Rev. Dr. Ebenezer Blasu, the Director of the Centre for Religion, Environment, Science, and Development (CRESAD) and a Research Fellow at the Akrofi-Christaller Institute of Theology and Mission, has urged the Christian community in Ghana, particularly Church leaders, to embrace their role as stewards of God’s creation and to prioritise proactive actions to combat environmental challenges.
In a thought-provoking presentation today at the National Creation Care Conference taking place at the Crystal Palm Hotel, Accra, Rev. Dr. Blasu stressed that the Church should take a leading role in restoring harmony to the ecosystem and combating ecological challenges.
Drawing attention to a recent incident highlighted by Mr. Sintim-Misa on his popular KSM show, Dr. Blasu challenged the reactive tendencies of some Christian clergy and questioned why they often wait until harm is done before addressing environmental issues.
Dr. Blasu stated that Christians, as custodians of God’s sustaining laws, should rather be at the forefront of preserving and caring for God’s creation.
Highlighting the biblical responsibility entrusted to humanity to “till the soil and keep it” (Gen. 2:15), Dr. Blasu pointed out that humanity had failed in this task due to the break in ecological relationships caused by sin.
However, through redemption in Jesus Christ, believers have been charged to work with God in restoring creation.
“Therefore, as the commissioned leaders, the Church has a vital role in addressing ecological degradation,” he futher noted.
While acknowledging the efforts of some churches and organisations in Ghana, Dr. Blasu called for a more proactive stance from the entire Christian community for maximum impact.
He expressed concerns about the increasing rate of ecological degradation and emphasised that challenging times should not hinder Christians from fulfilling their role in creation care.
Dr. Blasu also outlined four reasons why proactive responsibility is crucial, particularly in challenging times.
According to him, adopting a proactive responsibility for creation care helps prevent the worsening of environmental impacts during economic crises, ensures that God hears the prayers of His people by maintaining a clean and pollution-free environment, and allows Christians to learn from the wisdom of other-than-human creations as divine whistle-blowers of natural disasters.
He also noted that, by taking proactive responsibilty, the Church would ensure a better environment for future generations and uphold the African cultural worldview of holistic and precarious interconnectedness with the natural world.
The National Creation Care Conference is a three-day event aimed at developing a national Christian framework, policy, and plan to safeguard the environment and address climate change-related issues.
The event, which officially opened on Monday, May 22, 2023, is being jointly organised by The Church of Pentecost, A Rocha Ghana, Akrofi Christaller Institute, Challenge Enterprises of Ghana, and World Vision Ghana.
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