Churches in the Wild...

Thou saith that “for where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there in their midst” but can we go a tad further to scrutinize the passage by trying to conceptualize the wherever therein?

I am convinced beyond doubt that God with an Omni presence is everywhere even if the people thereof are gathered in the name of evil but does it imply that He will still be amidst two or three people who are rooted in His name in the middle of a certain Champs Sports Bar in Accra on a Friday night when the whole of Accra have decided to go there for a getaway? Wow!

And I almost thought good and evil could not dwell at one place…

I know God protects his people wherever they find themselves but just how did Churches resolve to convert Classrooms into places of worship? How did we as a Society allow these latter day sects to fest among us? And did you also know that they are the number one culprits for noise pollution in the City?

Pray do tell if it’s not a worrying sight to see a six classroom block, each occupied by a different Church, screaming on top of their voices through the low quality PA systems they use as though there are laurels at stake for the best noise pollutant? I bet you haven’t noticed that most Schools in the City and recently a budding trend in the villages have become places of worship by day and invariably a place of worship at night?

How do they even do it? Wait, I can hazard a guess. Firstly, the Pastor with a group of people will go and consult the Headmaster alone or together with the Board that they want to start worshiping in their facility to align with God’s directive of winning souls for Him to which the Headmaster being a religious person will assent to either by veto power or in consultation with other stakeholders. Next thing, ground rules are set with some money exchanging hands and a promise to keep by both parties.

Then comes a day of worship where you will see a group of believers coming to the school ahead of time, frantically pacing about, waiting for the extra classes that have run into the evening to finally come to an end for whatever they were worth for their Classrooms to be occupied. To worship. And when the bell goes for closing, you are sure to see these Church members practically shoving and parking the desks to one side of the classroom even before the kids leave. Some sweeping and picking up litters, others decorating the Teacher’s table with fine lace and a flowered vase and a collection box placed between the Clergy and the Congregation to continually remind everyone of how good it is to give…

What in God’s name will make about 15 or 20 people decide to establish a church as though it’s a venture? What are they teaching that is not been taught at bigger Churches; mostly from where they break off? Just visualize a Classroom and tell me how many Church members can actually squeeze in if not just a handful of Congregants? 

Methinks Church premises should exude an atmosphere of serenity, quietude and that saintly presence that draws you in and brings chagrin to the fore especially for a reckless sinner like me - that is why this sudden transformation of a classroom into a holy place within a twinkle of an eye does not cut it for me. Blame my conservatism, but I also do not believe we need too many Churches. We need some decorum in the house of the Lord because it looks like these zealots are becoming more Catholic than the Pope. 

As much as there is freedom of Association where people are entitled to their respective choices, I think society still owes it a duty to save some of these wandering souls just the way the government has taken it upon itself to save and protect smokers from the throes of wee(d) which hitherto used to be one of their right and delight.

And Just a quick question. Will there be a conflict of interest should a teacher decides to organize an extra classes for the pupils on a Sunday morning which also happens to be the Church’s Harvest?

Writer tweets @vilejah