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
Conflict at work is more common than you might think. According to 2022 research by The Myers-Briggs Company, more than a third of the workforce reports dealing with conflict often, very often, or all the time in the workplace. The same report found that managers spend an average of four hours per week dealing with conflict, and nearly 25 per cent of people think their managers handle conflict poorly or very poorly.
Addressing a dispute might feel tense or awkward, but resolving the conflict is typically well worth it in the long run. Whether you’re trying to mediate conflict between colleagues or are directly involved, here are seven steps you can take to manage workplace conflict.
1. Don’t put it off
Facing conflict head-on is hard. However, waiting too long to address it can negatively impact your emotional well-being, focus, and the entire office environment. If you’re feeling angry, letting that emotion fester can also escalate it over time. This can make you less responsive to other points of view and make it harder to resolve the issue.
The sooner you can address the conflict, the better it will be for you, the person you disagree with, and your entire team.
2. Learn all you can about the problem
It’s important to determine the type of conflict you’re dealing with. Begin by considering the cause of the conflict. For example, ask yourself whether someone said something that upset you or if you have emotions of anger and resentment that stemmed from something that happened.
Then try to identify if it’s a task, relationship, value, or team conflict. Once you know what type of conflict it is, you can work to resolve it with specific tactics for that situation.
If you skip this step, you may waste time or escalate the situation further by trying to address issues irrelevant to the real conflict.
3. Actively listen
Listen attentively when people share their side of the story. Active listening is one of the most valuable professional skills you can possess. This type of listening involves not only hearing what the other person is saying but also listening to understand their point of view.
No matter your role in conflict, it’s easy to begin sharing your opinion with little regard for the other people involved. However, it’s important to learn about all sides of a disagreement to make well-informed decisions before drawing conclusions.
To reach a resolution, you must step back and prioritize listening over talking. Ultimately, that will encourage the other person to do the same when it’s your turn to speak. –source: betterup.com
Today, I focus on the Temple Of Praise Ministries International (TOP Church) in Helsinki, as I continue my description of personalities or institutions and their accomplishments as members of the Ghanaian Diaspora in Finland.
The TOP Church in Finland has seen significant strides and accomplishments that must be made known to the public. 
Some history
The Church was established in Finland in September 2016. Since its inception, it has steadily grown both spiritually and numerically, by the grace of God, as disclosed to me by Mr Matthew Anini Twumasi, the Presiding Elder of TOP’s branch in Finland. The TOP Church has other branches across Africa, Europe, and America.
The Church in Finland was founded with a vision to create a welcoming and dynamic community where people could experience God’s love and grace (see, www.topchurchfinland.org). According to Presiding Elder Matthew, the TOP Church operates within a unique environment where Christianity coexists with what is seen as a largely secular society.
Despite this, he submits, there are significant opportunities for outreach, unity, and demonstrating the love of Christ through service and community engagement.
Activities
Church services at the TOP Church are typically held on Sundays for the main worship. In addition, there are mid-week prayer sessions, Saturday prayer services, and a half-night service held on the last Friday of every month. “We also organise quarterly programs”, Elder Matthew added.
His impression of the Church so far has been positive. “It is a vibrant and welcoming community where members are committed to worship, fellowship, and supporting one another in faith”, he stated.
In sum, Elder Matthew said the Church continues to grow by God’s grace. “We remain hopeful and committed to spreading the Gospel, strengthening the faith of our members, and making a positive impact in society”, he continued.
Achievements
The TOP Church has a number of achievements and achievements. Some of the strengths include strong community bonds, cultural diversity, and deep commitment to spiritual growth.
I also remember that during the COVID-19 period, I heard that the TOP Church was one such bodies that hugely supported its members and others to cope with the situation.
According to Elder Matthew, the challenges facing the church include “adapting to cultural differences, engaging the younger generation, expanding outreach in a secular society, and securing a permanent place of worship”.
Role in the Ghanaian community in Finland
The TOP Church plays a prominent role as a religious group that serves Ghanaian migrants and others in the Finnish society.
Thus, the TOP 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.
The Church also has mechanisms in place to support its members who are bereaved as a way to commiserate with them in times of death and funerals.
The Ghanaian community has played a vital role in the growth of the Church. Their strong sense of fellowship, dedication to worship, and active participation have helped build a solid foundation and attract others to the ministry, according to Elder Matthew.
Integration
By its activities, the TOP 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.
The role of migrant associations and groups such as TOP 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!
GHANA MATTERS column appears fortnightly. Written in simple, layman’s terms, it concentrates on matters about Ghana and beyond. It focuses on everyday life issues relating to the social, cultural, economic, religious, political, health, sports, youth, gender, etc. It strives to remind us all that Ghana comes first. The column also takes a candid look at the meanings and repercussions of our actions, especially those things we take for granted or even ignore. There are key Ghanaian values we should uphold rather than disregard with impunity. We should not overlook the obvious. We need to search for the hidden or deeply embedded values and try to project them.
With Dr Perpetual Crentsil
