Members of the clergy have urged Christians—and Ghanaians at large—to unite around shared values and avoid divisions that weaken the nation. They emphasised that as bearers of hope, Christians must actively promote peace and reconciliation wherever they are, helping to resolve conflicts and foster harmony. Delivering their Easter messages, the religious leaders pointed to ongoing tensions in places such as Nkwanta South, South Sudan, and the Middle East as reminders of the urgent need for collective action.
The messages came from the Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference (GCBC), the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Rt. Rev. Dr. Abraham Nana Opare Kwakye; the Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church Ghana, Most Rev. Professor Johnson Kwabena Asamoah-Gyadu; the General Superintendent of the Assemblies of God Church, Rev. Stephen Wengam; the Chairman of the Church of Pentecost, Apostle Dr. Eric Nyamekye; the Chairman of the Ghana National Council of the Great Commission Church International (GCCI), Apostle Dr. Samuel Vincent Ansah; and the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Rt. Rev. Dr. Lt Col. Bliss Divine Kofi Agbeko (Rtd).
A message signed by the President of the GCBC, Most Rev. Matthew K. Gyamfi, said the celebration of Easter should make “us realise that as Ghanaians, we are one people”. “The peace that Christ gives at Easter should make us rise above all negative or harmful tendencies and see ourselves as members of one nation. As members of the one family of Ghanaians, let us realise that there is a need for us to live in unity and peace,” it said. In the light of that, it said Ghanaians should eschew all ethnocentric tendencies, actions and statements that would not bring peace to the country.
“In the same vein, we should avoid saying and doing things that will bring about religious intolerance and conflict in our country. We urge people of different religious persuasions to continue to live together in peace and to use peaceful and legitimate means to resolve all differences and challenges that may arise,” it said. It said as Ghanaians celebrated the Lord’s resurrection, they should become new people, and that the newness should reflect in their daily activities.
Rt. Rev. Dr Kwakye said Easter was not merely a season and that it was the very foundation of Christian hope, and indeed the hope of the world. He said the event was the divine answer to human brokenness, the triumph of life over death, victory over sin and its related encumbrances, and the assurance that God’s redemptive purpose for the world cannot be thwarted. At the heart of this sacred season lies the essence of the Gospel: humanity, unable to save itself, is redeemed solely by God’s sovereign grace alone, through faith in Him alone, Christ alone, grounded in the witness of Scripture alone and ultimately for the glory of God alone,” he said.
He said the message of Easter spoke powerfully into the troubled world.
“Today, we witness conflicts, economic instability, injustice, and suffering on a global scale, particularly in the Gulf Region and other areas of conflict, where we see hostilities that continue to destroy lives and displace families. “Back home in Ghana, we have recently received news of the escalation of conflict in Nkwanta and other areas. This is unacceptable and must stop,” he said.
The Church, he said, was called to be the light of the world (Matthew 5:14), shining ever brighter in times of darkness by nurturing faith, strengthening families, disciplining the youth, and building communities grounded in love and truth.
Most Rev. Prof. Asamoah-Gyadu said, “May the celebrations of the death and resurrection of Christ, which we celebrate at this time, inspire in us the spirit of purpose and renewal as we seek to build our country and make our individual contributions to our collective destiny”.
“Easter assures us that the path of humility, service, and even suffering, when we walk with Christ, leads to fullness of life, and that the resurrection compelled mankind to confront the conditions that diminish human dignity and to work for the flourishing of all Ghanaians.”
This year, he said, the season of Lent coincided with the sacred period of Ramadan.
We thank God for our Muslim brothers and sisters who observed fasting and prayer, and we extend our greetings to them in the celebration of Eid-ul-Fitr.
“Their discipline and devotion are a witness to the importance of faith in our national life.
We renew our commitment to interreligious dialogue, mutual respect, and peaceful coexistence.
In this same spirit, The Methodist Church Ghana affirms the importance of religious freedom within our educational institutions.
Our faith communities must continue to be partners in education, forming young people in both knowledge and character,” he said. Rev. Wengam said the significance of Easter ranked higher and ran deeper than what the celebratory mood generally portrayed. Unquestionably, Easter, he said, was the most powerful and most hopeful moment in history and that to the Christian community in particular, the resurrection of Jesus Christ was the anchor of faith. “On the occasion of this year’s Easter, it is pathetic that darkness seems to have eclipsed much of the world.
Specifically speaking, war mongering is on the rise, and peace building is on the wane.
But it is not a basket case.
For, the faithful Lord will not leave us nor forsake us.
“For our part, we have a collective responsibility to act quickly and wisely to reverse this trend and move the world on a trajectory of enduring peace, unfading hope and unfaltering stability.
We must be agents of peace.
We must preach peace, facilitate peace and pray for enduring peace,” he said.
On the local front, he emphasised that unity between leaders and followers has the power to transform communities and, ultimately, the nation. Apostle Dr. Eric Nyamekye, for his part, underscored that the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ remain the unshakable foundation of the Christian faith. He explained that Easter serves as a reminder that the Gospel must be proclaimed, lived out, and faithfully preserved.
“In this light, I encourage every Christian to see Easter not simply as a yearly ritual, but as a profound encounter with the Living God. It is more than tradition—it is an invitation to experience the Resurrection Power that brings revival and breaks every chain across our land. If Jesus could not be confined to the grave, then His resurrection power is not confined either. It is present in our streets, our homes, and available for all to experience,” he declared.
Apostle Dr Ansah, for his part, said Easter offered a profound opportunity to reflect on the blessings of the crucifixion, which Christians believed was God’s ultimate act of love and sacrifice that secured salvation and new life for mankind. “The Bible records that the devil deceived man and he fell into sin, which simply is the power to live and do wrong. Man’s life, subsequent to the Fall, has reflected his decadence and evil.
All social, economic and political evils stem from man’s inherited sinfulness. The scourge of galamsey, corruption in high and low places, immorality and all kinds of moral perversion, every imaginable wickedness is the output of man’s sinful nature. “But thanks be to God for His unspeakable love for man. He destroyed the power of sin, that is, the power to live and do wrong through His Son Jesus on the cross,” he said.
Rt. Rev. Dr Lt Col. Agbeko (retd) said the Easter celebration reminded celebrants of the life, sacrifice and transcendent power of the Lord Jesus over life, death and eternity. He said Jesus Christ’s humility reminded leaders that authority was not absolute and a leader was also under authority, answerable to God, accountable to the people and subject to law and conscience.
Humility, he said, set aside pride and craved for recognition, focusing rather on faithful service to God and mankind.
The model for that balance, he said, was Jesus Christ himself.
“He accepted honour without clinging to it, he embraced suffering without resentment.
Leaders must learn to take high moments as if they were low and low moment without despair.
Courage enables you to stand firm, and humility enables you to serve gracefully and neither is sufficient alone.
“Together, they form the pivot of godly leadership.
All must remember leadership is temporary, but legacy is not; leaders must know they are custodians, not owners.
We only hold in trust before God and the people.
We must serve well, serve humbly, serve courageously,” he said.
Source: Emmanuel Bonney
