Eschew excessive materialism — Rt Rev. Dr Fynn
The President of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ghana, Rt Rev. Dr Paul Kofi Fynn has advised the public to eschew excessive materialism and act with responsibility to promote the social and economic growth of the country.
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He said the tendency to amass wealth by office holders at the expense of society was unacceptable, since it was not in line with the will of God.
“Some people are so interested in getting everything for themselves. They get into office and within a few years they develop fat bellies as though they are pregnant women,” he said.
He was speaking at a special ordination ceremony for John Shadrach Donkoh at the St Paul’s Lutheran Church in Accra. It was on the theme: “The Man Named John”.
Good leadership
According to him, there was the need to constructively criticise leaders to keep them focused on set objectives, but was quick to add that “you can counsel or offer alternative suggestions to leaders but you must not be stumbling blocks on the way to making them veer off their goal”.
Laying his hand on Donkoh to seek God’s anointing for him in the ministry, Rt Rev. Dr Fynn asked him to be selfless, dedicated, unflinching and accountable to the congregation at all times.
Speaking to the media after the ordination, Pastor Donkoh said the experience he had gained through the several years of service to the church would enable him to render dedicated service, not only to the church but the country as a whole.
He used the opportunity to call on political parties, the Electoral Commission and the public to let peace, love and unity be their guiding principle as the 2016 general election beckoned.
“I would urge everyone to love his or her neighbours and act responsibly, without infuriating others by his or her actions during the elections,” he said.
In his sermon, Rev. Dr George Black of the Lutheran Church, Missouri-Synod, USA, urged Christians and the public to be just, righteous and work towards unity in society.
Brief biography of Pastor Donkoh
Born on December 30, 1958, he was baptized and confirmed into the Lutheran faith in Takoradi in November 1973 and 1978, respectively.
His theological training began in the 1980s at the Theological Education by Extension in Accra and later in the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Nigeria.
He was among pioneer evangelistic missionaries to Uganda from 1994 to 2003.
Currently, he holds a postgraduate certificate in higher education in theology from the University of London International.