth ministry that caused Apostle Koduah to suggest the adoption of the youth pastor concept back in September 2003 in his McKeown Memorial Lectures paper.  Let me state that he made a suggestion for children pastors as well. Over a decade later, this concept has been adopted in the CoP. He saw the relevance of this and I believed he pursued it further. The CoP per its demography remains a church of the young. For example, in the State of the Church Address by its Chairman during the 15^th Extraordinary Council Meeting in May 2017, 71% of 2,367,253 of its membership in Ghana alone was young people up to 35 years of age. Special attention must continue to be offered to the ministry to young people. It is a missional and a rewarding venture indeed.

Indefatigable Teacher and Scholar

Apostle Alfred Koduah’s ministry in the CoP has set a great benchmark worthy of emulation by future generations. He is diligent when it comes to studying, research, writing and teaching. Though he came to the full-time pastoral ministry with just a certificate in Agricultural Science, he worked hard to study up to the doctoral level, earning a PhD in Theology from the South African Theological Seminary. He has written a number of books and presented several papers. It may seem that in recent times of the CoP, when it comes to the controversial and impressing issues within the church, he is the one who is given the assignment to research such problems.  He has written and published a number of books. Some of these books include: If a Man Dies, Will He Live Again?, Christianity in Ghana Today, Who is Disturbing the Nation?; The Christian in a Sex-Craze World; The Pastor’s Health (co-author); Who is Disturbing the Church?; This Thing Called Salvation; Preparing for the Ultimate Journey: The Need to Develop New Attitude towards Death; Impacting Generations: The Need to Avoid the Generational Gab Syndrome in the Church; Managing the Decline of Christianity in the Western World: Lessons for Churches in the Developing World; The Ugly Face of Poverty; Unlocking the Psalms; Ten Socio-Economic, Political and Religious Dangers Confronting Contemporary Christianity; and Fifteen Ecclesiastical Dangers Confronting Contemporary Christianity. Some of his presented papers include “Managing the Generational Gap Syndrome,” “Head Covering,” “The Disciple of Christ as a Steward,” “An Example of Christ’s Leadership,” “The Role of Directive Prophecy in the Selection of Ecclesiastical Leadership: The Church of Pentecost’s Experience,” “Drawing a Balance Between Pentecostal Spirituality and Formal Theological Training,” “Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council: Celebrating Fifty Years of Pentecostal Influence,” and “God’s Amazing Financial Provision for the Church of Pentecost.”

His research works which he packages for the consumption by both scholars and lay church leaders have made groundbreaking realisations and provoked a number of changes within the CoP. He has played a key role in the shaping of the Prophetic in the CoP. “The Role of Directive Prophecy in the Selection of Ecclesiastical Leadership,” for instance, led to the modification of aspects of the Constitution of the CoP. This paper revealed the historical antecedents and the development of the prophetic office, with a special interest in how directive prophecies have led to the election of key leaders in the CoP. It pointed out the flaws and gave very helpful recommendations. Articles 12.3 (i), 13.3 (i) and 14.3 (h) of the Constitution in use at the time were amended. They initially read, “Where there is a directive prophecy on a candidate, it shall be judged on its own merit by the Electoral College. The candidate so accepted by the Electoral College shall be presented to the General Council to be voted upon.” To touch on only 12.3 (i), it was amended to read as follows: “All ‘directive prophecies’ and ‘revelations’ concerning candidates for consideration for the position of Chairman shall be communicated verbally or in writing to the Executive Council through the Chairman of the church”; “(j) The Executive Council regulating its own proceedings shall present a candidate to be voted upon by the Electoral College. The candidate so accepted by the Electoral College shall be presented to the General Council to be voted upon.” This among others demonstrates that he has affected the CoP so very fundamentally. Such influence was not limited to the CoP but spilled over to other Christian groups including the Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council (GPCC) and the Bible Society of Ghana LBG, which he served as its vice president. In his book, Christianity in Ghana Today, published in 2004, he took note of the “Pentecostalisation of Christianity in Ghana”. This realisation shows the growing Pentecostal influence in Ghana. A paper he later presented to commemorate the 50th anniversary celebration of the GPCC acknowledged further this Pentecostal influence in Ghana. 

