‘Galamsey’ hampering baptism of new converts in rivers and streams – SDA Church laments

The leadership of the Seventh-day Adventist Church is worried over the increasing negative effects of illegal mining, which they say is affecting the soul-winning efforts of the church.

Executive Secretary of the Northern Ghana Union of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, Pastor Edward Nyarkoh, says the church can no longer baptize new converts in streams in areas affected by illegal mining because of increasing turbidity levels in water bodies across the country.

He told Joy News churches are now forced to construct baptisteries for new converts because the church can no longer conduct baptismal services in rivers.

“Galamsey has come to destroy all the water bodies. So it’s also affecting our baptism”.

The Northern Ghana Union of the SDA church has 2,251 congregants in the northern sector of Ghana with a total membership of 218,000 as of the end of July 2024.

About 2,000 new converts were baptized over the period under review.

For years, the Seventh-day Adventist Church, which believed in the Biblical baptism of immersion, has been conducting baptisms of new converts in rivers and streams.

But the church is now being compelled to construct baptisteries in place of conducting baptisms in streams and rivers.

That’s according to the Executive Secretary of the Northern Ghana Union of the church, Pastor Edward Nyarkoh.

“Previously, we were baptizing in rivers. But nowadays, all the water bodies are contaminated. Therefore, that has resulted in this church building this baptistery so that all those who would be baptized; pastors who are officiating would not be contaminated,” he said.

Pastor Nyarko spoke on the sidelines of the 40th-anniversary climax of the Bohyen-Kropo branch of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, under the theme: “Blessings beyond Measure”.

 President of the Mid-Central Ghana Conference, Pastor Daniel Kyei-Baffuor Junior, is asking pastors of the church to strongly speak against illegal mining.

 “Within my jurisdiction, I am urging all my pastors that they should speak against galamsey. They should act against galamsey. When they see something with regards to galamsey, they should say something”.

He is also entreating members of the church involved in galamsey to quit the illegal trade.

“Enough is enough, simply because when we look at the dreadful nature of our environment today, and the effects that galamsey brings upon us, I don’t think we should sit as a people and continue to condone this kind of menace.

We talk against armed robbery, we talk against other social vices.  But I dare say galamsey tops them”.  

Meanwhile, the national leadership of the Seventh-day Adventist Church is yet to issue an official communique on illegal mining.