Ghanaians upbeat about 2015

Victor Kwawukume Jan - 02 - 2015 , 12:17 7 minutes read

Last Wednesday, December 31, the whole city of Accra and the rest of the country were active to one goal — to usher in 2015.

For that reason, all the chapels and classrooms that served as worship centres, as well as playing grounds, were besieged by thousands of Christians and people from all walks of life to thank God for the things He did for them in 2014 and usher in the New Year.

Seeking atonement

For most of the people, especially December 31 worshippers, the night offered a friendly opportunity for them to seek atonement for their sins in the House of the Lord.

It was also to make sure that they were at the mercy of their Maker before the clock struck midnight to “cross over”, “jump over” or “change over” to the New Year.

From about 9 p.m., Accra was as if the residents were responding to one call — attend on the Lord at any worship centre of their choice or near their place of abode.

Business boom for commercial drivers

Taxi and trotro drivers had a field day, as worshippers who were travelling far away from their homes had to travel by trotro or charter taxis.

Abraham Mensah and Kwame Tay, trotro and taxi drivers, respectively, said business had been good from 8 p.m. to 4 a.m. when the churches closed.

To them, they wished every day was December 31.

What was conspicuous on the night was poor patronage of the pubs between 11 p.m. and 12 midnight. Even regular patrons deserted the bars for the House of God to pray for forgiveness of sins, blessings and prosperity in 2015.

Need to thank God

Some of the people who attended watch night services attributed their attendance to the fact that things had been tough in 2014 and that they felt that if they had managed to scale through, they needed to thank God for His mercies.

Thomas Akoto, who worshipped at the Maker’s House Chapel International at Kwabenya, said as a street vendor, 2014 had particularly been a difficult year for him because on some occasions city authorities had driven him and others from the streets.

During those periods, he said, he had nothing to do to earn a livelihood.

Akosua Ntiriwaa, a hairdresser, said it was only by the grace of God that she survived the debilitating ‘dumsor-dumsor’ which made it difficult for her to operate her business all the time.

“For me, if I have managed to live for 364 days, paying the school fees of my children as a single mother, then I have no choice but to say Hallelujah to God,” she said.

Ebola scare effects

Mamavi Agbemenya, a chop bar operative who worshipped at the Royal House Chapel, said chop bar operations faced many challenges in 2014 because of the Ebola scare for which health professionals cautioned people to stop eating bush meat.

Before the scare, Mamavi, who operates her chop bar in the central business district of Accra, said her bush meat of grass cutter and antelope sold like hot cake, but when Ebola reared its ugly head, “my business totally collapsed”.

She commended the President for demonstrating courage when other leaders in the sub-region were scared to accommodate the response team from the United Nations (UN), saying, “For that singular act, the UN has managed to contain the disease in the sub-region.”

Alhaji Mustapha Haruna, a sachet water producer, said apart from the ‘dumsor’ creating production challenges for his business, the high cost of electricity had also affected his operations considerably.

“I am a Moslem who should not be in a Catholic Church at Mile 7 today, but I am here to thank Allah because he deserves all the praise and adoration for all that He did for Ghanaians in 2014. I hope things will be better in 2015,” he said.

Churches filled to capacity

The St Patrick Catholic Church at Dome was filled not only with the Catholic faithful but also those described as ‘December 31 worshippers’, reports Ransford Tetteh.

The worshippers, who filled the main auditorium of the church and its immediate compound, included members of other denominations, a situation which virtually made the worship an inter-faith celebration.

The congregation, led in prayer by the officiating priest, Rev. Father Frederick Agyemang, and song ministration by the choir, danced and prayed for the forgiveness of sins and the development of the country.

Rev. Father Agyemang asked the congregation to rededicate themselves to the teachings of God and live by whatever resolutions they had made for the New Year.

Sebastian Syme reports that hundreds of worshippers who thronged Action Chapel International on the Spintex Road in Accra ushered in the New Year with praises and worship, led by Archbishop Nicholas Duncan-Williams.

The watch night service, which brought people from all walks of life to fill the church premises to capacity, witnessed inspirational song ministration delivered by the church choir.

Archbishop Duncan-Williams, who preached the sermon on the topic, “God’s original agenda not changed”, drummed home the fact that God’s purpose for His children had not changed and that irrespective of “their iniquities”, God still had a good purpose for mankind.

God’s purpose still stands

“It does not matter what you go through; God’s Word still stands in your life. Irrespective of your status in society, you still need God,” he said.

Among the dignitaries at the watch night service were Ghana’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Mr Victor Smith, and the Minister for Trade and Industry, Dr Ekwow Spio-Garbrah.

While asking Ghanaians to pray for God’s original agenda to manifest in their lives this year, Archbishop Duncan-Williams underscored the need for the citizenry to do away with negative attitudes and rather lead edifying lives that would fulfil God’s purpose for them on earth.

Intense traffic

There was heavy vehicular traffic on the Spintex Road as a result of the number of people who plied that road to attend watch night services at various churches.

It took the intervention of policemen to control the traffic situation there.

Service attracts fruitfulness

Fire crackers and fireworks heralded the New Year at Anyaa Nsumfa, near Ablekuma, and its environs, reports Edmund Smith Asante, Anyaa Nsumfa.

Churches in the area went agog with the singing of praises and dancing to thank God for a New Year.

Pastors of three churches in the area — the Full Gospel Church International (FGCI), the Redemption Fire Church and the Nsumfa branch of the Pentecost Church — pronounced blessings for the New Year on their congregations.

Delivering the sermon at the FGCI, Pastor Dr Frederick Arhin said, “One of the things that provoke God to cause us to be fruitful is when we decide to serve Him because we were created to serve God.”

He, therefore, urged the members to offer service that was pleasing to God, using the special abilities given by God to attract His blessings.

The church’s theme for the year, “2015, My Year of Service”, was unveiled at the watch night service.

At the Logos Rhema Community Assembly in Accra, the Chief Servant, Rev. Abu Bako, preaching on the theme: “Celebrating your harvest with praise", said 2015 would be a year of "extraction, retraction, realignment and redefinition", reports Mark-Anthony Vinorkor.

He said God would "bring all diligent Christians to a place of recovery and restoration".

Rev. Bako prayed for the nation and urged all Christians to "turn opportunities to sin" into "opportunities for righteousness".

Solemn Mass

A solemn Holy Mass at the St John the Evangelist Catholic Church at Adenta in Accra on December 31, 2014 to usher in 2015 burst into spontaneous jubilation as the clock struck midnight, reports Severious Kale-Dery.

The worshippers danced and praised God for leading them into another new year, praying for better things to happen in 2015.

In a homely, the Parish Priest, the Very Rev. Fr Anthony Richard Opong, cautioned Christians to be wary of anti-Christs who he said were lurking around “promising heaven on earth”.

He advised Christians to remain focussed and affirm their belief in Christ, who was the architect of their lives.

The Very Rev. Fr Opong urged Ghanaians to put the past behind them and look forward to a better 2015, saying, “2015 will be a year of blessing.”