His style of teaching brings home the subjects he taught. He has skillfully exposed the various topics to the delight of many. His online Weekly Bible School has brought to light subjects that could be regarded as theological hard nuts to the general church populace. He adequately and painstakingly dealt with several topics including “Hamartiology (The Study of Sin),” “Biblical Perspective on Vindictive Prayer” and very extended ones such “Unlocking the Psalms,” “Understanding the Old Testament” and “Understanding the New Testament.” He has taught on various topical issues in everyday life that has prepared many for the practical life and godliness.

Leadership Ardour and Administrative Dexterity

Having served as the chief scribe of the CoP from 2003-2013, the administrative fortunes have been nothing but brighter. Apostle M. K. Ntumy, one of the two chairmen he worked with as general secretary of the CoP, described him as “a man of ideas.” Apostle Prof. Opoku Onyinah has also eulogised his gigantic undertakings as the general secretary of the CoP. He points to the ultramodern Pentecost Convention Centre as a project in which Apostle Alfred Koduah played a key role in the establishment. In fact, the Apostle was the one who led a team to the UK and Nigeria to study various convention centres and advised the CoP adequately on its quest to put up one. He [Prof. Onyinah] personally informed me back in 2018, carrying a demeanour of great satisfaction, during a conversation that “he [Apostle Alfred Koduah] is very hardworking.” This cannot be further from the truth. The way he carries himself about testifies to that.

Apostle Koduah is credited with the digitization of the entire administrative organism at the General Headquarters. The infrastructure development which the church witnessed between 2003 and 2013 can in part be attributed to the Accelerated Infrastructure Development Fund which he moved for establishment when he was the general secretary of the CoP.

He believes in leadership development and has personally championed this at various levels. The leadership competence and pastoral affection of Apostle Koduah have been acknowledged. His ministerial ardour was in full force when he served as a missionary of the CoP in Zambia from 1994 to 1998. It is reported that he shaped significantly the doctrinal stance of the CoP in Zambia. Whilst in Zambia, two Elders, Ekow Badu Wood (now Apostle) and Nelson M. Lukwesa were called to the full-time ministry.

Conclusion

Apostle Alfred Koduah can be appropriately described as a reformer having fronted a number of groundbreaking ventures in the CoP significantly. He has been described as a skillful leader who knows how to handle controversial issues. His pastoral warmth is palpable. He is such an ardent Bible teacher and a great lover of the youth. The doctrinal stance, theology of mission, administrative system, and ministerial ethos of the CoP have been positively shaped by the ministry of this great Apostle of Christ. As he closes the chapter on his active full-time ministry, may the torch he has lit burn its way into every facet of the church of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Prisons serve as the final point in criminal justice administration since offenders are kept there as punishment for crimes committed. Imprisonment in recent times has transitioned from the era of offender warehousing to that which seeks to cure the precipitating factors that push people into the life of crime. This demands that ‘societal misfits’ are taken through modules aimed at realigning their way of thinking to acceptable societal standards so that offenders re-enter society truly reformed.

Unlike in jurisdictions with best practices, Ghana’s prison system has struggled over the years to develop prisons into real centres of rehabilitation. Successive governments have invested little in this regard leaving most prisons in deplorable states.

It is not surprising in the light of the above that Ghanaians seem to downplay the struggles prison authorities endure to ensure that offenders do not only remain under lock and key, but reform from the life of crime. The unfortunate situation has resulted in public disinterest in complementing the efforts of the Ghana Prisons Service directed at keeping society safe.

A Hero Castigated

In 2019, after years of near unsuccessful attempts at courting public partnerships for the expansion of prison infrastructure, The Church of Pentecost emerged as a worthy partner to fund this essential change. The church, which has contributed substantially to the reformation drive of the Service through evangelism and medical outreaches, had its Chairman, Apostle Eric Nyamkeye, cut the sod for the commencement of construction of five 300-capacity camp prisons across the country.

