Features
Opinion: Christians fail Ghana big time, money has replaced God
Mahatma Gandhi once said, “I love your Christ but not Christianity. Christians are so unlike Christ”. Anyone hearing this quote for the first time, especially a Christian, will be taken aback. However, Gandhi was spot on at his time and what he said many years ago still stands tall today. The tenets or teachings of Christ are apt and so true that it should change anyone to live out at least the basic principles of true love and honesty.
The current Vice President of the Republic of Ghana, His Excellency Mahamudu Bawumia, at one of his campaign trails said this about the economy at the time, “when the fundamentals are weak the exchange rate will expose you”. The same is very true of the Christian living; when one’s fundamental knowledge of Christ is weak, your life style exposes you.
Talk of every sphere, nooks and crannies of this country, you would find a Christian either heading a department or a member of the team of that department; talk of the education sector, Health, sports, security, business, transport sector and politics.
The real and basic questions are: What is the population of Christians in Ghana, how many Christians are at the helm of affairs or holding bigger positions in Ghana? How many Christians challenge one another when it comes to corruption and other related vices? And finally, how many Christians are even aware or believe corruption is a sin?
The truth of the matter is, many Christians today treat Christianity like an association or an avenue where one can only seek something from God and not a “way of life”. Christianity has been reduced to mere business, where Christ’s name is used as a cover up, to extort money from people.
It is gradually reduced to a mere show, where God is literally forced to perform a miracle by hook or crook. The teachings about Christ in this country is skin deep and this is exposed in the kind of behaviour Christians put up in their families, churches, workplaces, and worse still in their relationships.
A lot of Christians’ minds are today tuned to what to expect or gain as opposed to what one also needs to do right in society.
One would imagine that with 70–80 per cent of the Christian population in Ghana and the number of churches in the country: those on social media and “trotros” (pubic buses), which have been converted into churches, corruption would have been an issue no one would even pay attention to. On the contrary, it has become a virus which has to be dealt with on daily basis.
Today, in Ghana, you could almost say the synonym of corruption is politics. Mention the word corruption in any conversation in the country and everyone’s mind races to politicians. This raises another question. How many Christians are in Politics? Corruption is bad in other sectors, worse of in most Christian homes or families.
Visit a typical market and a Christian seller will either sell a rotten or expired product to you. Take your car to a mechanic and he will either change your car spare parts with a worn out spare part or at best drain your fuel and bring you an empty fuel tank.
Visit the teacher in school or a nurse at the hospital and they are on social media the whole time. Call on the pastor and he will literally sell God’s blessing to you. Speak with the security about a crime and everything will be nipped in the bud in exchange for money.
Interestingly, these are the same people who go to church every Sunday. It is true Jesus said in Luke Chapter 5: 32 that “I did not come because of the righteous but sinners”, however, in the same Luke Chapter 15: 7 it is also true that there is more joy in heaven to see a sinner changing his or her ways or at least make an effort to live by the values of Christ’s teachings.
When you replace God with money or water down the values and principles of Christian living, your own life style will expose you. Most Christians in Ghana have failed Ghana and Christ big time through their way of life. With the overwhelming number of Christians in the country, one will expect a “Christ-like” life style, which pre-empts truthfulness, justice, fairness and above all sincere love.
Jesus invites every Christian to be light in our dark world and more importantly to be yeast to infiltrate every dark corner of the world. Nearly everyone is a perpetrator of the aforementioned. Christianity is a choice and when one chooses this lifestyle, it is no longer a choice. Christians in this country owe Ghana a genuine lifestyle and true Christian witnessing. Christian living should never be compromised
The writer is the Coordinator for Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation, Ghana-Liberia Province) Divine Word Missionaries: A Catholic Missionary Society.
Writer’s email: justiceandpeaceint@gmail.com or nicholasbetol@gmail.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
