The Head Pastor of EndTime Revival Centre (ETRC) Assemblies of God in Adenta, Rev. Victor Kunkpe, has called on churches to reach out to individuals battling drug addiction in ghettos and to provide support for detoxification and rehabilitation programmes that will help reintegrate them into society.
Rev. Kunkpe emphasised that drug addicts can pose a threat to society, particularly to children and teenagers, who may be vulnerable to abuse or initiated into substance use.
In an interview with AGTV, Rev. Kunkpe stated that as part of its mission, his church has been actively evangelising in the Madina Zongo areas through a team known as Madina Missions.
Visitation
He revealed that every Sunday, the team visits the ghettos to preach, pray with drug addicts, and invite those willing to change to the main church in Adenta. Upon arrival, they receive food, medical care, and counseling on overcoming addiction.
The head Pastor further explained that those who agree to rehabilitation are sent to Chosen Rehabilitation Centre at Abofunu near Achimota for detoxification and recovery.
Impact,challenges
Rev. Kunkpe said so far, the church has sent 18 individuals to the rehabilitation centre. He said four of them have fully recovered and sent to their families in Ghana while six individuals have also been sent to Nigeria and one to Togo.
Rev. Kunkpe however said the process was costly, with detoxification alone costing GHc1,500 per person and full recovery requiring over GHc10,000 for them.
Rev Kunkpe shared that currently the church needs financial support to ensure that proper care is given the drug addicts after they are rehabilitated. He observed that the church needs support to assist drug addicts who are recovering but face rejection from their families and society, leaving them homeless.
"To address this, the church helps them acquire skills through members who are mechanics, carpenters, and other professionals"he stated.
Call for support
Rev. Kunkpe urged other churches to take up similar initiatives, stressing that while some churches are making efforts, more can be done to transform lives through the gospel.
"Shaping the world with the gospel means taking responsibility for those in need. It is not easy, but we must do more and be committed to it," he stressed.
Moral guidance for children
Rev. Kunkpe emphasised the need for proactive measures to prevent drug addiction among the youth. As part of this effort, he stated that the EndTime Revival Centre Assemblies of God has an outreach programme where a dedicated team visits secondary schools to educate students on the dangers of drug abuse.
Through preaching and counseling, the team aims to create awareness and encourage students to abstain from substance use.
Additionally, Rev. Kunkpe urged parents and leaders of children's ministry departments in churches to instill strong moral values in young ones.
He stressed that continuous prayer and proper guidance from an early age can help prevent children from falling into the temptation of drug abuse and other harmful behaviours.
"Prevention is better than cure. If we educate our children early and teach them the right path, we can reduce the number of people falling into addiction," he added.
