Good messages are not dependent on long church service - Rev. Mahama

Reverend Gladys Lariba Mahama, the Builsa North and South District Pastor of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana in the Upper East Region says long church services do not necessarily convey the true gospel of Christ to His followers.

She said, “Some of the activities that are not so necessary in our Church services can be left out and let us continue to have quality services and preach the true gospel of Christ.”

Rev. Mahama who spoke to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) at Sandema, on Sunday, prior to church service, emphasized that: “It is not the long service that will give you a message. With the short messages we preach, if congregants practice them, the will of God will be fulfilled.”

She called on Christians not to throw their hands in despair or lose hope, but continue to have faith in God who knows all things and shall show His glory in the midst of the pandemic.

Rev. Mahama said the theme for the service was “Give them something to Eat,” and explained that Jesus Christ in the book of Matthew 14:16, instructed His disciples to offer the multitude “something to eat.”

“God is still in the position to give us our hearts desires and supply us with our needs. So let us all connect ourselves to the living God and He as our loving father will grant us our desires.” She said the fight against the virus was a collective one and stressed on the need for citizens to work hard and adhere to all the laid down protocols of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) on the prevention of the Coronavirus pandemic.

Rev. Mahama said the Church had also initiated measures to protect children, “We are not worshipping with our children. Children from ages one to 10 years don’t come. But those from 11 to 17years worship on Saturday so that we can ensure social distancing in the church.”

At the Church premises, hand sanitizers were available, there were also hand washing facilities for Church members, their names were written, temperatures checked and all members had their face masks on while sitting arrangements were done to ensure social distancing among them.

Mr Francis Akiskame, an Official of the GHS at the Regional Health Directorate who is the leader of a team of health professionals drawn from within the church, told the GNA that “No member fell out of the normal temperature range. We also offer health education on COVID-19 to remind members of the protocols on the prevention of the virus.”