The Ghana Baptist Convention (GBC) on Sunday made a donation of GHC 100,000 to the Government in support of her efforts to fight the CORONA VIRUS (COVID-19) Pandemic.
The donation which was from a member-church of the GBC, the Triumphant Baptist Church (TBC), of Kwadaso, Kumasi, in the Ashanti Region was to beef up the government's mobilization efforts to fighting the pandemic.
The gesture was the first step of a special GBC COVID-19 Fund, which has been instituted by the Convention to receive donations from its member churches and individual members to support the efforts of the Government to contain COVID-19 pandemic.
Presenting the cheque, a seven-member delegation led by Reverend Enoch Nii Narh Thompson, Vice President Ministries and Rev. Washington Komla Darke, Vice President Administration of the GBC acknowledged Governments efforts aimed at containing and controlling the pandemic and assured that, the Convention will continue support Government’s efforts to rid Ghana of the dreaded disease.
Receiving the donation, Mrs Akosua Frema Opare-Osei, the Chief of Staff at the Office of the President, thanked the Convention and its member-church, TBC for their generosity and kindness.
She entreated the Convention to encourage its members to endeavour to observe all the appropriate protocols to curb the spread of the virus.
Mrs Opare-Osei also admonished that any suspected infected persons should not fear any form of stigma but avail themselves quickly for testing and early treatment.
Rev. Washington Komla Darke, Vice President, Administration of the GBC, speaking on the sidelines, used the opportunity to call on all Member-Churches and individual members of the GBC to make donations into the Convention COVID-19 Fund to support the efforts of the Government in fighting the disease.
He also stressed the need for all to observe the necessary protocols in keeping the virus at bay and emphasized that, save for procuring food, health, banking or any other essential services, adding that, all non-essential service providers should stay at home in compliance to the restrictions of movements, as recently directed by the President Nana Addo Danquah Akuffo Addo.
"Deliberately stay at home to deliberately stop the virus," he added.
Deacon Anthony Adu-Nketiah, Chairman of the Body of Deacons of TBC on his part also commended Government’s efforts to contain the epidemic.
He affirmed the call on all Local Congregations, Assemblies or Churches of all Denominations to create local COVID-19 Accounts to receive donations from their members for onward transmission into their National Denominational COVID-19 accounts from which donations can be made to aid the fight against the pandemic.
"As Christians, we should let our light shine by championing this course in the country in times like this," he added.
Other members of the delegation were Rev Kwaku Frimpong, Associate Pastor; Pastor Dennis Agyemang, Deputy Associate Pastor; Deacon James Amoateng Antwi; the Church Secretary and Deacon Benjamin Adjei, the Chairman of Finance Committee; all of the Triumphant Baptist Church.