Apostle Eric Nyamekye, the Chairman of the Church of Pentecost, has expressed concern over the ongoing destruction of Ghana’s water bodies due to illegal mining, commonly referred to as galamsey. During his State of the Church Address at the 48th General Conference on Wednesday, April 22, he highlighted how the pollution of rivers and streams is directly affecting important church practices, particularly in mining communities where water baptism is carried out.
He stated, “The extensive pollution of water bodies from illegal mining has hindered traditional water baptism in some of these communities, leading to the need for synthetic rubber pools in several districts to perform this ordinance.” Apostle Nyamekye further warned that environmental degradation is increasingly undermining the livelihoods of members of the Church, particularly those in agriculture and fishing.
He noted that erratic rainfall patterns, declining cocoa yields, and the seasonal movement of fish stocks are destabilising local economies and affecting the financial stability of church assemblies. “These unpredictable environmental conditions, along with the seasonal migration of fish stocks, continue to impact the steady financial growth and stability of affected local assemblies,” he said.
Despite these challenges, he stressed that the Church is expanding its social and evangelistic impact. By the end of 2025, the Church of Pentecost had established skills development centres in Bolgatanga in the Upper East Region and Essam in the Western North Region, offering vocational training to young people.
It has also supported master craftsmen to train apprentices as part of efforts to tackle unemployment. In addition, the Church has initiated, completed, and handed over several health facilities, prison camps, and other infrastructure projects to the state as part of its broader social interventions.
Source: Akwasi Addo
