By Jones Anlimah
The Evangelical Presbyterian Church, Ghana (EPCG) has called for a stronger commitment to cleanliness, responsible environmental stewardship and sanitation as part of efforts to promote healthy and dignified communities.
The call was made at the opening of the 12th General Assembly of the EPCG, being held under the theme, “Cleanliness is Next to Godliness.”
The Volta Regional Minister, James Gunu, who represented President John Dramani Mahama at the Assembly, said cleanliness must go beyond keeping homes and public spaces tidy to become a matter of discipline, responsibility and respect for God’s creation.
“Let us therefore make cleanliness a daily habit, a community responsibility and a national culture,” he said.
Mr Gunu said government recognised that a clean environment was fundamental to public health, human dignity and national development, adding that the renewed National Sanitation Day formed part of the government’s broader Clean Up Ghana Agenda.
He urged the EPCG to use its extensive network of congregations to support the national sanitation effort by educating members on proper waste disposal, handwashing, clean surroundings, responsible use of water and the protection of water bodies.
“Our churches are not only places of worship; they are centres of moral education, community mobilisation and social transformation,” he said.
The Regional Minister said the government alone could not address the country’s sanitation and water challenges and called for collaboration among churches, traditional authorities, schools, businesses, civil society organisations and citizens.
He cited several development interventions in the Volta Region, including 618 district-level projects being implemented across the region’s 18 Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies, with 234 completed and 384 ongoing.
He also highlighted the government’s investment in water infrastructure, including the Water for All Initiative, Kpeve Water expansion, the Agordome and Adidome treatment plants and the Anyako-Konu-Seva Water System.
Mr Gunu said such interventions demonstrated that safe water, sanitation and hygiene were essential foundations for healthy and productive communities and were consistent with Sustainable Development Goal Six on clean water and sanitation.
EPCG highlights financial reforms
The Moderator of the EPCG, Rt. Rev. Dr. Lt. Col. Bliss Divine Kofi Agbeko (Rtd), used his final address to highlight efforts made during his tenure to strengthen the Church’s financial position and reduce its debt burden.
He said the Church inherited debts exceeding GH¢7 million but had paid more than GH¢11 million in debt-related obligations between 2020 and 2026, leaving an outstanding balance of about GH¢3.1 million.
“The current administration paid a total of 4 million and over Cedis of the debt inherited,” he said, adding that other outstanding obligations to partners and institutions had also been settled.
The Moderator stressed the need for the Church to become less dependent on voluntary offerings and develop sustainable income-generating ventures.
“The long-term sustainability and effectiveness of our Church’s ministry depend upon a strong and diversified financial base,” he said.
He cited the EPCG’s Prime Natural Mineral Drinking Water Company as one of the Church’s investments intended to provide an alternative source of revenue for ministry.
According to him, the company’s audited accounts for 2024-2025 showed revenue growth of 22.88 percent, alongside an 84.39 percent reduction in net losses and improvements in liquidity and operational stability.
He urged the Church to protect the investment and rejected proposals that could dilute its ownership through external shareholding.
Focus on youth and changing times
The General Assembly also heard calls for deliberate measures to retain young people within the Church and bridge the generational gap.
Rt. Rev. Agbeko said some young people were leaving the EPCG after transitioning from children’s ministry into adult worship because they struggled to identify with the Church’s traditional modes of worship.
“For the future of our ministry depends on how well we nurture, empower, and integrate our younger generations into the life of the Church,” he said.
He said a generational group model was being piloted in the Eastern Presbytery, taking young people progressively from children’s ministry to junior youth, youth and young adult fellowship.
The initiative, he said, had also been incorporated into the Church’s five-year strategic plan.
The Moderator further urged the Church to embrace technology while protecting its doctrine, reputation and institutional integrity.
He disclosed that the Church was developing an online worship, digital communication and social media policy to regulate digital activities undertaken in the name of the EPCG.
The policy, he said, was necessary to address challenges including misinformation, cyber-security breaches, online impersonation, defamatory content, cyberbullying and the misuse of artificial intelligence and social media.
Call for integrity and unity
Rt. Rev. Agbeko also called for greater integrity among ministers, officers and members of the Church, insisting that Christian leadership must be reflected in conduct as well as preaching.
“Integrity in church ministry must not be a slogan. It is a daily, costly, honest living seen in small things showing Christlike honesty without supervision, pressure, or control,” he said.
He urged delegates attending the General Assembly to conduct their deliberations with maturity as the Assembly considers reports, constitutional matters, policies, disciplinary issues and the election of a new Moderator.
“Let us debate without fighting or division, decide without delay and depart without bitterness,” he said.
The 12th General Assembly marks the completion of Rt. Rev. Agbeko’s six-year tenure as Moderator of the EPCG.
In his closing charge, he urged delegates to “speak truth, but with and in love,” and to listen before responding and pray before voting.
“May this General Assembly be marked not just by what we resolve but by who we become through it. May we leave this General Assembly more united, more Christ-like, and more committed to the work of the Lord Jesus Christ,” he said.
The Assembly is expected to deliberate on the affairs of the Church, including constitutional and disciplinary matters, policy formulation and the election of a new Moderator.
