Methodist Church dedicates a month to pray for peaceful elections
The Accra Diocese of the Methodist Church of Ghana has dedicated November 7 to December 7, 2016 to praying for a peaceful general election in the country.
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According to the church, prayer is a powerful Christian weapon that could be used, in addition to advocacy, to support an election.
Programme outline
At a news conference in Accra last Monday to launch the month of prayer, the Diocesan Bishop of Accra, the Right Reverend Samuel Osabutey. said the church had outlined daily prayer topics that its members should focus on as they interceded for the elections.
He said prayers would be said for the Electoral Commission, the political parties, the Supreme Court, the media, the Police Service and other security agencies, the electorate, among other institutions, during the period.
The Right Rev. Osabutey said as part of the programme, the Youth Ministry of the church would organise a peace walk through some designated streets in the city on November 26, 2016.
An all-night vigil would also be held at the Rev. Ernest Bruce Memorial Chapel, Adabraka, on December 2, 2016 towards the elections.
Quoting from Matthew 5:13, the Right. Rev. Osabutey said Christians had a duty to use their votes to select the right kind of people they believed would deliver to the good of the citizenry, based on their Christian virtues.
He added that failure to vote as a Christian meant allowing the wrong people to select their kind into positions of leadership and management.
“If Christians fail to vote, unbelievers will elect unbelievers who will make unhealthy policies and laws which may bring about hardships. On the other hand, if we decide, as Christians, to fully participate and make the right choices, having in mind our role as salt and light, then we could be sure of contributing in another way to building a better nation,” he stressed.
Church and State relationship
The Diocesan Bishop expressed the view that the partnership between the state and the church might suffer if Christians folded their arms and allowed ungodly people to be elected as leaders.
Citing the views of the Founder of the Methodist Church, John Wesley, on voting, the Right Rev. Osabutey said Christians must vote without fee or reward for a person or cause that was most worthy.
“Speak no evil of the person or cause that you vote against and don’t become sharp in your spirit with those you vote differently,” he cautioned.