Features
Of prophets, prophesy and doomsayers
First of all, I confess that I do not know what goes into being called a Prophet; especially with what I have come to see of so-called men of God who run one-man ownerships as churches wearing such a title as an armour in our parts of the world.
On occasions such as Christmas and Easter, these people, in order to attract followers, put up billboards with their photographs instead of any symbol representing Christianity. It is easy to identify many ‘serious’ churches by their emblems or symbols, but not these one-man ownerships: they simply advertise the owners. And it is at some of these events that these prophets spew out all manner of prophesies that have become nauseating, to say the least.
Sadly, the prophesies only forecast doom and gloom. The watch night of the last day of the year provides fertile grounds for these prophets. Prominent people in society are said to die in the course of the New Year. A former President will die. A popular actor will pass away this year. A prominent traditional ruler will die in the year. There will be a huge funeral in Ghana in the New Year.
Some specifics are that the Finance Minister will die this year. Meanwhile, Ken Ofori Attah is yet to bury his Dad who passed on only recently. Another said the Asantehene will pass away this year. Someone prophesied last year that President John Mahama would die in 2020. The former President is very much alive, yet another has forecast his death this year.
It has become a contest of which of these people churn out more prophesies than the others. And they claim to have gone to the spirit realm and had such revelations from God. This is where I get confused. God almighty, the compassionate Father, the giver of Life only gives messages of doom and gloom to people who claim to be His men to deliver to the world? If God loves His people as the Holy Bible claims, why can He not use His men to tell us what to do to get out of our economic and financial mess as a country? Can He not give His people messages of hope? What kind of God is He? Nothing is adding up.
I want to hear something like, “God says if your leaders eschew corrupt practices, He would grant us His grace so we can find more oil, more minerals so galamsey can leave the surface of Ghana’s earth.” Why can’t God tell His men to tell us Ghana will be a great nation so we should do A, B or C to get there? I hear one such fellow saying that there will be a curse on anyone who criticizes God’s anointed. My question is how I will know that God anointed these people; some of them, that is.
Does it mean God has abandoned or neglected the more established churches like the Catholic, Methodist, Presbyterian, Anglican, Zion and many others and would not speak through their leaders? It has become fashionable to get an online portal and claim to be receiving messages from God; to the extent that it is becoming increasingly difficult to determine the genuine from the fake.
One glaring phenomenon is that these characters are intolerant of other people’s views on the things they preach. Some could be seen openly insulting and cursing their perceived ‘detractors’ with such venom that they make a mockery of the Christian Faith. The Christ Jesus, acclaimed as the Ideal for Christians was not known to be quick to anger. Apart from being reported to have taken a whip to people using the Synagogue as a marketplace, Jesus is reported to have rebuked Simon Peter on only one occasion.
As if their behavior is not abhorrent enough, these prophets turn the vitriol on one another in reckless abandon. They accuse one another of going for voodoo to prop up their churches and increase their memberships. They even threaten to kill one another. Of course, miracles are not supposed to be within human understanding, but neither are they meant to be absurd. One cannot but be amazed at the calibre of people who congregate to listen to these people. And they abound.
Freedom of religion must not descend into absurdity. I am aware that the path to spiritual attainment is not a cold intellectual process, but humanity has evolved to a state where illiterates who cannot even read a letter in the Bible must not be allowed to take people for granted. Today in Rwanda, you can only be allowed to open a church if you have a Diploma in Religious Studies. A recent BBC survey shows that Ghana, with a population of just thirty million people, has over sixty thousand churches and still counting.
We are turning our warehouses into churches only to go there and pray for jobs and miracles to take us out of poverty. Something must definitely be wrong somewhere. The easiest way of making money is to establish a miracle-working group and fleece poor people of what is left for their economic survival. Are we serious? .
By Dr. Akofa K. Segbefia
Writer’s email address:
akofa45@yahoo.com
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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
