Most things of God are usually marred in controversies – Joyce Ayree on National Cathedral

A member of the Board of Trustees of the National Cathedral, Rev Dr Joyce Rosalind Aryee has said most things of God are marred in controversies and that explains the hullabaloo surrounding the National Cathedral.

Rev Dr Aryee made the comment on GhanaTonight on TV3 on Tuesday, December 27, monitored by GhanaPlus.com.

She recounted incidents that led to the birth of Christ, through to his crucifixion adding that “Most things that have to do with God is marred in controversies”.

The renowned woman of God said the situation is so because people are yet to come to the understanding of things of God.

She made the comment while responding to questions of controversies, transparency and conversations  surrounding the national interdenominational project lunched by the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in 2018.

“Most things that have to do with God is marred in controversies. If you recall, even the birth of Jesus. When Herod the king heard that the king is born and the wise men didn’t come back and tell him where the child was born, he had children who were two years and below killed and you know the Pharisees  just gave up Jesus to be crucified”.

“So things of God are usually marred in controversies because is not everybody who understands what is going on and I think God is very gracious, some of these things, he doesn’t even force people to do it,” Rev Dr Aryee said.

“When you read scriptures, God will say if you will obey me not when you will obey me. If you will obey me. You know, he says if you will be my disciple.  In the book of John for example in 1:12, he says to all who received Him, to those who believe in His name, He gave them the right to be the children of God.

….So that is the thing about God, he looks for those who are willing. Who have a good heart to do what He want than those who are unwilling and that is how we are going about it,” Rev Dr Aryee elaborated.

National Cathedral Controversies

The National Cathedral of Ghana, a project launched by Ghana’s President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo have been in one controversy or the other since its launch in 2018.

The first of the them was the whooping $32million consultancy fees paid the designer of the project,  Sir David Frank Adjaye OM OBE RA, a Ghanaian-British Architect known for many notable buildings around the world, including the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C.

Among other things, a 14-acres of prime lands in Accra hosting residential facility of the country’s Judges was pulled down to make way for the construction of the cathedral attracting law suit from some affected parties.

Again, the seaming lack of fix cost for the project has become a source of worry for many. Initially estimated to cost some $100 million at the time of its launch, the cathedral is currently said to be estimated at $370million with some GH¢339,003,064.86 invested so far by government.

The National Cathedral was also hit by the biggest blow of all time when Parliament rejected a $80million allocation made in the 2023 budget statement by government to support the project.

Source: GhanaPlus.com