Christians urged to live exemplary lives

Pastor Peter Mensah Yanney, the District Pastor of the Church of Pentecost, Alajo, on Sunday urged Christians to be alive to their roles and responsibilities as citizens and initiate individual tasks that would transform the nation.

He said citizens constituted a significant part of the Government, therefore, the nation could not progress without their unique contributions.

Pastor Mensah Yanney was delivering a sermon during the Thanksgiving Service by the Church for the Executive of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), to honour God for their electoral victory.

Among the Executive were Mr Roland Affail Monney, the GJA President, Mr Kofi Yeboah, the General Secretary, and Mr Albert Kwabena Dwumfour, the Organising Secretary.

Senior media practitioners who attended the service included Mrs Yaa Oforiwa Asare-Peasah, the Head of Editorial of the Ghana News Agency (GNA), Mrs Beatrice Asamani Savage, the News Editor, GNA, Mr Fortune Alimi, Editor of the Daily Guide, Madam Zee Adum Atta, a Lawyer and Journalist, and personnel from Atinka Village.

The sermon, which was based on King David's relationship with Bathsheba in the Second Book of Samuel, was on the theme: "Be Responsible".

Pastor Yanney, therefore, urged Christians to lead the campaign for environmental cleanliness and responsible attitudes towards nation building.

"If Christians would not litter the environment, build on water ways and destroy the environment with their actions and not always look up to government for everything, but would take the responsibility themselves, then the country's development will be assured," he said.

Pastor Yanney linked the attitude of some Christians to David when he pronounced judgement on Nathan's proverbial ruthless rich man, after he had impregnated Bathsheba and had Uriah, her husband, killed in battle.

Christians need not pass the buck but must take responsible actions concerning the country's development, he said.

"David, though he sinned, when Nathan made him aware of his actions, he accepted his sins, asked for forgiveness and resolved to do the right things moving forward. So, as Christians, we should not give excuses for our misdeeds but resolve to correct ourselves for the better," Pastor Yanney said.

He urged the GJA Executive to eshew practices that would dent the image of the profession so as to have the moral right to correct others.

Pastor Yanney said they were victorious in the election in order to perform roles to sanitise the media landscape, which was full of insults and unprofessional conducts.

“In leading the campaign against corruption, media practitioners must act professionally and responsibly by not giving their platforms to nation wreckers,’’ he said.

Mr Dwumfour, who is an Elder of the Church, said the task ahead was challenging but gave the assurance that the team would deliver on their promises.

He said going into the New Year, the GJA would insist on professionalism, high standards and respect for the GJA Code of Ethics so as to promote sanity in the media.

Fighting for the welfare of journalists was going to be paramount to the GJA, Mr Dwumfour said, and called for unity among members to be able to advocate for the passage of the Right to Information Bill (RTI).

"The Executive, Legislature and Judiciary should all help in passing the RTI to enhance media work," he said.

Mr Dumfour said there would be annual regional conferences to know the challenges of journalists in the regions to find solutions to them.

The GJA would also undertake training and socialisation programmes to promote professionalism and bonding among members, he added.