SDA Church Says Galamsey Hampering Their Soul-Winning Efforts
- The Seventh-Day Adventist Church has bemoaned the negative impact of the illegal mining menace on their soul-winning efforts
- The church says it has resorted to building baptistries due to the high turbidity in rivers and streams across the country
- The SDA Mid-Central Ghana Conference President, Pastor Daniel Kyei-Baffuor Junior, has strongly urged the church to condemn illegal mining
The Seventh-Day Adventist Church has lamented the adverse impact of illegal mining on their soul-winning efforts.
Pastor Edward Nyarkoh, the Executive Secretary of the Northern Ghana Union of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church, noted that the church had been forced to build baptistries after streams and rivers used to baptise new converts had been affected by galamsey.
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He told JoyNews that the increasing turbidity of the streams and rivers has made them unsafe for the baptismal services.
He added that the church was forced to move their baptismal services to baptistries to avoid contaminating new converts and officiating pastors.
Speaking on the sidelines of the 40th anniversary of the Bohyen-Kropo branch of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church, themed ‘Blessings beyond Measure’, Pastor Nyarkoh told JoyNews that the shift to baptistries has been an unwelcome development.
Pastor urges church to speak against galamsey
Meanwhile, the SDA Mid-Central Ghana Conference President, Pastor Daniel Kyei-Baffuor Junior, has urged the church to condemn illegal mining strongly.
He said pastors and other church workers can not sit idle and watch as illegal miners are destroying the natural environment.
He urged them to speak up against the menace and urged church members involved in the illicit activity to quit.
“Enough is enough, simply because when we look at the dreadful nature of our environment today, and the effects that galamsey brings upon us, I don’t think we should sit as a people and continue to condone this kind of menace,” he said.
Minerals Commission slams police over galamsey
The Minerals Commission has slammed the Ghana Police Service for their so-called inaction concerning the illegal mining menace in the country.
At the Government Assurances Committee of Parliament on Monday, October 7, 2024, the commission cited an ongoing galamsey operation behind the Anyinam Police Station, which the authorities have reportedly ignored.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Minerals Commission, Martin Ayisi, said the police’s inaction is what has contributed to the menace festering with impunity.
He urged the police to be proactive in combating the illegal mining menace to prevent any further deterioration of the environment.
Amenfi East illegal miners storm Assembly
YEN.com.gh reported that some illegal miners in Amenfi East stormed their assembly office in protest of the anti-galamsey strike by organised labour.
Videos showed scores of miners at the assembly office vowing not to stop illegal mining.
Assembly staff, who are part of organised labour, were barred from working due to threats against them.
Proofread by Berlinda Entsie, journalist and copy editor at YEN.com.gh
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Source: YEN.com.gh
