Galamsey fight must go beyond empty slogans; it requires conscious effort – Methodist Church

The Methodist Church Ghana has once again urged decisive action against illegal mining, known colloquially as galamsey, warning that the destruction of fertile land and pollution of water sources pose a grave threat to Ghana's future. Presiding Bishop Most Rev. Prof. Johnson Kwabena Asamoah-Gyadu emphasized that religious institutions can no longer stand idly by as the environment deteriorates and communities suffer.

At the opening of the Church's 52nd Conference 2026, he urged churches and other faith-based groups to play a more proactive role in safeguarding Ghana's natural resources.

The recent catastrophic floods have brought to light the shortcomings in how Christians, including religious groups, approach environmental stewardship, Asamoah-Gyadu lamented. He pointed out that the devastation wrought by the floods exposed the Church's inadequate understanding of its responsibility towards the environment. The destruction of arable land and contamination of water bodies by illegal mining, he stressed, must be addressed as a collective responsibility rather than individual actions.

The Church's commitment to environmental protection should not be confined to empty declarations but must be translated into concrete actions and measurable outcomes, he added.

Asamoah-Gyadu called on religious bodies to ramp up their advocacy efforts and practical interventions aimed at preserving the environment, protecting water bodies and farmlands, and promoting responsible stewardship of the country's natural resources. He stressed that the Church's vision and mission statements should not merely be empty slogans but should be lived out through prayerful contemplation, diligent work, and a conscious effort to assess the effectiveness of its environmental stewardship initiatives.