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My Cathedral
• The National Cathedral at the foundation level
“My cathedral has a ceiling of blue; My cathedral ‘neath the sky; Where I may lift up my eyes onto the hills; And hear music from a stream rippling by. My cathedral has an altar of flowers; Their fragrant incense fills the air. In my cathedral I am closer to Him than I could be anywhere; For here I pray, in a place so grand. The carpet I kneel on was made by His own hand.
“My cathedral has candles lighted by the stars; And mighty pillars of trees.
“No others cathedral is so beautiful; For God made my cathedral for me …..” Jim Reeves.
The above lyrics are from a song of same title, sung by the legendary Jim Reeves, who died when the plane he was piloting crashed on July 31, 1964, leaving behind hundreds of songs in gospel, country and rock genres. The last sentence in the song speaks more of his body as a cathedral made by God. Indeed, Gentleman Jim, as he was widely known, is telling us that our body is the temple (cathedral) of God.
No other body is more beautiful than your own because that is where you are closer to Him. In supplication to the higher self, you close your being to anyone and anything else; where you pray in a place so grand. The only thing grander than you is the One who made/created you.
All these bring me to the hoopla about a National Cathedral. During his electioneering in 2016, then candidate Nana Akufo-Addo of the New Patriotic Party said if God helped him win the presidential poll he would build a Cathedral to honour Him. He won the presidency, but whether it was God who won it for him is open to conjecture.
Opinion has been as divided as there are people in the land. Some say it was a personal pledge so Nana Addo should fulfill same from his personal resources. Others said that as president, he made the pledge for and on behalf of the people of Ghana so all must support and contribute towards its construction. But these people forget that when Nana made the pledge he was not president. Question is when does an individual pledge become the burden of the collective?
A few years ago a BBC survey revealed that there were over 60,000 churches in Ghana alone. There is no news about some of the churches operating in the open, thus exposing worshippers to the vagaries of the tropical weather. And many of the churches only have full attendance during certain events like funerals, weddings, Christmas and Easter celebrations.
Anyone desirous of building a cathedral is free to do so. But if it is to be a national monument, the sensible thing is to moot the idea and get the nation to discuss its importance and get our lawmakers to debate it, if funding is to be charged to the public purse. What is the difficulty with this? I see no difficulty.
But we were all made to understand Ghana’s money would not be used. Later, GH¢200 million of our money was doled out for the Cathedral project and christened seed money, whatever that means. This flies in the face of a member of the cathedral board assuring us all that public funds would not be used. This simply is openly stealing money from the people.
What it all means is that members of the cathedral board have been hoodwinked to serve on it. Or the member who told the whole world that state funds would not be used had told us a lie. If he told the truth, then as men of the cloth and integrity, they should have considered themselves ambushed and deceived and relinquish their membership of that board. It would be a great service to their calling and country if they left.
There is an Akan proverb that translates to mean “if a fellow in the nude offers you clothing, look at his state.” How can Nana Addo, who carries a chair all over the country in superstitious abandon, claim to be so God-living as to build a Cathedral to honour Him? I have searched the globe and Ghana’s president is the only leader to carry his own chair to official functions. And a fuel guzzling V-8 is dedicated to carrying this chair alone. This cannot be for the physical safety of our president. In many jurisdictions, venues for presidential visits are swept for bugs and potential explosives.
Assuming there was a national consensus for a cathedral, the wisest thing to do would be to look for a virgin land for the purpose. What sense does it make to pull down property worth over a hundred million dollars just to build a Cathedral worth same amount as was initially stated? It is not as if many of our compatriots dwell in that general area for which reason a Cathedral could serve their religious needs. This area is virtually empty of people after close of work on Fridays because it is located near offices and workplaces.
There is almost always a gridlock during state events in that area, which houses our Parliament, National Theatre, the Accra International Conference Centre, the Accra Sports Stadium, the Independence Square, the popular Osu Cemetery and many more, not to mention almost all our ministries.
Ghanaians love events that bring them together. If a national cathedral is sited at, say, Tsokpoli, we can be sure that our people will troop to fill up the place for a state event. That is who we are. But to pull down structures put up with public funds just to put up such physical edifice cannot please the God our President seeks to honour.
I share in the argument that if a national cathedral serves any nation’s spiritual purpose, the Ivorian Basilica in Yamoussoukro would have saved that country from its civil war. Houphouet Boigny even sited it far away from the capital, Abidjan. I agree it might be serving some tourism purpose, but what our President is obsessed with cannot be for that purpose primarily. Even then, there are more tourist sites to consider and prioritise than a Cathedral or Basilica.
