The National Director of the Ghana Israeli Embassy, Prophet Kofi Oduro Agyeman Prempeh has appealed to the government to support an annual Christian pilgrimage to the Holy Land of Jerusalem as done for the Moslem pilgrimage to Mecca. He told Adom News that individual churches and Christian groups organize separate Christian pilgrimages to the Holy Land of Jerusalem every year in their own small ways because there is no central body that does that. “The challenge has been with the inability of individuals to support themselves financially to undertake the pilgrimage, but if government comes on board to help it will reduce the financial burden so (that) many more Christians can undertake the pilgrimage,” he said. He noted that a trip costs between $2,500 and $3,000 per head, but that could reduce significantly if the government came in. “We appeal to President Mills, and the Ministers of Tourism and of Finance to give us any support they can to make Christian Pilgrimage to Jerusalem a major national feature,” he said. Prophet Agyeman-Prempeh noted that unlike Moslems who are required to go on the Hajj trip, Christians are not required by the Bible to undertake the pilgrimage to Jerusalem, but there were significant benefits in undertaking that pilgrimage. “When we go on the pilgrimage to Jerusalem we do not perform any rituals like the Moslem do in Mecca, but we get to see all the things and sites the Bible talk about and it strengthens our faith in the Bible and our commitment to live by its tenets,” he said. Prophet Agyeman-Prempeh argued that government’s contribution to a cause that would strengthen Christians’ commitment to biblical tenets goes a long way to reflect on national development because the bible teaches on commitment to one’s country, peaceful co-existence, prayer for leadership and strict adherence to national laws, rules and regulations. He said, while in Jerusalem, Christians get to see and experience biblical truth live, adding that some even get to go and pray in the Upper Room, where the Holy Spirit first descended on men, and also get baptized in the River Jordan, where Christ was baptized. The Prophet noted that whereas Moslems returned from Mecca with titles like Alhaji, for the men, Alhajia for the women, Christians do not have any formal titles they return with, but they receive certificates that describe them as Jerusalem Pilgrims or JP, for short. Prophet Agyeman-Prempeh said the Ghana-Israeli Embassy was however working at getting the Jewish Rabbis to agree to confer the title “Rabbi” on all Christian Pilgrims to Jerusalem. Meanwhile the Ministry of Tourism has also been organizing tourist trips to Israel every year for Ghanaians of all religions who want to go see the tourist sites of that that country. Story by: Samuel Nii Narku Dowuona/Adom FM/Ghana ENDS