National Cathedral No Big Deal – Bishop Adofoh

Bishop Bright Michael Adofoh, General Overseer of Peace Chapel International Church says he is stun by the huge brouhaha over the construction of the proposed National Cathedral for the country.

He believes there ought not be any controversy over the construction of he said national edifice if the country has the means to do so.

In the view of the Man of God, as a country if the government of the day decides to build a cathedral to worship God, “I don’t see anything wrong with that.”

Cathedral

Bishop Adofoh’s comments come at a time when the country seems divide over the government’s resolve to construct a national cathedral for the country.

The government wants the building constructed to mark Ghana’s 60th anniversary, explaining that it is to be used for formal state occasions of a religious nature, such as presidential inaugurations, state funerals, and national thanksgiving services.

The Cathedral will sit around a 14-acre garden and will have chapels, a baptistery, a music school, an art gallery, a Bible Museum and Documentation Centre.

So far, the houses of nine Court of Appeal judges at the Ridge Roundabout in Accra have been earmarked to be demolished to pave way for the construction of the cathedral amidst calls for the government to look for an alternative land for the construction.

Adofoh

Speaking in an exclusive interview with the paper in Accra on Tuesday, the Peace Chapel International Overseer was emphatic that the country needs God than anything.

“When it comes to the things of God, I think we need God more than anything else because except the Lord builds, the builder builds in vain.”

He argued that “This is a National Cathedra it’s not for one person it’s for the nation. When I look in the Bible I realize Solomon built a Cathedral for God and that has been a remembrance and memorial” adding “because of that, there was a covenant between God and his people.”

Bishop Adofoh continued: “For me if we can afford as a nation, I will love to see a Cathedral being built in the name of God, it belongs to God…”

Touching on suggestions that monies for the erection of the “needless” Cathedral could be put to good use be noted “The reason is, it doesn’t matter how we complain, civil servants have loans for house and cars, that does not mean because we have pressing needs as a country we will not give them…”

He explains further: “Our needs have been with us since Jesus’ time and we cannot live in a country without needs, in spite of our needs there are some things that we do with our money.”

On the relocation of judges, the man of God opined that this is not the first-time people have to relocate to pay way for the construction of objects of national interest.

“When it comes to relocation, I am sure some markets have been relocated before, what about that? when roads are being constructed some houses will be broken down for the roads, this this is not the first time, it depends on the value and the importance of what is at stake”.

He stated that the raging controversy over the issue has not in any way divided the country and that what divides Ghana is not a Cathedral but rather politics and culture.

Church Tax

On the thorny issue of taxing churches, he said the phenomena is not new

“I don’t know if it’s a new thing, churches already pay tax, if a church has anything that fetches it income no problem…I am surprised, this is not something new…taxes have been there already”

He rather warned that the country must be careful the way it handles matter of spirituality because the clergy have made and continue to make selfless contributions for the country, citing intercessory prayers for the country during elections, presidents and Members of Parliament among others.

He said most churches have scholarships, hospitals and schools and other amenities that argument governments efforts aimed at improving the lives of the ordinary people.

Bishop Adofoh nonetheless, urged his colleague pastors to pay their taxes because the church in his words cannot afford to shirk its responsibilities.

By: Jeffrey De-Graft Johnson