Refreshingly, the first facility situated in Ejura was commissioned and handed over to the Ghana Prisons Service on the 11^th of May 2021. This becomes one of the few purpose-built prison facilities in the country. The facility consists of two dormitory blocks, an administration block, visitor’s lounge, an infirmary, a church building, workshops, a football field and other essential offices.

It is sad to note that news of this magnanimous gesture has been described as a misplaced priority by a section of Ghanaians. The flak has centred around why a church would build a facility to house offenders instead of schools, health facilities and factories. This is a clear indication that most Ghanaians do not see the prison as an extension of society but rather as ‘a devil’s den’ for punishing offenders. It is clear also that, society see little or nothing wrong with the deplorable conditions in our prisons resulting in the seeming disgust after the first pictures of the facility hit the media.

Ironically, society is quick to mention that some incarcerated persons re-enter society unchanged. They say so without realising that our prisons require humane environments equipped with the right infrastructure to take inmates through structured regimes that will ensure that they come out of prison as individuals willing and able to lead law abiding lives.

Congestion Festers into Homosexuality, Diseases and Recidivism

The congestion rate in our prisons stands at around 52% with about 15,000 prisoners struggling for 9,945 spaces. Prison administrators due to the overwhelming numbers are unable to do proper classification of inmates to prevent contamination and limit the exposure of low-risk inmates to their high-risk colleagues. Weaklings who find themselves in same cells as powerful recidivists are sometimes bullied to trade their bodies for sleeping spaces.

Most of Ghana’s prisons are remnants of the colonial era. These forts, castles and armouries are not purpose-built and as such do not present environments that support healthy living. Congestion in these facilities allow for easy transmission of diseases. Though the prison administration over the years has attempted to alter facilities to make them more habitable, outbreaks of communicable diseases suggest that there is the need to invest in building requisite structures to support the wellbeing of offenders. One effect of the situation is that inmates lack the peace of mind and strength required to subscribe to prison rehabilitation programmes.

Another worrying trend in this direction is the fact that, some offenders come out of prison just the way they entered; unskilled. The reason is that trade-learning workshops required to champion the rehabilitation agenda of the Service are non-existent in most prisons. The few ones lucky to have them are highly under-resourced. In effect, most offenders are not able to receive any form of trade training throughout their incarceration. These ex-convicts, under the slightest temptation, relapse into the life of crime after release as a way of survival due to unemployment.

Why Prioritise Prison Reform?

Only a small number of Ghana’s prisoners spend their entire lives in prison, as most of them are released at a point. This is the reason why all should follow the unprecedented example of The Church of Pentecost by contributing to ensuring that offenders receive requisite moral and trade training to support meaningful living upon discharge. It will also ensure that, they serve their sentences without feeling rejected by the society they call their own. 

All should note that Ghanaians cannot enjoy sound sleep if ex-convicts re-enter society with the thought that they were unduly punished during their period behind bars. They could engage in crimes as payback for the pains they suffered behind bars. The next time you are tempted to discourage a donor from supporting prison reform, be reminded that the prison is everybody’s second home. It takes the lenses of justice to point to us that we are not saints after all.

By: Daniel Machator, Public Relations Practitioner (machator@hotmail.com)

INTRODUCTION

In the statement that can be appraised as defining the ministry of the man Jesus Christ on earth, a joyful announcement of a time in the mission of God in which good tidings would pervade human existence is given. Citing Isaiah 61:1-2 in 4:18-19 of Luke’s account of the Gospel, Jesus indicated to his audience that he has received anointing to bring redemption to the poor, prisoners, the blind, the oppressed, and “to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.” It tells an exciting news about the penetrance of the Spirit in human history leading to viable transformation in the spiritual and physical welfare of people. This act of redemption in Christ essentially informs the approach that the Church in its ministry to the world ought to adopt.

This essay discusses the plausible ethos of mission which should underpin the spread of the Church’s tentacles into the recesses of the institutionalised prisons in modern civilisation to champion a holistic transformation of incarcerated persons. Pentecostals in their quest to leave no stone unturned, have defined a philosophy of mission that takes into account the holistic transformation of people and places. The essay briefly shows how Pentecostal missional spirit, exemplified in The Church of Pentecost (hereafter CoP), has seen the progress of social action with particular reference to prison ministry in Ghana. It thinks that such a ministry is highly tenable per the impressive design of humanity’s redemption in Christ.