But who says God dwells in physical edifices? Just as Jim Reeves said, “For God made my Cathedral for me.” There also is an Esoteric Maxim that, “One coal will not make a fire but where a number of coals are heaped together, the heat, which is latent in each, will be kindled into a flame, emitting light and warmth.” It is in this vein that the Bible says where a number of people are gathered together in God’s name, there He is among them. A Cathedral, whose very idea is so divisive cannot serve this religious and/or spiritual purpose.
Making a pledge to God is not a walk in the park, even in private, let alone in the public glare. It involves, first, one’s personal spirituality. Second, one must consider the heavy burden of redemption of such a pledge. It is an enormous load to carry. I believe Nana Addo realised this enormity after he won Election 2016 and felt stuck between the devil and the deep blue sea. If he would not fulfill the campaign promises but to the people, at least, that to God must be redeemed. This is where one man’s fantasy has entangled a whole nation.
There was a news item that rocks were imported from Israel to serve as foundation stones of our national cathedral. This amuses me no end. Is this because Israel is perceived as the Holy Land and these rocks are holy? Who says anything or everything from Israel is holy? A land where there is a meaningless orgy of bloodshed day in day out cannot, in my estimation, be holy.
Don’t we have men of God imbued with the knowledge and spirituality to consecrate rocks or stones from Afienya to serve as cornerstones of a cathedral? I saw hordes of people dressed as Rabbi in the streets of Israel, but an Israeli friend told me over 70 per cent of them are fake.
I do not want to belabour the argument that there are more pressing national issues than a cathedral. The issues stare us in the face each day we are lucky to rise up in the morning. Let the lizard that ate the chilli sweat it out; not the innocent frog.
BY DR. AKOFA K. SEGBEFIA
Writer’s email address: akofa45@yahoo.com
Today, I focus on the Apostolic Church International in Finland, as I continue with my description of institutions and personalities and their accomplishments as members of the Ghanaian Diaspora in Finland.
The Apostolic Church International, Finland (or, Apostolic International Association Ry) was established in October 9, 2023. The Church in Finland has seen significant strides and accomplishments within the short time that it has been established in Finland, which must be highlighted.
History of the Church in Ghana
The Apostolic Church Ghana originated from the 1904–1905 Welsh revival, officially established in Ghana (then called Gold Coast) in 1935 following connections between a local prayer group in Asamankese (a town in southern Ghana), led by Peter Newman Anim, and the Apostolic Church, UK. There were historical splits in 1939 and 1953, but the Apostolic Church attained autonomy in 1985.
Today, the Church is headquartered in Accra. Last year (2025), it dedicated its new 10-storey headquarters, “The Apostolic Church Tower,” in Frafraha, Adenta West in Accra.
Activities of the Apostolic Church in Finland
The Apostolic Church in Finland conducts church service on Sundays. The service starts at 11a.m. in the morning and closes by 1 p.m. in the afternoon. There are no other activities during other days for now.
The Minister in charge of the church in Finland is also the Area Head of Italy Area. He is Pastor Daniel Kofi Addison who is the new Italy Area Head, and has just been transferred from UK South Area to Italy Area during the just-ended Council Meeting in March this year. Italy Area comprises Italy, which has 13 Assemblies, Germany, one Assembly, and Finland, one Assembly.
Elder Ebenezer Amoaning-Coffie is the Presiding Elder in charge of the Assembly in Finland. A Presiding Elder is responsible for day to day activities of the church (Assembly) and reports to the District Pastor, or in the absence of the District Pastor, reports to the Area Head.
Achievements
The Apostolic Church International, Finland was officially registered under the Finnish Law, guaranteeing freedom of worship and providing legal foundation for future growth. The church service is conducted in both English and Twi.
The church opens its doors to all people of every nation, especially Ghanaians who are in Finland and other African nationals. Now, the membership comprises Ghanaians, Nigerians and Sierra Leoneans.
The Church and the Ghanaian migrant community in Finland
The Apostolic Church in Finland plays a prominent role as a religious group that serves Ghanaian migrants and others in the Finnish society.
Thus, the Apostolic Church is a religious body for Ghanaian migrants in Finland and other nationalities who want to worship with them for diversity and better intercultural and multicultural understanding.
Elder Amoaning-Coffie said that the main and primary aim of the church is to bring people closer to God. “We aim to win souls for Christ. We aim to preach the gospel to the world. By propagating the gospel to the people, we are hopeful that they will turn away from any ungodly ways and be good individuals in the community and in society in general”, he stated.
He said that everything is going well so far. A key challenge, however, is how to get more members especially the youth. As a new Assembly, we are in need of instrumentalists, for example. We pray to God Almighty to help us do His work, the Elder disclosed.
Integration
By its activities, the Apostolic Church is helping to ensure integration of its members well into the Finish society. This is important since social interaction and citizens’ well-being are an important part of the integration process in Finland.
As I mentioned some time ago, the role of migrant associations and groups such as the Apostolic Church acting as bridge-builders for the integration and inclusion of migrants through participation in the decision making process and by acting as a representative voice is highly appreciated in Finland. Thank you!
