Rich Ghanaian Tradition Displayed At Tema First Baptist Church

Something indeed odd out of the ordinary was witnessed on Sunday at the First Baptist Church in Tema where church members displayed some nice rich Ghanaian cultural clothes during service.

According to the church, it was meant to demonstrate to Christians and Ghanaians in general that indigenous adornments and flocklore can also be used to worship God.

The congregants, clad in diverse Ghanaian traditional outfits, sang and danced to the songs of some ethnic groupings in Ghana whilst they took turns in praising the name of God.

The Traditional Sunday Service was held as part of the year-long 50th anniversary celebrations of the First Baptist Church.

Speaking to the press after the ceremony at the church premises, Community Five, Tema, the Senior Pastor of the Church, Reverend David Kwame, observed that there was the need to worship God with the attributes of 'our places' of origin.

He hinted that, 'We don't choose where we come from, so as a church we want to tell God how grateful we are as Ghanaians.'

He encouraged Ghanaians to patronize made-in-Ghana goods and showcase the diverse cultural ways in which God had blessed them.

He informed that the African culture was not always seen in the making of libation and slaughtering of cows to appease heathen gods, 'That's why we have shown that we can live and serve God in the contest of our indigenous culture.'

Rev. Kwame however informed that, 'In as much as we want to promote made-in-Ghana goods, we must also go for the best, 'adding that, 'Sometimes the kind of quality we get leaves much to be desired. We must compete with goods from outside.'

An Associate Pastor of the church, Rev. Victor Brew, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) encouraged the youth to accept the Ghanaian culture. He informed that it was instituted by God, and so 'we shouldn't be shy but be proud of it and announce it to God's glory.'

Rev. Brew observed that Ghanaians crave for foreign cultures because of how little Ghanaian history had been promoted which made the youth think that every aspect of their culture was at variance with God's word.

'It's also because we have studied so much about foreign cultures that we desire them and refuse to hold unto ours,' the Reverend said.

Rev. Brew concluded that, 'God decided to put us where we are as his gift to us because it would bring glory to God and happiness to us.'

The First Baptist Church has been celebrating fifty years of church-hood with activities which included donation of medical equipment to the Tema Polyclinic, and homecoming service for the numerous churches planted by the First Baptist Church.