Accra,- The House of Bishops of the Anglican Church of Ghana has called on the Government and the citizenry to trust God for provision and sustenance in the challenging times of the COVID-19 pandemic this year.
The Anglican Bishops made the call at a special Presidential Service held at the Jubilee House for President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, who is an Anglican; first lady Rebecca Akufo-Addo, Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia, and their families, the Chief of Staff, Madam Akosua Frema Osei-Oare, and the entire staff of the Presidency, on Thursday.
The service was to ask for God’s grace, courage, strength and divine wisdom for the President and his Government to govern and keep Ghana on the path of growth, progress and development.
It was also to usher the country into the depth of spirituality, prosperity and God’s favour for 2022.
Most Reverend Dr. Cyril Ben-Smith, Anglican Archbishop of the Internal Province of Ghana (IpG) and Bishop of Asante Mampong, who based his sermon for the occasion on the theme: “It is written, launch into the deep,” said, God promised to be faithful to the Government and the nation in the new year despite the challenges of 2021 occasioned by the CoVID-19 pandemic.
He said regardless of the issues that confronted Ghana in 2021, the country would “launch into the deep” in 2022 because “the Lord has told us to do it, and He will abide with us still”.
“The country should learn to trust God for provision and accept that we can do all things through our Lord Jesus Christ…Regardless of the failures, the challenges of the times, we must be willing to try again, trusting in God’s word and that is the way we should view things.
“Regardless of the issues that confront us, regardless of how things might appear, we must launch out because the Lord has told us to do it,” Most Reverend Dr. Cyril Ben-Smith said.
The Bishops offered special prayers for the President, his household, the Vice President, the Chief of Staff and the entire staff of the Jubilee House.
In brief remarks after the service, President Akufo-Addo thanked the Bishops for the service and prayed also for God’s guidance in the affairs of the nation.
“We are very grateful for the service, my wife, children and the entire family of the Presidency, who have to work under very difficult circumstances, but we are sure our belief in the constant and eternal presence of the Almighty, fortified by our knowledge that at all times, He [God] is with us and will never forsake us.”
The President, pointed out that though his office attracted all kinds of energies, he was consoled by the fact that God was with him, his family and his Government.
He said his Government’s quest to build an open society meant that he and members of his administration must be willing to tolerate all views across the social and political divide.
“We see it as part of the work that we have to do for the people of Ghana and we must be prepared to be opened to all kinds of statements; some malicious, some in good faith, but we take it all on-board.
“We are trying to build an open society, a nation which guarantees freedom of all. So those who are at the front of it must have the temperament and the spirit, the psyche to tolerate whatever is said,” the President, added.
Source: Ghana News Agency