Former Clerk of General Assembly, Rev. Prof. Samuel Ayete‑Nyampong, has called on newly commissioned ministerial probationers to honour their vows with sincerity and integrity, reminding them that God watches over every promise made before Him.
Preaching at the commissioning of the Ramseyer Training Centre, Abetifi – Batch 1 probationers at Ramseyer Congregation, Abetifi, on Saturday, Rev. Prof. Ayete‑Nyampong anchored his sermon on Ecclesiastes 5:1–2, describing it as a divine caution against careless speech in worship.
He said the passage calls believers to approach God with humility, noting that “vows are sacred commitments, not decorative words.” He warned that rushing into vows without understanding their weight leads to broken and insincere commitments. “Do you really mean what you say to God?” he asked the probationers, reminding them that ordination, commissioning, wedding, and covenant vows are solemn acts of surrender.
“When you are lonely, remember the vows you are making today,” he added. Rev. Prof. Ayete‑Nyampong emphasised that worship must be grounded in truth. “True worship occurs when our prayers agree with our lives and our hearts agree with our words,” he said.
He cited Isaiah, noting that God condemns those who honour Him with their lips while their hearts are far away. Turning to the power of speech, he referenced Matthew 12:36–37, stressing that words reveal the condition of the heart and can build or destroy lives. “The minister’s primary tool is words,” he said.
“Christ preached with words, and words carry responsibility.” He warned that the same tongue that proclaims grace can also spread gossip, urging ministers to guard their speech carefully.
He reminded the probationers that even Isaiah confessed not unclean hands but unclean lips, underscoring the need for ministers to have cleansed and controlled speech. “No human being possesses sufficient strength to keep all promises to God,” he said. “Only the Holy Spirit can empower us. Without the Holy Spirit, words become mere talk.”
He ended with a call to dependence on God: “Let us guard our words. Let us worship God in spirit and in truth. Let us depend on the Holy Spirit,” citing Zechariah 4:6 as the foundation for Spirit‑empowered ministry.
By Jerome Otchere
