Osu: Members of the Bethel Seventh-day Adventist Church in Osu have undertaken a clean-up exercise to support national efforts to improve sanitation and prevent flooding. The exercise involved sweeping streets, desilting drains, and removing waste in parts of the Osu community.
According to Ghana News Agency, the initiative followed recent flooding incidents and the Government's call for collective action to maintain clean communities. Pastor Dr. William Kpakpo Brown, Pastor of the Bethel Seventh-day Adventist Church, emphasized that the church responded to the national appeal as part of its civic responsibility and commitment to community development. 'First and foremost, we have been challenged by the President. As citizens of the nation, we have to adhere to this call and do our part,' he said.
Pastor Dr. Brown explained that although the Government had proposed the clean-up exercise for Friday and Saturday, the church chose to undertake the activity on Friday to enable members to observe Sabbath worship on Saturday. He stated that the sanitation exercise reflected the church's belief that cleanliness was an important value that should be promoted within communities.
Pastor Dr. Brown highlighted that the church, through its Adventist Community Services Department, regularly organized community outreach programs, including health screening exercises and support for vulnerable persons. 'As a church in a community, our impact must be felt. We organize some of these programs from time to time and invite people around to benefit from them,' he said.
The church leader also noted that health, sanitation, and environmental stewardship formed an integral part of the teachings of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. He encouraged members to maintain clean homes and surroundings while avoiding practices that degrade the environment and pointed out that environmental sanitation was an important component of public health. Issues relating to water, hygiene, and disease prevention were frequently discussed as part of the church's health education programs.
Pastor Dr. Brown urged citizens to take greater responsibility for protecting the environment, saying that environmental degradation contributed to flooding and public health risks. He concluded by emphasizing that the church's stewardship teachings focused on the responsible management of resources, including the environment, which members regarded as part of God's creation entrusted to humanity.