‘Change or perish’

By Edmund Smith-Asante

Rt Rev Samuel Mensah preaching the sermon

A society that refuses to change its way of doing things is heading for death, the President of the Full Gospel Church International (FGCI), Rt. Rev Samuel N. Mensah, has stated.

He explained that death was the loss of relevance, influence and impact for people who refuse to change their way of doing things in line with changing trends.


“There are certain traditions that are killing us as a nation; there are certain traditions that are killing the church; there are certain traditions that are killing the society,” he said in a sermon in Tema to climax the FGCI’s week-long annual conference dubbed, “Giants Conference”.

The conference, which was attended by members of the church from across the country, was on the theme: “Beyond ordinary life”.

Critical questions
Preaching on the topic, “Change or die” and making reference to 2 Kings 7:3-6, Rt. Rev Mensah said just as the four lepers mentioned in those verses took steps to change their situation which redeemed an entire nation from famine, there was the need for a review and resetting of vision to effect change.

“They asked a powerful question. That is the starting point that will provoke you to change – why must we stay here and die?” he recounted the story of the four lepers.

Taking inspiration from the injunction of the lepers, he wondered: “Why are we a third-class nation? Why are we a Third World country? Why are we not an industrialised nation?”

Rt. Rev Mensah said it was important for the nation to re-examine itself, adding that Ghana should not compare itself with neighbouring countries when there were world-class nations it could measure up to.

Congregants at the Giants Conference

“They are not our standard and they cannot be our standard. As long as you compare yourself with a dwarf, you are not going to move forward in life.

“You would never leave where you are until you decide where you would want to be. As a nation we know where we are, but we don’t know where we are going.

“No pilot takes off without a destination in mind. Without a destination in mind that plane will crash,” he said.

Irrelevant tradition
Rev Mensah said one of the major things that killed organisations was tradition, pointing out that any tradition that was found to be irrelevant to present circumstances must be discarded.

The FGCI President said the work of leaders was to change and influence society, adding, “Your job as a leader is to change the people.”

Writer’s email: edmund.asante@graphic.com.gh

This was first published by the Daily Graphic on September 27, 2014