SDA Church and Sabbath voting concerns, matters arising

By Dr. Nana Sifa Twum, Media and Communications Consultant

Some people have expressed the view that participating in the democratic process, including exercising one’s right to vote, must be an important civic engagement that is essential to promoting justice and love for our neighbours, others think that this must not be on the sabbath day.

The Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) Church hierarchy stands with the latter, saying that “Voting on Saturday, the Sabbath of the Lord, does not align with the church’s religious beliefs.”

The leadership of the church in Ghana has declared in a statement, that “The Seventh-Day Adventist Church in Ghana recognises the civic responsibility of its members to participate in the democratic process, including exercising their rights to vote.”

The Church is of the stance, that its longstanding conviction that voting on Saturday, the Sabbath of the Lord, is not in alignment with its religious beliefs,” noting, that the SDA church’s observation of the Sabbath, a sacred period from sunset on Friday to sunset on Saturday, held deep spiritual significance for all Adventists.

The Adventists believed that “The Sabbath is a sacred day dedicated to worship, rest and commune with God.” Article 63(2) of the 1992 constitution of Ghana states that “a presidential election must be held within two months before the term of the sitting president expires.

Since presidential terms end on January 7th, this requirement leads to elections typically occurring in early December.

Again, Article 45 of the Constitution establishes the Electoral Commission (EC) ‘s powers and functions, including conducting and supervising public elections and setting election dates as part of its mandate.

The actual date, 7th December, was formally instituted through subsidiary legislation and electoral regulations issued by the Electoral Commission of Ghana. This ensures elections are conducted consistently, aligning with the constitutional transition timeline. Therefore, while the constitution provides the legal framework, the Electoral Commission determines the exact date, ensuring elections adhere to the constitutional timeline; hence, the 7th of December of every election year is slated for the general election.

The issue of voting on Saturday, the sabbath has never been so paramount in Ghana as it is now. Several concerns have been raised, even to the Executive.

The President, Nana Akufo-Addo, at a ceremony at Valley View University, appealed to the SDA Church to reconsider their decision of not participating in the upcoming December 7 election, due to religious obligations. Since the inception of the 1992 constitution, December 7th has fallen on a Saturday on a few occasions.

According to the Church’s Office of Archives, Statistics and Research (ASTR), the Adventist Church has a significant presence in Ghana, with more than half a million members. The Church has contributed immensely to holistic development in various sectors nationwide. Members of the SDA Church in Ghana, now struggle to balance their religious beliefs with civic duties and responsibilities, by voting on a sabbath day.

The SDA Church believes that voting on the Sabbath is not in line with its religious beliefs. The Bible does not explicitly mention modern civil rights or voting, as these concepts were not part of the societal structures in biblical times. However, the Bible provides principles related to justice, fairness and responsibility, that can apply to civil rights and governance. The selection of leaders happens everywhere, even in the Bible.

The Bible urges us to choose leaders wisely, as in the case of Moses, recorded in Exodus Chapter 18 verse 21. While the Bible doesn’t directly address voting, these principles encourage believers to promote justice, equality and wise leadership, which are fundamental to civil rights and democratic participation. The leadership of the SDA Church has never advised any member not to exercise his or her civil rights. Ghanaian Adventists have always exercised their civil responsibilities since independence. The core of the matter is demonstrating commitment and obedience to the law of God and exercising civic responsibilities. To every Christian in all faiths and beliefs, obeying the law of God generally holds a higher importance than civic responsibility, especially in matters of faith and conscience. This principle is rooted in various religious traditions, including Christianity, of which Adventism is part, where following God’s commandments is paramount.

An example is in Acts 5:29, Peter and the apostles stated, “We must obey God rather than human beings.” Going forward, can the national voting day be fixed on a particular day instead of a date?

The first Tuesday of December of an election year, or like the Americans, shifts to the next Monday if the 7th of December falls on a weekend. This will resolve the issue of voting on Fridays, Saturdays or Sundays, which are deemed by religious groupings as days of worship.

Let us work in harmony for the peace and development of Ghana.

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