GPCC General Secretary Emphasizes Religious Leaders’ Role in Promoting Peace and Unity

The General Secretary of the Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council (GPCC), Apostle Immanuel Tettey, has reiterated the influential role of religious leaders in promoting peace before, during, and after elections.

Apostle Tettey emphasized that religious leaders go beyond Christian ministers to include Muslim sheikhs, imams in Muslim communities, and even traditional leaders or fetish priests in some areas. He stressed that these leaders held significant sway in their respective communities and had the responsibility to promote peace.

The General Secretary said this in sideline interview with GPCC News at the 2024 Conference of Heads of Churches and Organizations at the Pentecost Convention Center (PCC) in Gomoa Fetteh.

“When we speak, our followers listen. We have to speak to our followers about being peaceful, bringing peace rather than creating conflict,” Apostle Tettey asserted.

He urged religious leaders to discourage actions that could escalate conflicts and instead find peaceful resolutions. “We should be instruments of peace and not instruments of conflict,” he reiterated.

Religious Tolerance

Addressing the issue of religious tolerance and harmony, Apostle Tettey acknowledged the diversity within communities, citing examples of Christians and churches coexisting with other faiths. He urged people to embrace differences and live harmoniously, emphasizing the importance of accepting individuals from diverse backgrounds, tribes, ethnicities, and religions.

“In Ghana, we must learn to coexist with people of different faiths, people who are different from us. Don’t expect that everybody will be like you. Everybody will think like you,” he said. Apostle Tettey highlighted the constitutional freedom of association and encouraged acceptance of diversity for peaceful cohabitation.

In response to a question on the measures GPCC is implementing to ensure peaceful and successful elections, Apostle Tettey described GPCC as an ecumenical body with a coalition of churches.

Hence, he explained that GPCC is actively engaging pastors and ministers within its network, encouraging them to be instruments of peace and promoting unity as Ghanaians prepare towards the General election..

“At this program, the heads of churches and the general secretaries and regional leaders of GPCC have gathered to promote peace. We seek God’s guidance and impact on our ministries by the Holy Spirit, so that the power of God will bring peace and not conflict when we return to our churches,” Apostle Tettey stated, invoking the teachings of Christ as the Prince of Peace.

When asked about utilizing the pulpit to address issues of poor sanitation, Apostle Tettey suggested that religious leaders should incorporate such topics into their teachings. He emphasized the need for leaders to educate their congregations on proper sanitation practices and encouraged them to actively participate in community initiatives that address these issues.

SOURCE: GPCC NEWS