THE PRISON CONCEPT IN BIBLICAL AND WESTERN THOUGHT

Prisons already exist in Egyptian civilisation in Bible times. Recounting the circumstances under which Joseph and the others have been incarcerated (Genesis 39:7-23; 40:1-3), it suggests that prisons were classically designated for political offenders mostly. The same can be said of Samson (Judges 16:20-21). Such conceptualisation also existed among other nations including Assyria and Babylon (2 Kings 17:4; 2 Chronicles 33:11; Isaiah 20:4). When the nation of Israel translated from theocracy to monarchy, such an understanding has been adopted from the other nations. Prior to this, Israel has been introduced to the idea of prisoners of war (Deuteronomy 20:10-15). In fact, Israel, the nation of God has had a fair share of being prisoners of war at various stages of its political history. The Old Testament is pervasive with the practice. Prisoners of war and their subsequent release or the giving off of people as prisoners of war as recompense for debt, would later inform the theology of our redemption in Christ.

By the time the Greco-Roman world, whose thought impacted heavily western culture, rose to prominence, the concept of prison saw expansion within a system of justice to include offends of various kind towards the building of a more civil society. In Luke 23:17-19, the account talks of one Barabbas who has been imprisoned for leading an insurrection in the city. Matthew 27:16 identified Barabbas as a “notorious prisoner.” The incarceration of John the Baptist by Herod because he spoke against a marital infidelity he was engaged in meant that even in this later civilisation, governments concentrated absolute powers and throw people in prison without trial (Mark 6:17).

Religious reasons also saw to the imprisonment of people. Though the Greco-Roman culture was initially religious tolerant because the Jews were at least allowed to practice their religion, imprisonment occasioned by matters of religion later increased in the religious pluralistic Greco-Roman world. Christians suffered not only imprisonment but persecution of various forms due to their refusal to sacrifice to Roman gods. The will of God was to prevail when later under Roman Emperor Constantine, the Roman Empire was Christianise. Christianity became the approved religion of the whole Empire. 

It can be assessed that the development of prison concept serves the purpose of imprisonment as a means of punishment, character reformation, rehabilitation and consequent incorporation of prisoners back into normal life in society. It is also obvious that whilst history presents with cases of persons who have been rightly imprisoned as means of punishment and attitudinal change, many have also wrongly suffered prisons. This makes the concept of prison in judicial system, a special area that Christians must speak to. Ensuring justice in the world is a mandate of the Christian faith.

GHANA’S EXPERIENCE

Perhaps prisons in Ghana remind us of our sad colonial past. The forts in Ghana which tell stories of Ghana’s past were the initial prisons in Ghana. The incarcerations which took place when the prison concept was transported from Western culture to Ghana, were significantly based on indigenous people flouting the rules of the colonial masters. It would be difficult to prevent yourself from crying when you visit some of the places that held prisoners in the past. Prisons survived the colonial period and were also utilized by indigenous politicians. The abuse of prisons continued. A good example is the Preventive Detention Act promulgated in Ghana on July 18, 1958. This Act permits that people who are deemed a threat to national security be detained for as many as 5 years without trial or any charge whatsoever. Within the 5 year period, detainees have no right of appeal to the courts. Many people suffered under this Act prior to its later revision.

