The Solid Rock Baptist Church in the Upper East Regional capital recently held its first-ever Culture Day, an initiative introduced by the church’s leadership to celebrate the diverse backgrounds that make up its congregation.
The event, which coincided with Ghana Month in March, was spearheaded by the Head Pastor, Rev. Thomas Abukari.
Rev. Abukari explained that in today’s global world, communities are often composed of people from many different cultural backgrounds. “We have found ourselves in the regional capital of Upper East with several cultures coming together, and the church is made up of several cultures,” he said. “We don’t want people to lose sight of their roots.”
To honor this diversity, the church leadership decided to dedicate a day to cultural celebration. Members were encouraged to dress in their traditional attire, sing native songs, and read scripture in various local languages. According to Rev. Abukari, the Bible teaches that believers are one in Christ, even though they come from diverse backgrounds. “No culture is superior to another. All of us stem from the Garden of Eden, and diversity is God’s design for us to acknowledge who He is,” he noted.
The response from the congregation was overwhelmingly positive. Rev. Abukari recounted, “When I asked the church if next year we should not go to celebrate this day, they told me that it will be a demonstration.”
He emphasized that the lessons of unity in diversity should extend beyond the church’s walls to the wider community. “If I say I’m this tribe and you are this tribe, what makes the difference? The same blood, the same system, and we live in the same area. We have gone past the stage where you can say only your tribe should remain. We must have the heart to embrace diversity.”
Rev. Abukari also drew comparisons with multicultural societies around the world, citing Great Britain as an example of a nation where different tribes coexist and work towards common goals. “Everybody has come to realize that I’m different, you are different, but there’s a common goal we should achieve,” he said.
The theme for the Culture Day was “One Body, Many Parts,” inspired by 1 Corinthians 12, where the Apostle Paul uses the analogy of the human body to illustrate unity in diversity. Rev. Abukari also referenced Ephesians 4:1–7 to reinforce the message of oneness, reminding the congregation of their shared faith and purpose.
The church hopes that this celebration will become an annual tradition, reinforcing the importance of cultural heritage, unity, and mutual respect among its members and the wider community.
Source: Apexnewsgh.com