By Jones Anlimah
The Moderator of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church, Ghana (EPCG), Rt. Rev. Dr. Lt. Col. Bliss Divine Kofi Agbeko (Rtd), has urged Christians to cultivate clean hearts, demonstrate mercy and reject tribal, ethnic and other social boundaries that undermine the unity and growth of the Church.
He said genuine Christian cleanliness went beyond physical appearance and should be reflected in the heart, words, attitudes and actions of believers.
Rt. Rev. Agbeko made the call when he preached at the General Thanksgiving Service to climax the 12th General Assembly of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church, Ghana.
The service was held under the General Assembly theme, “Cleanliness is Next to Godliness,” while the sermon was delivered on the theme “Mercy Beyond Boundaries.”
Drawing on the teachings of Jesus Christ, the Moderator said what came out of a person’s heart through speech and conduct revealed the person’s spiritual condition.
“It is not what you eat that makes you unclean, but what you say. Whatever you say, whatever comes from your mouth shall be used to judge you,” he said.
He explained that words and actions were outward expressions of what was contained in the heart.
“Whether you are clean spiritually or you are dirty spiritually, your words will reveal,” he said, urging believers to examine themselves and be mindful of their conduct.
Mercy beyond boundaries
Using the biblical account of Jesus and the Syro-Phoenician woman, Rt. Rev. Agbeko said Christians should not restrict God’s mercy based on ethnicity, nationality, friendship, political affiliation or other human classifications.
He said Jesus’ encounter with the woman demonstrated the importance of faith and mercy beyond established boundaries.
“We like to keep boundaries. This is my friend, this is not my friend. This one voted for me, this didn’t vote for me. All these are the boundaries which you need to kick out as soon as the election is over,” he said.
The Moderator said the Church must instead emphasise unity and shared identity in Christ.
“You must maintain one country, one church, one people, one faith, one tradition,” he said.
He urged members to welcome newcomers and create an environment that encouraged people to remain in the Church.
“Every one of us, we are gatekeepers,” he said. “Our attitude towards those coming in, the new, the young, the strangers, who come and experience your character in the church” can determine whether they remain or leave.
Clean hearts, clean conduct
Rt. Rev. Agbeko said the theme of cleanliness should prompt believers and Church leaders to undertake what he described as “heart surgery” by examining their inner lives.
“We need to do heart surgery of ourselves and see the status of our heart. Because without a clean heart, there will be no clean life and clean attitude,” he said.
He warned that hatred, scheming, indiscipline and other negative behaviours could damage the Church and drive people away.
“If we do so, we will rise. We will grow. We will grow up. But if you show that your heart is dirty through what you say and do, it will kill the church. It will drive away people,” he said.
The Moderator also stressed that mercy should not be confused with indiscipline or the abandonment of standards.
He said Church leaders had a responsibility to preserve the institutions entrusted to them and maintain order.
“Your duty, your first duty is to preserve the state. If for church, to preserve the church,” he said, adding that leaders must also ensure that order was maintained.
Concern about Church growth
Rt. Rev. Agbeko expressed concern about the membership growth of the EPCG, noting the Church needed to examine why members were leaving and why newer churches were growing rapidly.
“Because of their attitude to the world around them, to people around them. So they always find it good to welcome them, accept them, and make them feel they are part of them,” he said.
He urged EPCG members to make visitors feel welcome and demonstrate the character of Christ in their daily interactions.
“Beloved in Christ, show mercy beyond boundaries,” he said.
Call for support for incoming Moderator
As he prepares to hand over leadership of the Church at the end of December 2026, Rt. Rev. Agbeko appealed to members to support his successor, Moderator-elect Rev. Dr. Frederick Mawusi Amevenku.
He cautioned members against repeating actions that had made his own tenure difficult.
“And I want to tell you, as we have a new leader who will take off in January. Let us all go and work on ourselves. All the evils and wrongs that you did to me, don’t do it to Him,” he said.
He urged the Church to respect and support its leaders, stressing that leadership transitions were part of God’s purposes.
“We should learn to respect and obey our leaders. For God brought them in at a time for a purpose. And when their time and purpose is set, they take up [their place] and another comes to do what is the time for,” he said.
Rt. Rev. Agbeko, whose tenure ends on December 31, 2026, said he would document some of his experiences in leadership in a forthcoming book titled Leadership Under Fire.
He concluded by urging Christians and Ghanaians alike to reject tribalism, ethnicity and other divisive tendencies.
“Don’t be tribalistic. Don’t be schoolmate sort of thing. Don’t be ethnicity type. It does not build church. It breaks and destroys community,” he said.
He encouraged believers to embrace hope, mercy and unity as they sought to strengthen the Church and contribute positively to Ghanaian society.
