Bolgatanga, July 3, GNA – Reverend Father Gabriel Atidoo Agambire, Vicar General of the Catholic Diocese of Navrongo-Bolgatanga, has called on choristers in the church to use music as instrument for evangelization.
He said music forms an integral part of the worship of God and should be considered as a useful instrument to propagate the gospel to the public.
The Vicar General made the call at the second national congress of the Ghana National Catholic Choirs Union (GNACCU) held in Bolgatanga in the Upper East Region.
The congress being, hosted by the Catholic Diocese of Navrongo-Bolgatanga, brought together choristers from all the Catholic Dioceses in Ghana as well as members of the clergy.
The event, which was characterized by melodious hymns and performances, praising and glorifying God, was to afford members of the union the opportunity to fraternize, learn and share more about the Catholic doctrine as well as consolidate the gains made to contribute to the evangelization of the gospel through songs.
The event was held under the theme: “The new evangelization mission of the Catholic Church; the role of the Catholic Chorister”.
The Vicar General explained that choristers were ordained by God to sing songs that would effectively move people and win souls for Christ.
He said music, especially in the Church was not meant to entertain people, instead it was to be employed as an effective mechanism to evangelize the gospel and make people effectively participate in worship through singing.
Professor John Franklin Wiredu of the College of Humanities, University of Ghana, Legon, in a key note address, revealed that music as an instrument of worship was an imposition on the Church by God.
He said God through the Old to the New Testaments directed his people to use music in praising and worshipping Him and this, therefore, becomes a mission ordained by God.
Professor Wiredu urged Christians to develop inner attitudes that would lead them to eschew self-glorification and entertainment and sing songs that would give honour to God and evangelize the gospel.
Madam Paulina Patience Abayage, the Upper East Regional Minister, who joined them during the opening ceremony, said music is culture and could make and unmake the morals and values of every society.
As result, the Regional Minister, who is also a musician, said government has provided seed capital for the construction of the National Christian Cathedral, which would further comprise a music school to serve as a central point of national worship and religious activities.
She said as part of strategies to ensure the economic viability of the Creative Arts Sector, plans were advanced to establish a Creative Arts Fund to harness the potentials for economic transformation.
She urge members of GNACCU to avail themselves and benefit from the fund.
