Your wealth is nothing if you can’t help others – Duncan-Williams
True success lies in a positive impact in others’ lives and not the selfish accumulation of wealth, renowned preacher Archbishop Nicholas Duncan-Williams has said.
The General Overseer of the Action Chapel International (ACI) discouraged individualism and wants increased assistance to the needy.
He believed that God blesses people to elevate the plight of others and not greedy possession of resources that could improve the lives of the less privileged.
“If your blessing is all about you and you immediate family, as long as God is concerned, you are a disappointment,” he said.
He continued: “It is believed that true success and legacy has nothing to do with deep pockets or houses or earthy possessions but has everything to do with the difference you make in the lives of others”.
He delivered a sermon as the Guest of Honour at the 18th annual thanksgiving service of the First Sky Group, a Ghana business conglomerate.
The programme was held at the International Conference Centre to mark the end of the corporate calendar of the company.
The pastor underpinned the importance of thanksgiving, which he said must become a tradition by all business people and working groups.
He said First Sky Group was on a path of gratitude, even though to him, they were not as wealthy as others.
“We don’t give or do the things you see First Sky Group doing because we have, but we give because we care. We are not giving to make a show,” he stressed.
He observed that a businessman consulted him for prayers after losing over “US$50million and yet they will never do anything for anybody and you will never know they have that kind of money”.
Don’t let haters derail your dream
Archbishop Duncan-Williams advised Mr Kutortse to shrug off hatred and jealousy that would be meted out to him because of his dreams.
Alluding to the Bible, he cited Joseph, a son of Jacob, an Israelite, noted for dreams.
Joseph attracted hate from his brothers because of his gift, but that did not stop him from dreaming and later become king of Egypt.
Archbishop Duncan-Williams noted: “If the dream is of God, it does not matter what comes against you, the dream will always stand and the dream will win”.
In the same vein, he encouraged the audience to conceive dreams backed by God.
“Dreams attract jealousy, envy and hatred but that must not stop you from dreaming because every dream that comes from God is a possibility,” he stressed.
He entreated Ghanaians to cultivate the habit of dreaming and developing plans “because one day, your dream will come to pass”.
Many inventions and successful businesses sprung from dreams or concepts that were later developed into physical manifestations.
Aeroplanes, cars, internet, and electricity were borne from visual conceptualisations while successful brands like Google, Apple, Microsoft and Facebook were imaginations pursued into reality.
CEO of First Sky Group, Eric Seddy Kutortse, had said that the company retained over 2,760 in its six subsidiaries despite the COVID-19 pandemic.
The company did not truncate sponsorship to needy children at different education levels, and support to health institutions also continued unabated.
According to Mr Kutortse, the company spent GHC 15million on kidney dialyses support for patients who could not afford the life-saving treatment.
The company hopes to establish a kidney transplant centre at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility.
Guests who graced the event included the General Superintendent of the Assemblies of God Church, Rev. Prof. Paul Frimpong-Manso; Immediate past Chairman of The Church of Pentecost, Apostle Professor Kwadwo Nimfour Opoku Onyinah; Supreme Court judge and Chairman of the University Council of the University of Health and Allied Sciences, Jones Dotse; Volta Regional Minister, Archibald Letsa; and the Chief Executive Officer for Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Dr Opoku Ware Ampomah.