With Dr Perpetual Crentsil
The landscape of the Ghanaian palate is shifting, and not necessarily for the better. In our bustling urban centres, from the streets of Accra to the suburbs of Kumasi, a quiet culinary revolution is taking place; one where the mortar and pestle are being replaced by the pizza oven and the deep fryer. This transition from traditional staple foods like fufu, banku, akple, kenkey, tuo zaafi, and ampesi toward “continental” dishes is more than just a change in appetite; it is a reflection of a deeper social struggle with identity and prestige.
The illusion of modernity
For many, “stepping out” for a meal has become synonymous with consuming foreign cuisine. There is an unspoken social hierarchy where a bowl of Abunuabunu is relegated to the village category, while burgers, pizzas are branded as prestigious choices. We have reached a stage where we equate foreign with modern and local with primitive.
This perception is a dangerous illusion. Our traditional dishes are marvels of culinary engineering complex, nutrient-dense, and deeply rooted in our history. When we choose a processed foreign import over a meal made from local tubers or fermented maize, we are not just changing our lunch; we are eroding the indigenous knowledge attached to our local ingredients and foods.
We need to turn the consumption of indigenous grains and tubers like millet, sorghum, and plantain into a statement of self-worth and national pride.
The cultural and health erosion
Every time a local dish disappears from a restaurant menu to make room for foreign fast food, we lose a piece of our cultural fabric. Traditional Ghanaian cooking is an art that requires patience and skill. By choosing the convenience of foreign fast food, we are raising a generation that may know the taste of a pepperoni pizza but cannot identify the rich, earthy profile of Prekese or the subtle tang of well-fermented dough dishes like corn porridge, banku, etew, abolo, agidi or kamfa, and kenkey.
Furthermore, we are at the crossroads of a nutrition transition. Replacing high-fiber, indigenous crops with calorie-dense but nutrient-poor foreign fast foods is driving a rise in lifestyle diseases such as obesity, hypertension, diabetes, stroke, cancer, and liver disease. We are trading our longevity for 15-minutes convenience or unhealthy diet.
A call for culinary patriotism
It is time for us to appreciate, preserve, and promote our indigenous foods and culinary traditions. We need to be proud of our local dishes, ingredients and cooking methods, rather than relying heavily on foreign or imported foods. We must stop viewing our local delicacies as low-class and start treating our culinary heritage as the high-end gastronomy it truly is.
True sophistication does not come from imitating Western fast food; it comes from innovation and adding values to our own resources. We see glimpses of this potential in the rise of branded Sobolo and the creative use of gluten-free plantain flour in modern baking of flour-based dishes such as bread, cakes, biscuits and others. This is the path forward. We must elevate our local dishes, making them as accessible, affordable, presentable and trendy as any foreign alternative.
To the hospitality industry: Innovate or stagnate
Our hotels and high-end restaurants must lead the charge. They must stop relegating local dishes to the “traditional corner” of the buffet, and apply the same culinary finesse given to imported dishes to our Fante Fante, apapransa, aborbi tadi, fetritoto, akple, abolo, yakayeke, fufu, ampesi, kokonte, wasawasa, tubani, apapransa, mpotompoto, kelewele, aliha, brukutu, pito, and other local dishes. The industry must enhance customer experiences making eating local dishes the ultimate luxury experience for both tourists and residents alike. We must elevate the presentation of our foods by using modern plating techniques to show that a bowl of light soup can be as visually stunning as a French consommé. We need to reclaim our Ghanaian plate before it is too late.
To the policy makers: Let us encourage buying of local ingredients to promote the local food industry and economy. There should be educational programmes and talks about the nutritional and cultural benefits of local foods so that people understand their value.
We need to encourage serving traditional dishes at school programmes, parties, and celebrations instead of only fast foods,
To the Youth: Let us value and appreciate our traditional dishes instead of always choosing foreign foods. There must be balance in our choice of local and foreign dishes. Confidence in our culture encourages others to respect it too. Our local dishes can also be promoted by sharing pictures, recipes, and videos on platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and WhatsApp to make them attractive and trendy.
Young citizens must learn from their parents and elders how to prepare local meals to keep the knowledge and cultural relevance alive. Local dishes can be modernised to appeal to younger generations and tourists.
Conclusion
We cannot afford to trade our heritage for foreign cuisines which are gaining grounds across the country at an alarming rate. We must disabuse our minds of the perception that anything foreign or imported is better than those locally made. Our health, economy, and identity are tied to the soil. It is time to stop apologising for our local flavours and start celebrating them. It is possible to embrace modernity without losing ourselves and our cultural identity. Let us make the Ghanaian kitchen the heart of our modern identity once again.
By: Marilyn Gadogbe
