Journalists have been urged to restore hope in people
The Christian Leaders Fellowship in partnership with Good News Broadcasting Systems, is calling on journalists to join the wheel to restore faith and hope in people who have been hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic globally.
The call was to minimise the grappling effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the world especially developing countries that had gotten little attention.
The call was made on Friday at a news conference in Accra organised to introduce the media to the Fellowship’s “Hope to Overcome the Fear of COVID-19 Project” and call for their collaboration to restore hope and faith in the public.
Reverend Ock Soo Park, the Founder of Good News Mission, Christian Leaders Fellowship (CLF), said as many people lost their jobs in Ghana, fear and hopelessness had engulfed their hearts and minds.
The crisis, he said, highlighted the need for urgent action to cushion the pandemic’s health and economic consequences, protect vulnerable populations, and set the stage for lasting recovery, hence the project.
He said COVID-19 had changed everything under every sector and cost families their lives and others their property.
“With COVID-19, I had to preach in front of nobody for months, so when things started getting better and about 10 per cent of the congregation started coming to church, it felt good,” he said.
Reverend Dr Ahmed Kenneth Quarshie, the General Superintendent, The Free Methodist Church in Ghana, said it was not prudent for people to lose faith and feel their lives had ended due to the grappling effects of the pandemic.
“The end is when we don’t know Christ and lack faith in him. Research has shown that there are 8,810 promises of God in the Bible, so when we multiply it by 365 days within a year, it means there are 24 promises every day.
“If the pandemic is putting fear in us, then we have to run to the source of abode of strength which is in Jesus Christ. We should not be afraid no matter the circumstance. Fear kills more than the disease,” he said.
Rev. Quarshie admonished pastors to spread hope and encourage people to overcome the effects of the pandemic.
“We have to help our brothers and sisters with money to lessen their burdens.
Religious leaders should go into their coffers and help brothers and sisters who need help,” he said and reminded them to continue to educate their congregations to adhere to the COVID-19 safety protocols to reduce the risk of contracting the virus.
He said they were going to hold a virtual Global Bible Seminar involving 94 countries from May 11 to 15, this year and called on the media to join the seminar to extend the message to a wider audience.
Mr Winston Agaba David, the Executive Director of the Uganda Broadcasting Corporation, via a virtual platform, encouraged the media to sensitise the public on the pandemic and the fact that it had come to stay.
They were also to enlighten them to strictly observe the protocols and stay cautious to be safe of the disease.
Madam Godfreda Sumali, the Minister of National Guidance and Religious Affairs, Zambia, called on Christian leaders globally and in Africa to come together to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ to humanity.
She prayed that God continued to heal the land and prosper its people to conquer the challenges of the world.
Pastor Desmond Wadsworth of the USA, said COVID-19 had brought many challenges especially with social gathering.
“We missed the times to meet each other as a result of the isolation the virus brought. Protests and racists things came up, churches were engaging or ignoring the subject of divisions among themselves especially while they were on different sides of the political fence.
“But we are called for unity and oneness. It’s been physically and emotionally demanding but spiritually COVID-19 called us to get closer to the father,” he said.