In this connection, the family should live in peace and stay united in order that as the basic unit of society it will translate its characteristics to the rest of the country, since the progress of the nation is intrinsically linked with that of the family.

These statements were made by the Minister in charge of the Emmanuel Congregation of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana (PCG) at North Darkuman in Accra, the Reverend Charles Adom Darkwa, on the last Sunday of the year, which is set aside for the family by the PCG and other Christian denominations to remind Christians of the importance of the family to peace in the church and the world.

The service was on the theme: “The family, the future of the nation”.

Kente Service/Family Day

The celebration of the day, which is interspersed with songs from various groups in the church and dancing, has also been set aside by the Emmanuel Congregation as Kente Service at which members of the church sport traditional apparel to thank God for seeing them through the year and to identify themselves as Africans and Ghanaians to affirm the importance of culture in religion, as well as disabuse the minds of converts that the culture of the people has no place in Christianity.

Taking excerpts from Jesus’ infant and boyhood narrative, Rev. Darkwa charged families to copy from the exemplary humble life of Jesus’ family when he sojourned on earth and have the confidence that Ghanaians could also build similar family in order to establish a society devoid of the evils of the world.

Irresponsible men

He admonished the congregation to lead a Christlike life and chastised people who were in church and still had issues to settle with others, saying that “we should endeavour to forgive each other so that the love of Christ that has brought humanity peace will bring that harmony, serenity and goodwill to the entire nation.”

The congregation, in a joyous but occasionally sombre mood as they listened to the sermon, frequently shouted “Amen, Amen” with applause as the reverend minister charged the congregation to take good care of the children God had blessed them with in order to build a prosperous church and a nation.

The yells grew louder when he particularly chastised men who denied and shirked their responsibilities towards women they impregnated and their children and encouraged them that “it is not too late to take a bold step to ask for forgiveness and rectify any errors in the past and begin to take your fatherly responsibility with boldness but in humility”.

Rev. Darkwa used the occasion to counsel spouses against taking their problems to third parties for settlement, saying, “Guide against broadcasting your marital problems to others, but settle such issues at home and in patience, since Christianity is the exhibition of ability to sit together and settle differences”.

Importance of the family

He espoused the importance of the family and said many issues of delinquency had arisen because of broken homes, adding that the family was established by God “and it is through strong families that there will be development and total transformation of society.”

“There is the need, therefore, for leadership at all levels of society to make deliberate efforts to make the family strong, including the creation of job opportunities for the youth that will make them capable of marrying and taking responsibilities for their families for the benefit of the whole nation,” Rev. Darkwa added.