By Patrick Ofoe Nudzi, GNA
Accra, March 10, GNA – Churches and Christians have been urged to promote Ghanaian cultural values and customs as the practices are not evil or fetish but teach us to be just, responsible and upright.
Rev. Dr. Kwaku Boamah, Minister, Resurrection Methodist Church, Adenta, said our values, norms, customs, and traditions made us unique as Christians and “when we understand these values very well and live by them our relationship with God is strengthened.”
“These values, customs and traditions are not evil but promote peace, discipline, tolerance, justice, unity, and national cohesion. The church must incorporate our culture (foods, songs, languages dances e.t.c) and customs into the church activities and these things can be passed on from generation to generation,” Rev Dr Boamah said.
He made the call when the Church organized cultural activities to commemorate its 30 years anniversary celebration together with this year’s Independence Day Celebrations and Heritage Month under the theme, “Rock Your Region.”
The event which sought to highlight Ghana’s rich culture saw various societies in the church like the singing band dressed in their Kente clothes, danced, to portray a durbar of chiefs in the Ashanti Region whilst the choir showed how the people of the Volta Region dressed and danced during social events like festivals.
Rev. Dr Boamah who is also the Chairman of the 30th Anniversary Committee, said the performances, narration of history and display of traditional regalia were to depict and imbibe our way of life – food, language, dances, clothing, and songs amongst others into the congregants.
He said: “The goal is to ensure that we don’t lose our identity as a people since it is clear that many of us do not have command over our language, dances and these days we are choosing fast foods and junk foods over our delicious local meals.”
The Chairman said it had been pathetic that anytime he greeted the younger ones in the local languages, and they looked at him with some amazement, however, these children responded quickly if the greeting was ‘good morning.’
He encouraged parents to speak their mother tongue with their children at home, adding that, “many adults can’t speak their mother tongue continuously for some minutes without chipping in an English word. Some too cannot speak it properly. We must use our mother tongue, known in the educational circles, to teach the young ones. As leaders, let us ensure that our laws and policies promote our culture, customs, and traditions,” he said.
Very Rev. Ama Afo Blay, a former Director General, Ghana Education Service (GES) and a Minister at the Resurrection Methodist Church, said the cultural activities had awoken “our consciousness and we should continue promoting the values and customs because they give us wisdom.”
“It is important to teach the young ones with the first language it helps them to grasp things easily. The first language opens their minds for better understanding, as young as they are, it builds a foundation for their logical and analytical skills as they grow. GES and Ministry of Education must enforce the policy,” she said.
GNA