When by the grace of God this Covid-19 pandemic passes in the words of the President of the Republic, many institutions and individuals would have earned the respect of Ghanaians.

Obviously, these institutions include the health profession who like soldiers in a battlefield are willing to sacrifice themselves for the collective good of the people. They deserve our support. Other institutions such as the media, Security Services, the Ghana Armed Forces, State institutions, the Opposition Party and the Private Sector will all have their names written in gold for standing up to the fight when it mattered most.

The Church and the Mosque will also be remembered for their sacrifices, prayers and logistical and financial support to the destitute and the underprivileged individuals in our society. They also deserve a pat on the back.

But whilst we appreciate the religious bodies too for their role in the fight against Covid-19, I think it is important to recognize the yeoman and the frontal role played by the Church of Pentecost in this whole fight against Covid-19. Conscious of the relationship between the church and the state, the Church of Pentecost was among the first batch of donors to the State as far as the fight against Covid-19 is concerned.

First, they donated, a fleet of cars to the government to be used as operational vehicles in the fight against the Coronavirus. As though that was not enough, they released to the State their prayer facility at Gomoa Fetteh near Kasoa in the Central Region as an isolation centre for Covid-19 patients.  I am told they also made a cash donation to the Covid-19 Fund.

Although unrelated to the fight against Covid-19, the Church was earlier involved in a national clean- up exercise during when all their branches in Ghana were asked to clean markets, lorry parks and some strategic places.

The Church also partnered with the Ghana Prison Service to construct a number of prisons in the country as a way of decongesting our congested prisons. As a further proof her Corporate Social Responsibility, the Church also put up some Police Stations which it had since handed over to the Ghana Police Service.

Although the execution of these commendable feats is not unique to the Church of Pentecost as other Churches such as the Catholic Church, ICGC to mention but a few and the Moslem Community are also involved in doing some of these things, the consistency with which the Church of Pentecost carries out these social responsibilities is worthy of commendation and recognition.

I am not a member of the Church, but I have observed how practical they have made the Christian faith. I have observed how willing they are to collaborate with the State for the good of the country. At a time when eyes are on the Church in particular for allegations of extortion, lack of care for the poor and cult worship, the good examples of the Church of Pentecost are worth highlighting. It shows how relevant the Church/Mosque is in national development. It reinforces the Orthodox Churches of old which were involved in the provision of schools, health facilities, agriculture and skills training.

If I have my way, I will ungrudgingly declare the Church of Pentecost as the Most Corporate Social Responsibility conscious religious body in Ghana. Like our health care workers who are deserving of the Order of the Volta recognition, the Church of Pentecost also deserves such recognition after all is done. I sincerely encourage the Church to continue with the good deeds in line with their calling.  After all, the Church does not only exist to take care of the spiritual needs of members. Jesus Christ proved that by feeding five thousand people with five loaves of bread and two fishes.

Ayekoo to all Churches and the Moslem Community who are supportive of the fight against Covid-19.

The writer, Gborse Nicholas Mawunyah, is a writer and conference speaker on topical issues in education, political-history, school leadership and innovations. You can contact him via gborsenicholasm@gmail.com