In those days, as it is realised today too, the conditions of the prison facilities were substandard. They do not present themselves as able to fulfill adequately the principles underlining modern prison concept. One of the age-old concerns is the existence of adequate space in prisons to house inmates. Sergeant Ambrose Imoru Salifu in his work, “Beginning of Ghana Prisons Service” indicated that the colonial government once upon a time decided to modify the prison system in its colonies to make it conform to what pertains in England. Key among the attempts to overhaul the prison system is to ensure that prison facilities are spacious enough to house prisoners. This can be ascertained in a letter written in 1869 by the then secretary of state and cited by Sergeant Salifu. This letter gave directives on how to check overcrowding in the prisons without expanding the facilities, subsequent to the decision to change the prison system. On how to ensure space in the prisons, he quoted the letter thus, “it may be done by resorting to shorter and sharper punishments, by whipping in addition to shorter terms of imprisonment or in total substitution for any imprisonment, by substituting in the early stages of imprisonment strictly penal labour and by lowering the diet to the minimum required for health.” This rigid approach to ensuring space in the prison facilities would not warrant the following; adequate attitudinal change, empowerment of prisoners to become better citizens, vocational and skills training, psychological shaping and general improvement in the personality of prisoners. The fact is that, there is still great deficiency in the prison system today. A better way to ensure proper modification of the prison system must be pursued. I think the CoP is on course in ensuring a remarkable transformation of the prison system in Ghana.

Today, the Ghana Prisons Service maintains that treatments meted out to prisoners must be “guided by training, reformation and rehabilitation.” In its “Ten-Year Strategic Plan” spanning 2015-2025, the Ghana Prisons Service intends to achieve this by taking steps to “establish modern training workshops and re-equip existing ones with modern equipment.” One reason given for this move is reduce the situation where ex-convicts return to criminal activities. This reason is to be taken seriously. Reports show that substantial number of ex-convicts go back to criminal activities. For instance, the 2018 report of the Ghana Prisons Service show that out of the 13,971 average number of prisoners in Ghana, 1,505 were reoffenders. Thus a move to place prisoners on the job market is to be encouraged. It also plans to employ the service of clinical psychologists and professional counselors to aid the reformation and rehabilitation of prisoners. It further intends to ensure that the fundamental human rights of inmates are protected in the treatments given to them. Meanwhile, in this same strategic plan, the Ghana Prisons Service showed concern for the overcrowding nature of remand prisons, and frowned on inhumane treatment of prisoners. Such a plan must be supported towards fruition.

IN CHRIST IS OUR YEAR OF JUBILEE

The backdrop to Isaiah’s prophecy (Isaiah 61:1-2 referred to above) that informs the mission statement of Jesus, is the Babylonian captivity situation the people of God found themselves. Under Nebuchadnezzar II, King of Babylon attacked Judah, the people of God and took many captives. Revolts against Babylonian rule ended up in failure (2 Kings 24:8-17; 24:18-20, 25:1-26). The Lord through the Prophet declares a time of redemption and restoration of Judah. The prophet called it “the year of the Lord’s favour.” In this eschatological period in the life of the people of God, they would earn their salvation from Babylonian imprisonment.

This promise of redemption reminisces the year of Jubilee as ordained by God in Leviticus 25. In the year of Jubilee, freedom is proclaimed through the land of Israel. Key features of the year of Jubilee include redemption, freedom from debt, rest from labour, and release from captivity. In the year of Jubilee is redemption realised and restoration achieved. The expression “acceptable year of the Lord” or “time of the Lord’s favour” has been linked to the Christ in Isaiah 49, particularly verse 8.

Redemption being linked with freedom from captivity or imprisonment has survived the Old Testament period and has found important application in the doctrine of redemption in Christ. Christ has paid the debt that has kept humanity imprisoned by sin. Freedom has been proclaimed to all those who put their faith in the finished work of Christ. Such people “are justified freely by his [God’s] grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:24, NIV). Life in Christ is our desired Jubilee. Thus prison theology is essential in Christian soteriology (study of the doctrine of salvation).

PRISONS AS MISSION FIELD

Pentecostal mission knows no bound. Since the movement began, the Pentecostals have been on the quest to preach the Gospel to the ends of the earth. They appropriate the power of the Holy Spirit as promised by Jesus in Acts 1:8. Professor Allan Anderson, the doyen of Pentecostal Studies indicated that in recent times, Pentecostal mission is the most successful. He realises that this is as a result of the strong emphasis on mission and evangelism. The CoP exemplifies this excellently. Many other scholars in and out of Ghana testify to this.

