Ghana’s former Finance Minister Seth Terkper has urged the country’s political class to let faith, rather than personal ambition, guide public service, telling an interfaith Christmas gathering in the capital that true leadership is measured by service, not by being served.
Speaking on behalf of Chief of Staff Julius Debrah at a devotional themed, The Miracles of Christmas organised by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the evening of Friday 28th of November, 2025, Mr Terkper described faith as “the silent compass” that keeps leaders honest, humble and focused on ordinary citizens.
“Leadership is not about being served; it is about serving,” he told several hundred worshippers at the Christiansborg Stake Centre in Accra. “Authority is not a license to dominate but a responsibility to lift.”
The annual event brought together Latter-day Saint members, clergy from other Christian denominations and guests of different faiths for carols, gospel performances and prayer, underlining a rare moment of religious harmony.
Mr Terkper, who served as finance minister from 2013 to 2017 under former President John Mahama, argued that public office is a moral calling, not merely an administrative role. Without spiritual grounding, he warned, leadership can slide into arrogance or self-interest.
“Faith keeps your hands clean even when the work is difficult,” he said.
He praised the Church of Christ of Latter-day Saints for creating spaces “where unity is not just spoken but lived,” and said shared values such as honesty, kindness, sacrifice and forgiveness transcend doctrinal differences.
Mr. Terkper’s admonishing sits well with many Ghanaians who have consistently called for ethical leadership rooted in personal faith.
Mr Terkper concluded by reminding the audience that every policy decision ultimately touches real lives: families at the dinner table, children studying by lantern light, and elderly parents hoping for dignity, and thus subtly called for the support of the people in making policy decisions worthwhile.
