E.P. Church Pastor urges Christians to reconcile, bolster forgiveness before death
Reverend Joshua Nabuer, District Pastor and Parish Priest of the Emmanuel Congregation of the Evangelical Presbyterian (E.P.) Church at Tapa Amanya in the Biakoye District of the Oti Region, has urged Christians to make forgiveness, reconciliation and peaceful coexistence a conscious way of life, saying death was inevitable and its timing remained unknown.
He said the inevitability of death should serve as a constant reminder to people to resolve differences, forgive one another sincerely and make peace with family members, friends and neighbours while they had the opportunity.
Rev. Nabuer made the call during a funeral service at Tapa Amanya for the late Mrs Victoria Yaa Asiedu and two other distinguished members of the Emmanuel Congregation.
He said life was a journey with an inevitable destination, and urged Christians to live purposefully, strengthen their relationship with God and cultivate values that would leave a lasting and positive legacy.
“Death is inevitable. It will come when it should,” Rev. Nabuer said, stressing the need for people to make peace with one another before the unexpected occurred.
He said the biographies and tributes presented in honour of the deceased were not only touching but also provided valuable lessons on love, sacrifice, compassion, service and steadfastness in faith.
The District Pastor urged the bereaved families to remain united and steadfast in the Lord, and to use the period of mourning as an opportunity to draw closer to God and reflect on the purpose and brevity of human life.
The service attracted hundreds of mourners, relatives, friends and sympathisers from Tapa Amanya and other parts of the country, including Accra, Kumasi, Dambai, Kete Krachi and Ho.
The late Mrs Asiedu was born on October 12, 1958, to the late Nana Kwame Sasu II, Paramount Chief of the Tapa Traditional Area of Tapa Abotoase, and the late Madam Adwoa Owusa of Tapa Amanya.
She received her basic education at the Roman Catholic Primary School before pursuing vocational training in catering. She later lived in Liberia and Botswana and subsequently relocated with her family to the United States in 1999, where she settled in Worcester, Massachusetts.
In the United States, Mrs Asiedu furthered her professional training through the American Red Cross and qualified as a Certified Nursing Assistant. She worked at St. Mary’s Hospital, Westborough State Hospital and other healthcare agencies in Worcester before her death.
Tributes at the service portrayed her as a devoted Christian, wife, mother and grandmother whose life was marked by love, compassion, sacrifice and service to others.
Her husband, Mr Michael Kwabena Asiedu, described their 47-year marriage as one characterised by love, understanding and tolerance, while their son, Mr Michael Twumasi Asiedu, remembered her as a protector, teacher, comforter and a source of unconditional love.
Other tributes from family members, friends and the Presbyterian Church of Ghana’s Mount Zion Congregation in Worcester, Massachusetts, as well as the Emmanuel Congregation, Tapa Amanya, reflected on her Christian values and enduring impact on those who knew her.
Mrs Asiedu was subsequently laid to rest at the Tapa Amanya Public Cemetery in a solemn ceremony conducted by Rev. Nabuer, assisted by the Host Catechist, Mr Johnson Attah.
Story by: Benjamin Makafui Attipoe, Tapa Manya