Pentecostal mission has advanced to such an extent that social ministry has become an integral part of it. Considering the missional tenacity of Pentecostals, many people have benefited greatly from the love of Christ which was shown to them through Pentecostal mission so that both the body and spirit of the saved are transformed by the Gospel. The CoP has embraced social ministry as key to its mission. Prison ministry has become its concern by dint of this missional ethos of the church. Its “mission statement” does not alienate the Church from the secular polity of Ghana but seeks to impact communities. This underlies the significant contribution the CoP has made to the educational, health, and other sectors of Ghana. Recently the CoP has taken its long standing prison ministry to higher level. It points to Hebrews 13:3 to advance a case for a holistic prison ministry. The text reads, “Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering” (NIV). This demonstrates a continuing Pentecostal missional idea of prison ministry. The contribution to the general socio-economic fortunes of Ghana has been lauded by many. It is being advanced as the years go by. The Vision 2023 of the CoP carries great concern for the larger society. Since the vision took effect fully at the beginning of the year 2019, many projects have been carried out to put in effect its aim of transforming society.

Dr. David D. Daniels III, the respected American Professor of Church History, has classified the general social ministry of the CoP into “relief,” “renovate,” “reform,” and “repair.” This is important because it indicates the orientation of the CoP as it engages the larger society. I think that the prison ministry being undertaken by the CoP captures in diverse amounts the categories of CoP’s general social engagement put together by Prof. Daniels III. The Relief aspect is seen in the many donations the CoP has made to various prisons in Ghana over the years. Donations include food, clothes, personal hygiene items, shelter among others. The most recently reported relief outreach undertaken by the CoP was the donations made by the Men’s Ministry of the Kasoa Area of the CoP. Assorted items amounting to GH 29,700 were donated to the Awutu Senya Prison Camp in the Central Region of Ghana. With the Renovate class, which “seeks to maximize human potential,” the CoP recently built and donated to the Ghana Prison’s Service an ultramodern camp prison in Ejura in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. Others are to follow. Contained in the facility is a centre that provides educational and vocational training that would provide inmates skills thereby finding them a place in the job market of Ghana. This would enable their livelihood. The Reform class is seen in the restructuring of prison camps. The projects being undertaking by the CoP departs sharply from the old facilities many of which undermine the humanity of the inmates. The structuring of the projects have introduce some kind of civility in prisons unprecedented in the history of prison facilities in Ghana. In the Repair class, the entire structuring of the prison facility seeks to rethink the pervasive perception about prisons and to show that such facilities should rather be places for the shaping of the personality of prisoners. The environment of the facility alone would make inmates feel that they are part of the larger community. That knowledge would aid positive shaping of their personality. Provisions have also been made for the spiritual transformation of prisoners. The old idea of prison has been repaired by the prison projects being pursued by the CoP.

CONCLUSION

It has been showed that in the Ghanaian context, prison as mission field for Christians is highly tenable. More so, prison theology has proven to be key to the discussion of redemption in Christ. The ministry to prisons must be holistic. It must seek to rehabilitate the spiritual and physical life of prisoners. The larger society stands to benefit greatly if careful attention is given to prisons ministry in Ghana. If there is any place in society in which we witness a tangible case for “whilst we were yet sinners Christ died for us,” it is in the prisons. A missional church must be bothered about the prison system of the nations. Prison ministry as can be seen in Pentecostal missional philosophy must be understood and joyfully embraced.

By Elder Dr. S. Ofotsu Ofoe

For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints, and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account (Hebrews 4:12-13 NIV).

One of the many lifestyle changes brought by the COVID-19 pandemic is the wearing of face masks. The President of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, in his periodic address to the nation always encourages citizens to put on face masks while stepping out. Some citizens in the major cities have been subsequently arrested for flouting the presidential directive. Many discussions are going on in the Christian circles about the wearing of masks to church. Some people have ridiculed ministers who put on masks to church, citing a lack of faith in the protective powers of God. While some members of the clergy and Christians are seen wearing multiple face masks, others do not wear any mask at all, especially when they are in their churches. Other Christians have advocated for churches to not make the use of masks compulsory since wearing them makes them uncomfortable in the worship environment. Chorus leaders, instrumentalists, and preachers alike are seen pulling down their masks to the chin so they can have some breathing space to undertake their respective activities. Most people cannot wait for the coronavirus pandemic to be finally declared to be over so that they can go back to their normal activities, without the wearing of face masks. 

