Churches advised not to focus only on large membership

Kumasi, Aug. 14, GNA - Churches have been advised against the tendency to focus their attention mainly on winning only more members to their fold while neglecting the aspect of grooming them up as quality materials.

Reverend Yaw Ofori, Director, Evangelism and Missions Board of the Ghana Baptist Convention (GBC), who gave the advice, said instead of looking only for many members, churches should rather focus on ensuring that "the members are quality materials who comprehend the gospel and poised to also spread it." He was opening the 11th annual national conference of the Ghana Baptist Men's Ministry in Kumasi on Saturday. The three-day conference under the theme, "Reaching the Unreached", is being attended by over 110 delegates from all branches of the church in the country.

Rev Ofori said church fellowships and groupings will yield no dividends if they are only used as meeting grounds for discussion of personal issues.

He said it is only when such fellowships are used as platform for propagation of the gospel and complementing works of the pastors in evangelism that their impact could be felt. Professor E.K. Wiredu, National President of the Ministry, entreated church leaders to clearly define the roles of the various ministries, fellowships and groupings in the church in order to avoid duplication of functions and rivalry.

He said since there were still vast parts of the country yet to be evangelised, the men's ministry should, as part of its programme identify some remote areas and reach out to the people there with the gospel.

Rev. Tony Goldlyn Amoakohene, Ashanti Regional Secretary of the Assemblies of God Church, said the only way a Christian could have any reward is by sacrificing to invest in the spread of the word of God just as they do for business. Mr. Collins Boakye-Yiadom, President, Kumasi North Baptist Association Men's Ministry, expressed concern that the association had passed many resolutions which have not been implemented, and therefore, entreated members to, this time round help make the resolution to be passed a reality.