In churches, at drinking bars and in the streets of cities, towns and villages, Ghanaians gave a prolonged shout at the sound of the sirens and trumpets and car horns to signify the passing away of 2021 and the ushering in of 2022.
The churches were filled to overflowing as irregulars and non-traditional church goers joined the regular church members to usher in the New Year.
At the True Vine Charismatic Church International in Accra, the Senior Pastor, Rev.Tetteh Djangmah led the congregation through the watch night service. Preaching on the theme;“Our year of continuous divine victory” Rev. TettehDjangmahsaid the year 2022 was a prophetic sign of victory for all, as no member of the congregation was going to fall prey to the enemy.
God needs your little prayers and commitment in terms of offering, worship,
tithes and others, adding that “with that you shall not lack anything in 2022.”
“The Lord needs your little sacrifice to bless you abundantly,” he said.
Later in his sermon on New Year’s Day, Rev.Tetteh Djangmah called on the congregants to have confidence in God, saying when you put your trust in the Lord, he will never fail to deliver on his promise.
Despite the challenges that may come their way, he said,“God was always there to see you through all where at the end victory shall be yours.”
Rev.Tetteh Djangmah asked Christians not to give excuses for the work of God, saying the time to worship the Lord should never be sacrificed for any other job.
As part of the New Year goodwill, Pastor Djangmah distributed rice and chicken to some needy members.
Pastor Gospel Odame-Kentoe, Christian Fellowship Centre in Sunyani, capital of the Bono Region urged government to establish a statutory regulatory body to sanitise the proliferation of churches in the country.
He explained the increasing number of churches mushrooming in the country, some of which engaged in all manner of vices was tarnishing the image of Christendom.
According him, if the situation was not curbed as soon as possible, many Ghanaians especially Christians would lose faith in the religion.
He told the Ghanaian Times in an interview on the sidelines of the 31st December all night service of his church on Friday, here.
He said some of these churches and their pastors usually take advantage of the vulnerability of their members and dupe them or engage in all manner of immoral acts against them including sexual exploitation.
Relatedly, the Sunyani District Pastor of the Church of Pentecost, Daniel OkaakyieAmeyaw, in a New Year message, advised Ghanaians to pray for divine protection against the COVID-19 pandemic.
He noted that whether the pandemic had come to stay with us or not Ghanaians and people in the world need God`s intervention to fight COVID-19.
Quoting from Numbers 6: 24-27, he said Christians need to put their trust in the Lord whiles they also observe the COVID-19 protocol strictly.
Meanwhile, the General Overseer of the Dunamis Word Church International, Apostle Richard Ohenekesse, called for the need to help the less privileged in the society.
Preaching the sermon on Friday night’s pass over service, Apostle Ohenekesse said reaching out to the needy is one of the surest ways to receive God`s blessing by the giver.
He said although there will be difficulty in 2022 Ghanaians should brace for it.
BY NORMAN COOPER & DANIEL DZIRASAH
