2023 CCG and AACC National Leadership Conference takes place in Accra

The 2023 National Leadership Conference has taken place in Accra.

The programme which was under the theme, "Ethical Leadership and National Transformation", was organized by the Christian Council of Ghana in collaboration with the All Africa Conference of Churches.

Basing his sermon on the Gospel of St. Matthew 16:13-20, the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana and immediate past Chairman of the Christian Council of Ghana, Rt. Rev. Prof. J.O.Y Mante, said that the faith of all Christians is based on the "Great Confession", which says "Jesus Christ is the Son of God."

He said, Christians are a bunch of people who have come together under this "Great Confession", and that our true humanity is found when Christians live in and out of the image of God.

In his address, the Chairman of the Christian Council of Ghana, Rt. Rev. Dr. Hilliard Dela Dogbe welcomed all the participants to the programme and thanked the Christian Council of Ghana for electing him to that higher office

He said, the Council and for that matter the church has been actively involved in the political development of Ghana prior to independence and this has continued during and after independence in so many ways.

Rt. Rev. Dogbe further stated that the Council since its formation in 1929, has been actively involved in conscientising the nation that God's will is not only for us to have a good government but more importantly, good governance, and that good governance required men of ability and integrity, who will find out so far as possible the real will of the people, protect the freedom and rights of the minority, secure freedom of worship, make justice avaible for all and promote the physical and moral welfare of the people through efficient planning and administration.

He continued by saying that, as the moral conscience of our nation, the Church has a moral obligation to be involved in the political process and has the responsibility to educate the citizenry on political values, particularly matters of good governance and good citizenship. He advocated that ethical standards must be maintained in every aspects of leadership in Ghana.

On his part, the keynote speaker, Rev. Dr. Ezekiel Lesmore from the All Africa Conference of Churches said that the Church must recognize that they are the rectitude of society.

Dr. Ezekiel said that morality cannot be expressed by mere words and that it must be expressed in the way we lead our lives. He continued by saying that the church and the faith community must recognize that they are the vanguards of change, and that transformation can only take place when we recognize that we are rooted and called to be transformers.

Most Rev. Prof. Emmanuel Asante, the former Chairman of the National Peace Council and former Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church, Ghana said that the contributions of the Council and the Church in the Country cannot be underestimated.

He stated that religion in general has a double function of legitimizing both the status quo and also protests. He said studies in respect of the church's participation in socio-political issues have clearly indicated that the Church has credibly undertaken the dual responsibility, and has insisted on its prophetic role as a social critic in the political arena, and also challenged unparralled political military violence in Ghana.

Rev. Prof. Aaron Mike Ocquaye, the former Speaker of Ghana's Parliament in his remarks praised the Church for its role in the development of the nation.

He said, that no institution or organization has done better in the lives of Ghanaians than the Church. He was particularly worried about the difficulty the Church is facing to exert its influence over education and upbringing, and admonished the Church to rise and go for its role.

Reprentatives of the Chief Justice of Ghana also echoed the need for ethical and moral standards in the society to be upheld.

The Minister of Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Hon. Stephen Asamoah Boateng on his part, encouraged the Church to continue to pray for spiritual guidance.

He said poverty should not be encouraged in the Church, and admonished Christians and Christian leaders to look for each other and make sure poverty in its spiritual and physical forms are removed.

Among the dignitaries present at the conference were Rev. Dr. Cyril G.K Fayose, General Secretary, Christian Council of Ghana, Bishop Kwame Lawson Adjei, Vice Chairman, Christian Council of Ghana, Rev. Enoch Thompson, Executive President of the Ghana Baptist Convention, Very Rev. Helena Opoku-Sarkodie, Minister in Charge, Tema Joint Church, Dr. Tinashe Gumbo from the All Africa Conference of Churches, Bernard Avle, Hon. Gifty Afenyi-Dadzie of Aglow International, Rt. Rev. George Neequaye, Suffragan Bishop, Anglican Church, Citi FM/Citi TV, Leaders and representatives from the various member churches of the Council and staff of the Christian Council of Ghana.