With many countries now embarking on mass vaccinations, one of the top questions on the minds of all is whether one can stop wearing a mask after vaccination. The U.S. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention in a briefing earlier in March indicated that fully vaccinated people could visit other fully vaccinated people in private settings, indoors, without masks or socially distancing. This is good news for a lot of people.

Mask wearing to church is however not a new phenomenon. As American Evangelist Paul David Washer puts it, “Some of you are mad about wearing a mask to church, but you have been doing it for years” Many come to church in fine and smart appearances, sing, clap, and dance to the name of the Lord, but that is where the worship ends. Worship for them only happens on Sundays in the church auditorium, outside the church is a different life altogether. In order to hide their public lifestyle from the church leadership and fellow worshippers, they put on deceptive appearances, covering who they really are on the inside, only to show the real self in their homes, at work, school, markets, on public transport or returning from church service. A. W. Tozer rightly states it with these words, “If you do not worship God seven days a week, you do not worship Him on one day a week. There is no such thing known in heaven as Sunday worship unless it is accompanied by Monday worship and Tuesday worship and so on.” Masking of the real self is one of the banes of Christianity and it has become so prominent that, the link between church and society is almost broken. The same people who raise their hands to sing about how holy God is are the ones engaged in unholy acts in their places of work and schools. The Christian is thus a Christian only while in a church service but is mixed with the world outside the church. The masks of Christianity are won only on Sundays to church but removed on all other days, and the real faces are shown in the society. The very fact that we mask ourselves whiles in the church shows we know the right thing to do but feel it can be done only in the church. Hidden under the masks are works of the flesh such as sexual immorality, impurity, debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like (Galatians 5:19-21). But as the Galatian church are warned, those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Apostle Paul always emphasizes that a spiritual conversion to Christianity should bring an outward manifestation of an inward change – a transformation that should be evident to all, beyond the church walls. As Charles Spurgeon observes, “people bear the Christian name but act like worldlings and love the amusements and follies of the world. It is time for a division in the house of the Lord in which those for Christ go into one camp and those against Christ go into the other camp. We have been mixed too long.” We need to go to the world and show them our identity in Christ. There should be a clear distinction between the Christian and one who is in the world. This difference can be seen when believers unmask themselves before God, so their weaknesses are dealt with once and for all. God expects us to come to Him boldly and open ourselves to Him, to show him our weaknesses and shortcomings. In so doing, he takes over our weaknesses and works on them. David prayed to God to “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139:23-24, NIV). He thus removed his mask before God. It is a heart yielded to the Lord that God uses. Still keeping the masks on means we are not ready to let go of the pleasures we enjoy in the world, and so are not willing to change. The Christian should however remember that nothing is hidden in the sight of God and when God decides to unmask us, we might suffer great loss. In the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector (Luke 18:9-14), the Pharisee went to the Lord with a masked face, justifying himself. The tax collector however removed his mask and in humility requested God to have mercy on him. That is the type of worship Jesus recommends for all believers. As a good friend of mine will say, “let us fellowship without masks”. When believers remove their masks, the Ghanaian society can feel the effect of the 72% Christian population. 

Apostle Ekow Badu Wood, the Area Head of Kasoa Area of The Church of Pentecost, rightly stated at the 2021 Greater Accra Ministers and Wives’ Conference of the church that, “The agent of transformation is conscious of his ministry from Monday through Saturday. He considers his life as a calling from God to engage and transform the world. The call to be an agent of transformation is a call to stop letting our Christianity start and end on Sunday. Instead, the fellowship on Sunday is to prepare the agent to use their occupation, vocation, and life as an instrument throughout the week – from Monday through Sunday to transform their world.” Since we are tired of wearing the physical masks to church, let us be tired of the spiritual masks as well. The Christian is thus admonished to take off his or her mask and present his real self to God for Him to work on his heart, so he can go back to the society and influence his sphere with the values and principles of the kingdom of God.

Writer’s Email Address: eric.akude@yahoo.com