Native-Speaking Ghana Church Advocates for AIDS/HIV Education
26 November 2024 |
The inauguration of Ga Dagme Seventh-day Adventist church in Ghana was historic for two reasons. First, it is one of the few churches that holds main services for native speakers; the Ga community has been unable to engage in their church communities because most services are held in English or Akan. Having Ga or Ga Dagme as the central language is a major win for the native community, allowing a sense of belonging and stronger fellowship.
Second, the president of the Accra City Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, Solomon O.T. Hammond, spoke to the media during the inauguration regarding the mistreatment of AIDS/HIV patients. The issue has been rampant in pockets of Africa for decades, but misinformation surrounding the condition still persists, promoting damaging stigmas leading to isolation and unnecessary cruelty.
Hammond urged Adventists to educate themselves on the condition to allow greater awareness and extend grace. Addressing both the media and his congregation, he implored that Christ followers are called to embrace those suffering with the virus, and support them as they pursue treatment, rather than shaming them, as though the condition were a moral failure. The stigmas fueled by misinformation have led many patients to believe conspiracy theories about the vaccines for AIDS/HIV, thus avoiding helpful treatment.
The church president stated that learning about the virus and its treatments is critical for the growth of the church, allowing for acceptance motivated by educated awareness and a Christlike model.
