All is set for the Church of Pentecost to plant and nurture 1 million trees across the country as part of the church’s Environmental Care Campaign.

The Chairman of the church, Apostle Eric Nyamekye, on Thursday, ceremoniously planted some trees at the General Headquarters of the church at La in Accra to officially mark the beginning of the national exercise.

The ambitious initiative of the church is in line with the Greening Ghana Project of the Government of Ghana, which aims at planting five million trees in June this year.

Beginning Saturday, May 29, all males in the church, under the auspices of the Pentecost Men’s Ministry (PEMEM), will plant 50,000 seedlings across the country. It will be followed by the Evangelism Ministry who will plant 100,000 seedlings on Saturday, June 5.

The Women’s and Children’s Ministries will together plant 500,000 seedlings on June 11, while the Youth Ministry will mobilise all young persons in the church to plant 350,000 seedlings on Saturday, June 12.

Explaining the rationale behind the project, Apostle Nyamekye indicated that tree is life and, therefore, there is the need to safeguard the forest cover of the country.

He bemoaned the indiscriminate felling down of trees and the surge in the galamsey activities (illegal mining), especially in river bodies and forest zones which is posing a serious threat to both human and aquatic lives.

“By planting trees, we are giving more life to the nation because the tree is life,” he said.

He disclosed that the church's vision to green Ghana has been given an impetus following a decision by the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, to mobilise Ghanaians to plant 5million trees across the country.

The Chairman was hopeful that the intention will help transform lives in Ghana as the environment gets better.

According to him, though planting one million trees is an ambitious project, with the grace of God and the numbers that the church has, it is feasible.

The General Secretary, Apostle Alexander Nana Yaw Kumi-Larbi, on his part, thanked all stakeholders for supporting the vision of the church.

He entreated all members of the church to actively involve themselves in the exercise by planting and nurturing at least one tree.

The Coordinator for the project, Apostle Samuel Kojo Gakpetor, on behalf of the committee, thanked the leadership of the church for entrusting the project in the care of his team.

He disclosed that the Church of Pentecost is planting 20% of the 5million trees that government intends to plant.

He encouraged members of the church and all local churches to ensure that trees are planted in the streets, schools, market places, church premises, and every available space to make the environment safe for all.

An official of the Forestry Commission responsible for the project, Benjamin Torgbor expressed the Commission’s joy in partnering with the Church of Pentecost to make the Government's vision a reality.

According to him, the objectives of the project among other things are to beautify the environment, protect water bodies, and mitigate climate change.

He commended the church for putting in place proper structures to ensure that the trees are nurtured and grow to realise the objectives for the project.

Mr. Torgbor disclosed that apart from The Church of Pentecost, other churches like the Presbyterian Church of Ghana and the Apostolic Church are planting 1million and 500,000 seedlings respectively, saying that the three churches are together planting 2.5million out of the 5million trees that the government plans to plant.