What Church of Pentecost Chairman said about galamsey that sparked backlash

Chairman of the Church of Pentecost, Apostle Eric Nyamekye, has been in the news since April 23, 2026, after announcing that the church will no longer use rivers for baptism, but will instead use dedicated baptistries at its central assemblies.

Delivering the State of the Church Address at the 48th General Conference on Wednesday, April 22, 2026, Apostle Nyamekye explained that the decision was taken to protect members’ health following the extensive pollution of water bodies caused by illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey.

He noted that the contamination of rivers in some mining communities has hampered traditional baptism practices, prompting the church to consider alternative options.

His comments, however, drew criticism from Dr Mary Awusi, Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Free Zones Authority and a senior National Democratic Congress (NDC) figure. She warned the Apostle against making such remarks on illegal mining, insisting he should refrain from repeating them, while threatening to “deal with him” if he does so again.

Speaking in an interview on Accra FM on April 23, 2026, Dr Awusi said the Apostle’s comments on galamsey were made from a political perspective rather than a neutral standpoint.

She stated that although she would overlook his remarks this time because he is a man of God, she would not hesitate to respond differently should he repeat them.

'I will deal with him if he repeats it' - Free Zones CEO warns Pentecost Chair over galamsey

“He is a man of God, so we will forgive him, but next time he shouldn’t come so low to that level. Next time, when he stoops so low and tries to do politics, they will deal with him as a politician. I’ve shown him respect this time as a man of God, but he should know that the statement he made is a highly political statement,” she said.

The CEO of the Free Zones Authority further questioned the consistency of criticisms about galamsey across different political administrations, asking whether the pastor had spoken out during earlier periods of severe water pollution under former President Nana Akufo-Addo’s government.

“When Nana Addo was President, if you went to the mining communities, the rivers were like mud. At that time, was he in Ghana or wasn’t he in Ghana? Did he see that or did he not see how the rivers were then?” she asked.

What Apostle Nyamekye Said

“The extensive pollution of water bodies due to illegal mining has hampered traditional water baptism in some mining communities, necessitating a shift to synthetic rubber pools in several districts to carry out the ordinance.

“In response to the several environmental and safety concerns in galamsey-endemic communities, the church is actively intensifying its advocacy with government stakeholders to combat illegal mining.

“Currently, to protect our members from health and security hazards associated with heavily polluted water bodies, all districts are strongly encouraged to construct dedicated baptistries at their central seats.

“This proactive measure is intended to curb the health dangers associated with conducting baptism in polluted water bodies.”

These are the precise words of Apostle Eric Nyamekye on the galamsey menace. Kindly listen and share.#GCM26 | #SOCA26 | #PossessingtheNations pic.twitter.com/DbtGtJkKEk

— The Church of Pentecost (@thecophq) April 24, 2026

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